Softball Splits Pair of Sunday Games to End Play at Stetson's Hatter Classic in Florida

DeLand, Fla. - Allie Weiser earned her first collegiate win on the hill and Andrianna Walraven had three hits and three stolen bases in leading the UAlbany softball team to a 6-1 victory over Bethune-Cookman at Stetson's Hatter Classic on Sunday, Feb. 28 at Patricia Wilson Field. The Great Danes closed out the weekend tournament with a 5-1 loss to Stetson later in the day.

After Bethune-Cookman (4-8) plated the first run in the top of the first inning on a sacrifice fly by Cesley Tafoya, UAlbany used aggressive baserunning and took advantage of multiple errors to erupt for five runs in the bottom of the fifth. With one out, Diane MacDowell singled to pitcher Allison Garcia, stole second and advanced to third on a wild throw. Walraven hit one of her three singles in the game to plate MacDowell and stole second and third shortly afterwards.

Kristine Bill sent Walraven home by singling to Garcia and took third on the next play thanks to Nicole Kothe's sacrifice bunt in which the pitcher threw the ball past her target at first. Gina Mason followed with a two-RBI single to right center. After the second out was recorded, Michelle Connors singled to left center to score Mason. Kayla Cilley, who led off the sixth inning as a pinch hitter for Katie Wambold, crushed her first career home run over the fence in left for insurance.

Weiser earned her first collegiate win on the hill and improved to 1-1 on the year by going the distance and striking out five batters for UAlbany. She allowed five hits, including only one for extra bases, and one run. In addition, the freshman who has pitched a perfect game on the scholastic level did not issue a walk and finished the weekend with a 1.50 earned run average. Garcia of Bethune-Cookman surrendered 10 hits and six runs, including four earned, and fanned four batters in the losing effort to drop to 4-4.

In the second game of the day, Stetson (6-6) got all the scoring it needed in the bottom of the opening frame. Amy Joyce drew a leadoff walk and stole second to start things off, and Chelsey Trotto plated the senior before the first out could be recorded on a double down the line in right field. A home run to left by Katie Lawrence gave the Hatters a 3-0 advantage.

UAlbany had its best chance to do some damage offensively in the top of the fifth. Jessica Bergin led off with a single to center before advancing to second on a wild pitch. Walraven, who batted .538 in the tournament, followed with a single to right to load the bases with still nobody down. However, pitcher Amanda Lindsey got out of the major jam by striking out the next three Great Dane hitters.

With two down in the bottom half of the same frame, Stetson got two more runs to extend its advantage to five on a double to right center by Lindsey and a single to left by Jessica Lokeinsky on consecutive plays before Marissa Powell fanned Chelsea Whalley to end the inning. Connors scored the Great Dane run on a wild pitch in the top of the sixth to seal the final outcome.

Stetson's Courtney Gunby got the nod to start and struck out five while allowing five hits in 3.2 innings of work. She was relieved by Lindsey, who was credited with the victory and improved to 6-2. She struck out six while allowing four hits and a run in 3.1 innings. UAlbany's Powell dropped to 0-2 this spring after surrendering 10 hits and five runs. The senior also fanned five batters.

UAlbany (1-3) will take the next week off and be back in action when it travels to Virginia to participate in the Cherry Blossom Classic at George Mason from March 12-14. The Great Danes will compete against Cornell, the reigning Ivy League champion, Mount Saint Mary's, Niagara and the host school at the three-day event.


Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

University of Albany Women's Basketball Holds off Maine, 62-57; Henry and Johnson Break Single-Season Records - UAlbany Sports 2010

Orono, Maine - Keyana Williams scored nine of her career-high 15 points down the stretch in leading UAlbany to a 62-57 victory over Maine on Saturday, Feb. 27 at Alfond Arena. Ebone Henry broke the single-season school record for points by a freshman, while Felicia Johnson set the single-season program standard for assists by a sophomore.

UAlbany (11-18, AE 4-12), which has won four of its past last seven conference games after dropping its first nine, built up an eight-point lead at 29-21 to start the second half. Johnson broke the sophomore assists record when she found Charity Iromuanya for a 3-pointer in the right corner to spark the early run. Krista Bratishko, one of three Black Bear seniors honored prior to the game, made three consecutive baskets to keep her team in it, but the Great Danes never relinquished their lead.

A long two from the left corner by Henry to break the freshman single-season scoring record gave the visiting team its third double-digit lead of the half at 41-31 by the midway point of the stanza. Maine came within four points thanks to free throws by Baker, but Williams took over by netting nine consecutive points to put the Great Danes comfortably ahead by a 53-43 score with 3:03 left.

