UAlbany Track and Field & Cross Country Program Announces 48 Commitments

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

Albany, N.Y. - University at Albany’s Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Roberto Vives announced on Wednesday, August 27 that a record 48 student-athletes will be joining the UAlbany men’s and women’s programs for the 2008-09 academic year. The class includes 11 student-athletes from Capital Region high schools and nine transfers.

Leading the men’s signees is transfer Alie Beauvais (Hempstead, N.Y./Hempstead), who joins the Great Danes from Lincoln University in Missouri. Beauvais was a three-time New York State Champion. Nasim Siddeeq (New Hampton, N.Y./Goshen Central) comes to the UAlbany program after two seasons at Robert Morris University. Siddeeq broke the Northeast Conference championship record in the triple jump last season with a leap of 51-feet, 0.75-inches. Siddeeq, who was a two-time All-East selection in the triple jump, will also compete in the long jump. Deshaun Sutton (Westbury, N.Y./Westbury), who comes to UAlbany from SUNY Old Westbury, will add depth to the field events, after posting personal bests of 47-feet, 1-inch in the triple jump and 6-feet, 3-inches in the high jump.

Feyisara Adaramola (Bronx, N.Y./Trevor Day) joins the women’s squad after two seasons at the University of Central Florida, while Celine Cauderlier (Entzheim, France/Lycee Louis Pasteur) comes to UAlbany from University Louis Pasteur in Strasbourg, France. Adaramola will join the Great Dane sprinting corps after earning All-USA Conference honors. Cauderlier is a former national high school pole vault champion in France, posting a personal best of 12-feet, 7.75-inches.

Tierra Chavis (Brooklyn, N.Y./Bishop Loughlin), a transfer from St. Francis (N.Y.) College, brings additional strength to the sprints. Chavis was a two-time national high school champion in the 4x400-meter and sprint medley relays. Roxanne Wegman (Delmar, N.Y./Bethlehem Central) spent the last two seasons at Army. Wegman was a high school All-American as a member of mile relay and is former Empire State Games champion in the 10,000-meter run.

Leading an outstanding crop of freshmen for the UAlbany men is Nicholas Santos (Albany, N.Y/Colonie Central) and Jonathan Juleus (Succasunna, N.J./Pope John XXIII Regional). Santos is a two-time high school All-American and a four-time All-State Federation honoree who will compete in the 800-meter run. Juleus was a two-time New Jersey State champion in the 1,600-meter run. Ethan Clary (Schuylerville, N.Y./Schuylerville) will compete for the Great Danes’ distance squad. Clary placed fourth in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the 2008 New York State Federation Championships.

The mid-distance and distance running corps increases its strength with Ryan Florkiewics and Greg Miniger, a pair of high school All-Americans from Warwick Valley High School. Florkiewics will compete in the 800-meter, 1,600-meter and 3,200-meter events, while Miniger was a four-time All-American as a member of the distance relay squads. R.J. Sniffen, Chris Manico and Devon Sedgwick of Shaker High School were members of the 4x800-meter and distance medley relay teams for the Blue Bison.

Jared Nilsson (East Moriches, N.Y./Westhampton Beach) will add to an already strong hurdle group, while Kadeem Howell (Great Neck, N.Y./Manhasset) joins the jump squad. Howell was a high school All-American with a personal best of 47-feet, 6.5-inches in the triple jump. Stephen Hassard (Setauket, N.Y./Ward Melville) and Cory Thomas (Painted Post, N.Y./Corning-Painted Post) join a solid throws group. Hassard is an all-state discus thrower with a personal best of 156-feet, 8-inches, while Thomas will compete in the discus and shot put events.

On the women’s side, New York State standouts Emily Fung (Greenwich, N.Y./Greenwich Central) and Ada Lauterbach (East Berne, N.Y./Berne-Knox-Westerlo) will add to the distance program. Fung is in a select group as one of the few women runners from New York who have earned all-state honors in cross country for six consecutive years. Fung also claimed the 3,000-meter state title and was part of the National High School record-setting 4x1,500-meter relay team. Lauterbach was an all-state performer in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.

Alexandria Carlson (Suffern, N.Y./Suffern) and Laura Varble (Henrietta, N.Y./Rush Henrietta) join the UAlbany mid-distance squad. Carlson earned All-America recognition as a member of Suffern High School’s distance medley relay team, and also earned all-state honors as a member of the 4x800-meter relay. Varble brings an 800-meter time of 2:18 and was chosen all-state as the 600-meter leg of the intersectional relay.

The Great Danes add five standouts to the sprinting corps. Tenica Roberts and Rashida Charles are both high school All-Americans from Bay Shore (N.Y.) High School. Roberts, who earned All-America honors as a member of the distance medley relay, will compete in the 400-meter as well as the triple jump, while Charles will join the 100-meter and 200-meter competitors. Both were All-America members of Bay Shore’s sprint medley relay.

Nyree Richardson (Elmont, N.Y./Elmont Memorial) was an all-state selection in the 4x100-meter relay. Elia Francis is a two-time all-state honoree out of Ursuline High School in Mount Vernon, N.Y., while Jennifer Adams (Batavia, N.Y./Batavia) will add depth to the sprinting and jumping squads after earning all-state honors in the long jump.

Catie Coxon (Delanson, N.Y./Duanesburg) leads a group of five student-athletes that will be competing in the field events. Coxon is a two-time all-state discus thrower. Tiffany Bennett (Marlboro, N.Y./Marlboro) is an all-state high jumper, while Ashleigh Whitfield (Freeport, N.Y./Kellenberg Memorial) will also compete in the high jump. Rebecca Power (Bellrose Village, N.Y./Archbishop Molloy) will compete in both the pole vault and the javelin, while Emily Mino (Oradell, N.J./River Dell) is a two-time New Jersey state champion in the pole vault.

“This is definitely the best recruiting class we have had here at UAlbany, we have added strength as well as depth,” said Vives, who guided the program to 12 men’s and women’s America East Conference championships. “We are looking forward to seeing this recruiting class in action. This class is definitely going to contribute to our fine tradition of winning conference championships and our move toward becoming a national level program.