University of Albany Men's Indoor Track & Field Edges Big East Champion UConn to Win First IC4A Title at ECAC Championship - UAlbany Sports 2009

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

Boston, Mass. – The 4x800-meter relay team consisting of former Section II student-athletes Joe Belokopitsky, Nick Santos, John Moore and Tyler Fogarty eclipsed the school record by over 10 seconds and finished second to clinch the UAlbany men’s indoor track team’s first IC4A championship on Sunday afternoon at the Boston University Track and Tennis Center. The Great Dane men finished with 72.50 points, which was nine better than second-place Connecticut, winners of the 2009 Big East title. The UAlbany women finished 15th with 19 points at the ECAC Championship held at the Reggie Lewis Center.

The men’s title being battled out between UAlbany and UConn would come down to the three relay events to close out the meet. UConn had a distance medley relay, UAlbany had a 4x400-meter relay and both squads had a 4x800-meter relay which would be the deciding factor. UConn’s distance medley relay team placed second, which cut the Great Dane lead to three points, 56.5-53.5, entering the 4x800. The Great Danes needed to finish no less than four points behind the Huskies in the race to clinch the team title entering the final event.

Even though Connecticut’s squad won the 4x800 event in 7:20.09 to garner 10 points, UAlbany placed second in 7:24.94 while shattering the school record in the process to earn eight points and stay ahead of the Huskies by a point through 19 of the 20 events. Belokopitsky (Shaker) led off the relay with a split of 1:51.9, while Santos (Colonie Central) ran the second leg in 1:52.9. Moore (Fonda-Fultonville) finished the third leg in 1:49.03, and Fogarty (Shenendehowa) anchored the squad with a mark of 1:50.05. The men’s 4x400-meter relay team consisting of Alie Beauvais, Jeffery Barnes (Albany), Peter Rowell (Scotia-Glenville) and Joe Greene then placed second with an NCAA provisional mark of 3:09.78, the second fastest time in program history, to close out the meet.

“Yesterday, we were a little flat,” said head coach Roberto Vives, whose squad stood in fourth after the first day of the championship meet. “We had a meeting last night, and we came back today a different team. To beat the Big East champion was unbelievable. The kids stayed composed, and I am very proud of them.”

A total of four Great Danes posted top-three finishes in track events. Greene broke his own school record in the 400-meter dash, finishing in an NCAA provisional qualifying time of 47.10 seconds to place third. Jean Juste provisionally qualified for the NCAA Championship for the first time in his career. He finished second in the 55-meter high hurdles in 7.34. Moore also had a second-place finish in the 1,000-meter run, clocking in at 2:25.69. Beauvais crossed the tape in a personal-best time of 1:02.80 in the 500-meter dash to finish third.

UAlbany also got an additional 13 points in the triple jump. Mike McCadney, who owned the school record entering this winter before teammate Nasim Siddeeq broke it at the Great Dane Classic, reclaimed the program standard and finished second. He leaped 51-feet, 8.5-inches. Siddeeq placed fourth in the event with a mark of 49-10.

Jenn Gurrant led the way for the UAlbany women at the ECAC championship meet by winning the triple jump with a personal-best leap of 42-6.25. It also marked the second time she met the NCAA provisional standard in the event. Kamilah McShine, who placed seventh in the pentathlon yesterday, finished eighth in the 60-meter hurdles for crossing the tape in 8.89 seconds.

In addition, the women’s 4x800-meter relay team consisting of Melissa Lee, Laura Cummings, Zuliana Fontanez and Esperanza Blanco set a new school record by over two seconds. The squad placed third in 9:00.07 to garner the remaining six points for the Great Danes.

In addition to a pair of men’s relay teams, a total of seven Great Danes who met a provisional qualifying mark are eligible to compete at the 2009 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships hosted by Texas A&M in College Station, Texas from March 13-14. The final list of participants for the national meet will be announced no later than 8 p.m. Eastern time on Monday, March 9.

PAW PRINTS: The UAlbany men had never finished higher than fourth with 37 points at the IC4A meet ... Jenn Gurrant, Mike McCadney and Nasim Siddeeq have all met the NCAA provisional qualifying standard in the triple jump ... The other Great Danes who are eligible to compete at the NCAA Championship with provisional marks are Joe Greene in the 400-meter dash, Tyler Fogarty (Shenendehowa) in the 800-meter run, Jean Juste in the 60-meter high hurdles and Luke Schoen in the pole vault.

Top 15 Men’s Team Scores

1. UAlbany 72.50 points, 2. Connecticut 63.50, 3. Delaware State 48, 4. Manhattan 42, 5. Hampton 32, 6. William & Mary 31, 7. Rutgers 29.50, 8. Syracuse 29, 9. Morgan State 27, 10. Seton Hall 23, 11. Coppin State 22, 12. Duke 20, 13. Harvard 19.50, T-14. Binghamton 19, T-14. Georgetown 19.

UAlbany Men’s Results

UAlbany Men’s Results –400-Meter Dash (Finals): 3. Joe Greene 47.10 (NCAA Provisional, School Record). 500-Meter Dash (Finals): 3. Alie Beauvais 1:02.80. 55-Meter Hurdles (Semifinals): 6. Jean Juste 7.44. 55-Meter Hurdles (Finals): 2. Jean Juste 7.34 (NCAA Provisional). 1,000-Meter Run (Finals): 2. John Moore 2:25.69. Mile (Finals): 10. Aaron Lozier 4:22.49. Triple Jump: 2. Mike McCadney 51-8.50 (NCAA Provisional, School Record), 4. Nasim Siddeeq 49-10, 18. Valete Graham 46-7.50. 4x400-Meter Relay (Finals): 2.Alie Beauvais, Jeffery Barnes, Peter Rowell, Joe Greene 3:09.78 (NCAA Provisional). 4x800-Meter Relay (Finals): 2. Joe Belokopitsky, Nick Santos, John Moore, Tyler Fogarty 7:24.94 (School Record).

Top 15 Women’s Team Scores

1. Duke 56 points, 2. Boston College 40, T-3. Syracuse 36, T-3. Temple 36, 5. Hampton 35.50, 6. George Mason 32, 7. Harvard 30.50, 8. Georgetown 30, 9. Villanova 27, 10. Providence 25, 11. William & Mary 24.50, 12. Boston University 24, 13. Maryland 22.50, 14. Dartmouth 21, 15. UAlbany 19.

UAlbany Women’s Results

60-Meter High Hurdles (Finals): 8. Kamilah McShine 8.89. Triple Jump: 1. Jenn Gurrant 42-6.25 (NCAA Provisional), 14. Tiffany Sprenkels 38-4, 17. Sandy Antenor 37-7.25. Weight Throw: 12. Kadine Johnson 50-4.50. 4x800-Meter Relay (Finals): 11. Melissa Lee, Laura Cummings, Zuliana Fontanez, Esperanza Blanco 9:00.07 (School Record).