"At first I was just happy to see that I was helping my team and contributing," said Williams, who was named the team's player of the game after breaking her previous career high of 12 points set in last week's overtime win over New Hampshire. "My teammates were cheering for me, and it really pumped me up and got me excited (as I continued to knock down shots). I only started playing in seventh grade, and I feel like my game is starting to peak now at the end of the season when it counts the most."

Maine (8-20, AE 4-12) gave the visitors a scare at the end by closing the deficit to three on a three-pointer by Tanna Ross with 40.6 seconds remaining. After Melia Basavand and Iromuanya netted shots from the line, Brittany Williams made a layup to make it a 60-57 score. However, Iromuanya hit two clutch free throws in the waning seconds to hold off the rally.

"We have been playing really well," said head coach Trina Patterson, whose team will be seeded seven for next week's America East Tournament if Boston University beats New Hampshire on Sunday afternoon. "We have won two big games on the road (this month), and we are winning games when we have to. I thought we made some bad decisions down the stretch and played too casually, but we made our free throws when we had to."

The first 10 minutes of the game featured four ties and three lead changes with neither team leading by more than two points. Trailing 9-7 after Samantha Wheeler followed her own miss at the free throw line, the Great Danes scored the next seven points to take a 14-9 lead at the 8:55 mark. Henry made a layup and a trifecta from the right corner to cap the run which was made with two sophomores and three freshmen on the floor.

Maine came as close as two points on two occasions, but the visitors hung on to a 24-19 lead at the recess despite shooting just 27.6 percent from the field in the stanza. Henry had 10 points to lead all scorers, while Forster had nine boards through the first 20 minutes of action.

"Lately, our freshmen have been taking giant steps," added Patterson, whose squad is the only team in the league that starts three true freshmen. "They were taking baby steps in January, and lately they are taking these long strides. Of the three that start, at least two are going to give us something good every night. Tonight, it was Keyana Williams and Ebone Henry."

Iromuanya led three Great Danes in double figures with 16 points, and she also contributed a team-high five assists. Williams and Henry finished with 15 points each, while Julie Forster grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds. Bratishko and Wheeler each posted a double double for Maine, which lost for the seventh time in the last eight outings. Bratishko had 12 points and 11 rebounds, while Wheeler netted 11 and had 11 boards.


Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

Men's Lacrosse Drops Season Opener to Denver; Pompo Has Career-Best Five Points

Denver, Colo. - Alex Demopoulos totaled three goals and three assists, as Denver broke away in the second half for a 17-13 victory over UAlbany on Saturday, Feb. 27 at Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium. The Great Danes were playing their season opener.

Denver (1-2) broke a 9-9 tie in the third quarter by scoring four straight times. Todd Baxter hit the back of the net off Demopoulos' assist with 8:59 left in the period. Charley Dickenson and Patrick Rogers followed with unassisted goals and freshman attack Colin Scott ended the outburst. Demopoulos capped the decisive eight-goal quarter by finishing off a pair of shots in the last 34 seconds of the period.

The Pioneers won for the first time under former Princeton coach Bill Tierney, who took his current position last summer after winning six national titles at his former school. John Dickenson and Cameron Flint broke a 7-7 halftime deadlock by converting in man-advantage situations 26 seconds apart. UAlbany (0-1) rallied behind goals by Dave Brock and Kyle Brunk. The game featured three lead changes and six ties to that point.

"They did a good job of capitalizing on our mistakes," said UAlbany coach Scott Marr, whose team dropped a 10-9 decision to Denver in last year's opener. "They did a better job of scoring off our turnovers than we did on theirs. We had a chance to go up 10-9 in the third quarter and just missed the goal. They came back and scored, got the momentum, and things snowballed."

Denver erased an early 2-0 deficit in its home debut with four consecutive goals. Demopoulos, a sophomore attack, found the cage off Baxter's feed late in the opening period to put his team in front, and Flint scored unassisted with 13:58 left in the second quarter to complete the run.

UAlbany regrouped with three unanswered. Sophomore Joe Resetarits scored twice, including an extra-man goal, in tying the contest. Brian Caufield gave his team a 5-4 advantage on a play that originated off a turnover. The team traded goals the rest of the period. After Denver tied the game at six apiece, UAlbany's Derek Kreuzer tallied 13 seconds later following Matt Mackenzie's face-off win. Mark Matthews drew the Pioneers even with six seconds left before the break off a pass from Charley Dickenson.

Flint finished with three goals for the Pioneers, who were coming off road losses to No. 1 Syracuse and Jacksonville to start the season. UAlbany's Pompo had three goals and two assists, while Brock and Kreuzer each scored three times.

*****

Paw Prints: Brian Caufield scored his 100th career point on a second-quarter goal ... Caufield has tallied at least one point in 24 consecutive games ... Joe Pompo recorded a career-high five points (3 goals, 2 assists) ... Dave Brock had a career-best four points (3 goals, 1 assist) ... the Great Danes are 4-7 in season openers as a Division I program ... Derek Kreuzer netted three goals, his highest total as a collegian ... UAlbany was receiving votes in this week's USILA coaches poll and was ranked No. 20 in the Nike/Inside Lacrosse media poll.


Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

Women's Lacrosse Vs Hofstra Postponed Until Monday @ 3:30pm

Hempstead, NY - The Hofstra Women's Lacrosse game versus Albany, originally scheduled for Saturday, has been moved to Monday at 3:30 p.m. due to the inclement weather in the Long Island area.

Hofstra enters Monday's contest with a 1-1 record after dropping a narrow 13-12 decision to #8 Notre Dame in its last game on February 23. Monday will be the season opener for Albany.

University of Albany's Luke Schoen and Laura Cummings Win Events at NYU Fastrack Invitational - UAlbany Sports 2010

New York, N.Y. - Luke Schoen won the pole vault and Laura Cummings was victorious in the 3,000-meter run to lead the UAlbany men's and women's indoor track and field teams at the NYU Fastrack Invitational on Friday, Feb. 26. The non-scoring meet was held at the New York Armory Track & Field Center.

Schoen, an All-American, won the pole vault for the fifth time in six meets this winter by clearing 17-feet, 2.75-inches to meet the NCAA provisional standard to pace the men's squad. Alan Nimblette qualified for the IC4A Championship for the first time in his career by finishing seventh in the 500-meter dash in 1:05.05. All three long jumpers met the IC4A standard, led by Fred Casimo's second-place leap of 24-1.75.

Cummings became the first America East Conference student-athlete to qualify for the ECAC Championship in five different events by winning the 3,000-meter run in 9:54.20. She has also qualified for the championship meet in the 1,000, mile, 5,000 and as a member of the school's 4x800-meter relay team. Alli Rogers, a freshman met an ECAC mark for the first time by placing third in the 200. She hit the tape in 24.87 seconds. Rogers also placed fifth in the 60 in 7.83.

The UAlbany men will aim to capture their second straight crown at the IC4A Championship, which will be held at the Boston University Track & Tennis Center on March 6-7. The women's program will head to the ECAC Championship at the Reggie Lewis Center on the same days and look to improve on last year's 15th-place showing.

UAlbany Men's Results

60-Meter Dash (Prelims): 11. Jake Rachiele 7.11, 13. Tristan Akong 7.11. 60-Meter Dash (Finals): 7. Tristan Akong 7.07, 12. Jake Rachiele 7.14. 400-Meter Dash: 9. Alie Beauvais 48.67 (IC4A). 500-Meter Dash: 7. Alan Nimblette 1:05.05 (IC4A). 60-Meter High Hurdles (Prelims): 14. Shane Wagner 8.49, 19. Mohamed Kanu 8.59. 60-Meter High Hurdles (Finals): 13. Shane Wagner 8.47. Mile: 23. Ryan Florkiewicz 4:24.42. Long Jump: 2. Fred Casimo 24-1.75 (IC4A), 4. Valete Graham 23-8.25 (IC4A), 7. Nasim Siddeeq 23-4 (IC4A). Triple Jump: 5. Jordan Pollock 46-1.50. Pole Vault: 1. Luke Schoen 17-2.75 (NCAA Provisional).

UAlbany Women's Results

60-Meter Dash (Prelims): 6. Alli Rogers 7.81. 60-Meter Dash (Finals): 5. Alli Rogers 7.83. 200-Meter Dash: 3. Alli Rogers 24.87 (ECAC). 400-Meter Dash: 31. Rebecca Kelly 1:00.19. 500-Meter Dash: 4. Jessica Hunter 1:16.40, 7. Octavia Clarkson 1:16.67, 10. Brittany Eveleth 1:17.30. 3,000-Meter Run: 1. Laura Cummings 9:54.20 (ECAC). Long Jump: 5. Ashley Mahlmeister 17-7. Pole Vault: T-4. Celine Cauderlier 11-1.

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

Women's Soccer Signs Four High School Student-Athletes to National Letters of Intent

Albany, N.Y. - University at Albany head women's soccer coach Mary-Frances Monroe announced today that four high school standouts have signed a national letter of intent to play for the Great Danes in the 2010-11 academic year. The class features two forwards, one midfielder and one goalkeeper. UAlbany made its first-ever America East Conference postseason appearance last season.

"We are excited about adding four new fantastic student-athletes to our program," said Monroe, who has recruited two student-athletes who have won the league's rookie of the year award in the past three seasons and a conference-best five players who have been named to the all-rookie squad in the last two. "Each of them brings special qualities as players that will continue this program's path to success."

Becky Bakich (North Valley Stream, N.Y./Holy Trinity) is a 5-foot-4 forward who was a team captain and four-year starter for the Titans. She was named all-county and all-league as a senior after registering five goals and nine assists for 19 points, which ranked 10th in the CHSAA. The forward also plays for the Albertson Soccer Club, which won the Eastern New York State Cup Championship in 2009 and is currently ranked second in the nation among club teams.

"Becky is a competitor," said Monroe on the forward who is also a member of the Eastern New York State Olympic Development Program. "She comes from a club system of excellence, and I know she will bring that same mentality to the Great Dane program. She plays simple. She plays well with her back to the goal, and she is the type of player that when you need that winning goal, she will produce it."

Dani Britt (Webster, N.Y./Webster Schroeder), a 5-foot-9 goalkeeper, was a three-year letterwinner for the Warriors and an NSCAA/adidas All-Region II selection last fall. She was also a second-team all-county and all-region honoree after posting an .880 save percentage and turning away 163 shots as a senior.

"Dani has good size, excellent hands, strong ball distribution, she plays well with both feet and is explosive," said Monroe on the goalkeeper who also competed at the club level for Empire United SA - Rochester. "She has the skills, knowledge and determination to step up and be successful at the collegiate level."

Katie Dunn (Devon, Pa./Conestoga) started all four years and helped the Pioneers post a combined 77-8-2 record, win two state championships, three league titles and a district championship. The 5-foot-5 midfielder tallied 13 goals and nine assists in her career. In addition to earning all-league honors as a junior and senior, the team captain was a five-time all-area selection by the Daily Local and Main Line Times.

"Katie will bring composure and instant leadership to the team," stated Monroe on the midfielder who also played at the club level for FC Vincent United Valor. "She possesses many tools that will help take this program to the next level. She has a hard-working attitude and will lead by example. Her commitment to defend and still get involved in the attack will be fun to watch in our style of play."

Aubrey VanGorder (Cortland, N.Y./Cortland) is a 5-foot-3 forward who amassed 49 career goals and 22 assists. VanGorder helped the Purple Tigers post a combined 61-20-3 record, advance to the state semifinals and win two NYS Class A Section III championships. The forward, who ranks second on the school's career scoring list, was a two-time All-Central New York selection by the Syracuse Post Standard and an NSCAA/adidas All-Region II honoree. In addition, VanGorder, a Western New York State Olympic Development Program player, earned fourth-team all-state and league co-player of the year accolades as a senior captain.

"Aubrey is a pure athlete," added Monroe on the forward who played her club ball with Empire United SA - Cortland. "She brings many tools and pace to our front line. Her quickness and her ability to get in behind the defense will create a lot of scoring opportunities for us."

The 2009 UAlbany women's soccer team was recognized by Somis Sports as the ninth-most improved Division I program in the nation after posting its highest single-season win total in 21 years with an overall record of 8-10-1.


Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

Softball Opens 2010 Season With Two Losses at Stetson's Hatter Classic

DeLand, Fla. - Pitcher Allison Garcia homered in the top of the fifth inning in leading Bethune-Cookman to a 2-1 victory over UAlbany at the Stetson Hatter Classic on Friday, Feb. 26. The Great Danes also dropped a 4-0 decision to Boston College earlier in the day.

Bethune-Cookman (3-7) plated an early run in the top of the first. Ashton Hinds earned a free pass to start the game. Aurelia Gamch reached on a fielder's choice to the pitcher, which allowed Hinds to take second. Cesley Tafoya, who was batting with no outs, plated Hinds on a single to center to put the Wildcats ahead by a run.

In a wild string of events, UAlbany tied the game in the bottom of the third. After Diane MacDowell walked with one out, Andrianna Walraven reached on a bunt single to third base. Walraven was gunned down while trying to advance to second, but MacDowell was able to score on the play. The next batter struck out swinging to end the frame.

UAlbany attempted to take the lead in the bottom of the fourth courtesy of a pair of singles by Gina Mason and Kylie Apostolina, who was making her collegiate debut. However, with runners on first and second and two outs, Garcia got out of trouble in the circle by forcing Michelle Connors to fly out to left.

After finishing the fourth frame unscathed, Garcia helped herself out by homering to left in the top of the fifth. UAlbany put runners on base in both the sixth and seventh innings, but could not score the equalizing run. Apostolina, who reached first to open the seventh on an error by the first baseman, was stranded at third when pinch hitter Bailey Van Deest grounded out to second to end the game.

Garcia threw a complete game and allowed three hits and one run to score while fanning eight batters to garner the win for Bethune-Cookman. Allie Weiser, who was making her collegiate debut for UAlbany, also went the distance. She allowed six hits, two runs and struck out three.

In game one, Boston College (3-2) put two unearned runs on the board in the second inning to break a scoreless tie. Nicole D'Argento hit a one-out double to right center to plate Amy Tunstall, who singled and advanced to second on a passed ball, for the first run. A fielding error on the next play allowed D'Argento to score on the next play. BC put two runners in scoring position on a double to right by Wilkins, but Marissa Powell was able to get out of the jam by forcing Rene Delagrammaticas to fly out to left.

After the Eagles added two insurance runs in the fifth on a home run by Weir to left center, the Great Danes threatened to score in the top of the seventh thanks to a double to right center by Nicole Kothe. However, D'Argento sat down the next two batters to seal the win.

D'Argentno tossed a complete game shutout for the Eagles, allowing two hits while striking out nine to earn the win. Powell allowed seven hits and fanned two batters for UAlbany. Two of the four runs she allowed were unearned.

UAlbany (0-2) returns to action at the Stetson Hatter Classic tomorrow afternoon when it faces Bethune-Cookman at 11 a.m. and Stetson at 4 p.m.


Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

UAlbany Baseball Drops Season Opener on the Road at UNC Greensboro

Greensboro, N.C. - Second baseman Ray Quinones recorded two hits and scored two runs to lead UNC Greensboro to an 8-4 win over UAlbany in the Great Danes' season-opener at UNCG Stadium on Friday afternoon.

UAlbany took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second. Freshman catcher Josh Nethaway knocked an RBI single up the middle to score Pete Eichner, who drew a walk to reach base. The Spartans responded in the bottom of the frame, as outfielder Chris Barker singled and later scored on an RBI double by shortstop Eric Brindle.

The Great Danes went ahead 3-1 in the third as Brendan Rowland and Mike Tirri recorded back-to-back walks. Rowland scored the first run of the frame on a fielding error by the UNCG second baseman, which also allowed Tirri to advance to third. Eichner drove in Tirri with a two-out single to left to give UAlbany the two-run lead and force the Spartans to change pitchers.

UNCG, which lost its only game this season to 11th-ranked North Carolina, posted another comeback in the bottom of the inning, as UAlbany pitcher Dave Kubiak walked Corey Overholtzer to start the frame. The centerfielder then advanced to third on a double by catcher Ed Jayjack and scored on a base hit by Quinones. Jayjack scored during the next at bat, as Zach Leach singled up the middle. The Spartans tied the game at 3-3 when Quinones made it home on a UAlbany throwing error. Brindle drove in two additional runs with a single up the middle to give UNCG a 5-3 lead. However, Kubiak struck out two of the last three batters faced to get out of the inning.

The Spartans added two runs in the bottom of the fifth, as Quinones and Leach both made it home on fielder's choice plays. UAlbany attempted a late rally in the top of the eighth, but only managed to get one run home on an RBI double by Brian Bullard. Tyler Hollstegge took the mound for UNCG to start the ninth and got three quick outs to seal the win for the Spartans.

Kubiak took the loss for UAlbany (0-1), despite striking out five Spartan batters in three innings of work. Freshmen Terry McFadden and Christian Garcia saw action on the mound in relief. McFadden tossed two innings with two strikeouts, while Garcia fanned three batters in three frames. Greg Smith earned the win in relief for UNCG (4-1), going five innings with four strikeouts.

The Great Danes will return to action against the Spartans on Saturday with a single game starting at 1 p.m.

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

Basketball Begins Final Week of America East Regular Season With Road Loss at Maine

Orono, Maine - Freshman Murphy Burnatowski scored a career-high 20 points and Gerald McLemore had 10 of his 13 in the second half in leading Maine to a 66-53 America East Conference victory over UAlbany on Wednesday, Feb. 24 at Alfond Sports Arena.

Maine (19-9, AE 11-4) led 35-34 early in the second half, but then took control with a 16-3 run that ended at the second media timeout. McLemore and Burnatowski drilled back-to-back three-pointers to ignite the decisive run. McLemore, a sophomore guard who leads the nation in three-pointers made, added another jumper, before Junior Bernal made consecutive baskets, including a driving layup for a 51-37 lead.

The Black Bears, who have won five of their last six outings, held the visitors to 26.7-percent shooting on 8-of-30 attempts in the final period. Maine led by as much as 20 points with six minutes remaining. Bernal was the third player in double figures for the Black Bears, who lead the conference in scoring defense.

"They are rock solid and do a great job of controlling tempo," UAlbany coach Will Brown said. "They are big, strong and physical. It all came down to our shooting in the second half and our inability to make shots."

In the opening period, UAlbany (7-23, AE 2-13) leaped to an 18-8 advantage. Will Harris and Logan Aronhalt made a pair of three-point field goals. Blake Metcalf's left baseline jumper gave his team its biggest lead. The Black Bears used a string of eight straight points to close the gap and tied the contest at 22 apiece on Troy Barnies' long-range shot from the top of the arc.

The Great Danes pushed out to a 27-22 margin with two fastbreak opportunities, including Aronhalt's basket in transition. But Maine came back with seven unanswered to take its first lead of the half. Mike Allison, a freshman center, scored with an offensive rebound, before Bernal connected in transition to end that run. UAlbany's Fran Urli later made a follow shot to draw his team even at 31-all, but Burnatowski hit a slam dunk after his steal and Allison made a baseline jumper to give their club a halftime edge.

"We couldn't make shots; there was a lid on the basket," stated Harris, a senior forward who was held to three points on 1-of-6 from the field. "When we are missing shots, we need to do a better job at the defensive end. We didn't do that tonight."

Aronhalt, a redshirt freshman, had 15 points for the Great Danes, who were coming off a last-second loss to conference-leader Stony Brook. Urli added 11 points and six rebounds off the bench.

Paw Prints: Maine swept the season series after posting a 63-54 triumph in the first meeting on Jan. 21 at SEFCU Arena ... Logan Aronhalt scored in double figures for the sixth time this season ... UAlbany ends the regular season with a road game against Hartford on Sunday, Feb 28 at 4:00 p.m. ... Fans can listen to the game Fox Sports 980, WOFX-AM.

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

Women's Basketball Falls to No. 24 Hartford's Second-Half Rally, 63-57, on Senior Night

Albany, N.Y. - Diana Delva netted 15 of her game-high 22 points in the second half and converted 10 of her 11 free throws as Hartford, ranked 24th nationally by the Associated Press and 23rd by ESPN/USA Today, escaped with a narrow 63-57 victory over UAlbany on Wednesday, Feb. 24 at SEFCU Arena. In a tight contest which featured 10 ties and seven lead changes, the Hawks pulled away at the very end to extend their winning streak to a school-record 17 games and remained unbeaten in America East Conference play.

UAlbany (10-18, AE 3-12), which had a 29-27 advantage at recess, extended its lead to seven points on two occasions and led 40-33 when Julie Forster hit a running jumper in the paint with 16:31 to play. Hartford, which is leading the league in scoring defense for the sixth straight season, climbed back and went on an 11-0 run over the next five minutes. Ilicia Mathis had five points during the stretch, which she capped by sinking a 3-pointer.

The Great Danes rallied to tie the score up several times and eventually took a 52-50 lead when Charity Iromuanya drew attention from several Hartford defenders and found Tabitha Makopondo for a wide open layup on the right block with 6:24 on the clock. Iromuanya brought the Great Danes within one at 55-54 when she hit a jumper from the left corner, but the Hawks ended the half by scoring 13 of the game's final 18 points.

With the hosts down by four, Iromuanya missed a 3-point attempt from the right wing with 21 seconds left. Beverly canned two free throws seven seconds later to put the game out of reach.

"Compared to the first time we played them (when we lost by 23 points), I thought the effort was there today and that we played a lot smarter," said Iromuanya, who was recognized for her contributions to the program prior to the contest. "We also played with a lot more confidence. To play the way we did against a nationally-ranked team makes us believe that we can compete with anybody in this conference."

The Great Danes jumped out to a quick 6-2 advantage and did not allow the Hawks to make a field goal until Delva, the Hawks' player of the game, hit a layup with 14:54 remaining in the first half. Hartford extended its lead to eight at 24-16 with under five minutes to play on a Beverly layup, but UAlbany came back with a big run to end the stanza. Felicia Johnson poured in seven points on three field goals, and Iromuanya hit a fadeaway from the right corner with 1:12 on the clock to give the Great Danes a two-point lead at recess.

"We did the same thing against Vermont, and they were ranked in the top 25 at one point this season," said head coach Trina Patterson, whose team still has a chance to be seeded as high as seventh in the conference tournament if it can beat Maine on Saturday, Feb. 27, in its regular season finale. "This let's me know that our team does not have any fear. I thought our guard play (Johnson, Iromuanya and Ebone Henry) was better than Hartford's tonight. I believe the teams with good guard play going into tournaments are the teams that can do really well."

Johnson led UAlbany with 18 points and four assists, while Iromuanya, the team's player of the game, had 11 points, six rebounds and three steals. Henry, the team's third player who scored in double figures, contributed 14 points. Delva added seven rebounds and three blocks to her game-high point total for Hartford (24-3, AE 15-0). Beverly finished with a double-double on 12 points and 11 rebounds. She also redirected three shots.

Paw Prints: UAlbany was hosting a nationally-ranked opponent at SEFCU Arena for the second time in program history ... The Great Danes previously fell to #18 Mississippi State by a 62-57 score on Dec. 27, 2000 ... Charity Iromuanya, the team captain and lone senior, moved up to seventh on the program's all-time list for career steals after swiping three balls in her final home game ... She now has 209 in her career ... Ebone Henry is on the verge of breaking the freshman single-season scoring mark ... The swing player has 305 points and needs 12 more to break Becky Ayers' standard, which was registered during the 2001-02 campaign.


Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

University of Albany's Charity Iromuanya & Julie Forster Win America East Weekly Basketball Awards - UAlbany Sports 2010

Cambridge, Mass. - University at Albany's Charity Iromuanya and Julie Forster have been chosen America East Conference Player of the Week and Rookie of the Week, respectively, in women's basketball, as announced by the conference office on Monday, Feb. 22. It is the first honor of the season for both players, who helped the Great Danes win two of three games last week.

Iromuanya, a senior guard from Lincoln, Neb. who entered the week having never scored more than 20 points, averaged 22.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.3 steals in the three games. In a 65-51 win over Binghamton on Feb. 15, the senior tallied 14 of her 22 points in the second half. The 22 points was a career high at the time. She also shot 8-for-13 from the field and made all four of her three-point field goal attempts. Defensively, she held Erica Carter, who was ranked third nationally in three-point field goals per game, to just three points and no field goals from beyond the arc. After netting a team-high 15 points in UAlbany's 51-40 loss to UMBC on Feb. 18, the team captain scored a career-high 29 points to lead her team to a 64-62 overtime victory over New Hampshire on Feb. 21. She also added nine rebounds and a team-leading six assists. Iromuanya grabbed an offensive rebound and put back what later proved to be the game-winning shot in overtime. She also followed her own miss and converted a layup as time expired in the first half.

Forster, a freshman forward from Huntington, N.Y., averaged 7.7 points, 13.0 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.0 blocks in three games. In the process, she broke Danielle Hutcheson's single-season program record for rebounds by a freshman. The walk-on player started the week by falling just shy of a double-double with 13 points and eight rebounds in the team's 14-point win over Binghamton. After contributing six points and 11 rebounds in a setback against UMBC, Forster eclipsed Hutcheson's standard by grabbing 20 boards in UAlbany's overtime victory at New Hampshire. Her rebound total was a single-game conference best by an America East player this season and fell just shy of breaking the program's single-game record of 22, registered by Casey Stanley versus Nazareth on Feb. 22, 1992. Forster now leads the league in rebounding (8.4 pg) and has pulled down 226 this season. Hutcheson finished the 2001-02 campaign with 216 boards.

UAlbany (10-17, AE 3-11) controls its own destiny and can finish as high as seventh in the regular-season standings if it can register wins in the final week of the season against 24th-ranked Hartford on Feb. 24 and Maine on Feb. 27. Iromuanya, the team's lone senior, will be recognized for her contributions to the program prior to the home finale versus the Hawks.


Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

University of Albany Iromuanya's Scoring, Forster's Rebounding Lead Women's Basketball to 64-62 OT Win - UAlbany Sports 2010

Durham, N.H. - Charity Iromuanya netted a career-high 29 points and nailed the eventual game-winning field goal as UAlbany escaped with a 64-62 overtime victory over New Hampshire on Sunday, Feb. 21 at Lundholm Gymnasium. Julie Forster grabbed 11 of her 20 boards in the first half to break Danielle Hutcheson's single-season program record for rebounds by a freshman.

UAlbany (10-17, AE 3-11), which has won two of its three conference games in overtime, jumped out to a six-point lead to start the extra session. Ebone Henry hit a three from the left corner, and Iromuanya added a free throw and put back a missed shot while soaring through the air to give the visitors a 63-57 advantage.

However, the Wildcats stormed back as Denise Beliveau nailed a 3-pointer and a pair of free throws to make it 63-62 in favor of the visitors with 1:12 left. After both teams failed to score on their next possession, Felicia Johnson made the second of two free throws with eight seconds on the clock to give UAlbany a two-point lead. Lauren Wells' desperation jumper as the horn sounded hit off the back end of the iron, which allowed the Great Danes to escape with the two-point win.

"Usually the team that scores first and early wins, and we did that." said head coach Trina Patterson, whose team has won two overtime games in the past two weeks. "I am happy for Charity, and she understood what we needed down the stretch by driving it, taking fouls and getting assists. We don't have many players in our program who can score that many points in a game."

The teams played a game of leap frog to start the second half with the lead changing five times entering the midway mark of the frame. The Great Danes finally broke loose by embarking on an 11-1 run to take a 47-38 lead with 9:38 to play. Iromuanya capped the stretch by drilling one of her four 3-pointers in the game on a wide open look from the left wing.

"Coach Patterson has told me that I never take a bad shot, so I have been looking to be more of a factor on offense," said Iromuanya, who averaged 22 points in three contests this past week and was named the team's player of the game. "I am a team player, but I know I also have to look to score when I can to help our team improve and succeed."

UAlbany gained a double-digit lead on a pair of free throws, but the Wildcats clawed back and made it a one-point affair at 56-55 when Reed canned a three-point field goal from the left wing with 3:03 left. The Great Danes recovered and had a chance to put the game away, but the squad missed three of its next four free throws. Jill McDonald, who was fouled after grabbing an offensive rebound, took advantage of her opportunity at the charity stripe by making both of her free throws with 21 seconds left to tie the game at 57. UAlbany had a chance to win it in regulation, but Forster's 12-foot jumper at the buzzer rimmed out.


After a slow start, the Great Danes rattled off eight consecutive points and went on a 10-2 run to take a 12-6 lead by the second media timeout at the 11:29 mark. Iromuanya sparked the run with a conventional three-point play and added a trifecta to put the visitors ahead.

New Hampshire (8-19, AE 3-11), which was holding its annual Pink Zone game to publicize Breast Cancer Awareness, tied up the game on two occasions in the final minutes on a trey by Amy Simpson and a jumper by Wells, but the Great Danes held their ground and carried a 24-22 advantage into the recess. Iromuanya put back her own missed shot which was blocked by Reed as time expired. Forster broke Hutcheson's record on an offensive rebound in the final minutes after grabbing 10 in the opening 11:35.

"The one thing we know we can rely on Julie for every game is rebounding," stated Patterson. "We can always depend on her rebounding. It is very difficult to get even 15 rebounds in a game, so 11 in a half (to break the record) was incredible. To beat any record held by Danielle Hutcheson is huge."

In addition to netting a career high for points for the second time in three games, Iromuanya also finished with nine rebounds and a game-high six assists for UAlbany, which will host Hartford in its final home game and recognize the team captain prior to the contest on Wednesday, Feb. 24. Forster added four points to her record-breaking day, and Henry contributed 15 points. Keyana Williams scored a career-high 12. McDonald, New Hampshire's player of the game, posted a double-double on 16 points and 10 boards to go along with four blocks. Beliveau and Candace Williams rounded out the Wildcats' double-digit scorers with 15 and 11 respectively.
Paw Prints: Julie Forster, a walk-on player, pulled down her 11th of 20 rebounds with 2:35 remaining in the first half to break the freshman single-season record ... Danielle Hutcheson, the lone Great Dane to garner first-team all-conference laurels, grabbed 216 rebounds during the 2001-02 campaign ... The freshman also fell just shy of breaking the program's all-time single-game record of 22, which was registered by Casey Stanley versus Nazareth on Feb. 22, 1992 ... Forster, who has 226 rebounds this season, ended the week averaging a conference-best 8.4 boards per game.


Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

University of Albany Men's Indoor Track & Field Captures Conference-Record Fifth Consecutive America East Title - UAlbany Sports 2010

Boston, Mass. - University at Albany's Alie Beauvais set a meet and school record in winning the 500-meter dash and was a member of the winning distance medley relay in leading his team to its fifth consecutive America East Conference indoor track and field championship on Saturday, Feb. 20 at Boston University's Track and Tennis Center. The Great Danes eclipsed the conference record for consecutive men's indoor titles, breaking a mark that was first set by Northeastern, from 1989-92.

UAlbany also claimed its first-ever America East indoor women's championship in a competition that came down to the triple jump, the last event of the day. After Boston University tighten the team scoring with victories in the 4x400- and 4x-800-meter relays, the Great Danes picked up 13 points in the triple jump, paced by Sandy Antenor's third-place finish. UAlbany captured first with 168.5 points. The Terriers, who had won four indoor championships in a row, were second with 162.

"We have a great coaching staff and a great group of young people," explained Roberto Vives, who teams became the first since Northeastern in 2005 to win the men's and women's championships in the same year. "They bought into the vision since September. They trained hard and continued to believe they could do it. We knew that it was going to be tough. It was going to come down to the wire (the women's championship), but our kids rose to the occasion."

In the men's meet, UAlbany had seven individual champions and one relay winner in accumulating 205 points. Binghamton was second in the team standings with 138. Beauvais' time of 102.32 broke a conference meet standard that had stood since for 19 years. The senior also shattered Howard Sellers' school record that was established in 1993.

"I believed this team could do amazing things," stated Beauvais, who also competed on the second-place 4x400-meter relay. "We could win fifteen in a row and I still wouldn't be shocked because this is such a great team and a great program. There is a great team atmosphere and team vibe with this group."

John Moore was victorious in the 1,000-meter run after helping the distance medley to a first-place finish on the first day. Moore, who is the school record holder in the 1,000, posted a winning time of 2:26.42. In addition, Moore was third in the 800-meteres (4:06.56). Nasim Siddeeq took home his second consecutive triple jump crown. Siddeeq, who also placed second in the long jump, went 50-feet, 2-inches on his second attempt in the competition.

Freddie Wills was first in the high jump, as he cleared the bar a 6-feet, 6-inches. Other winners were Luke Schoen (pole vault), Valete Graham (long jump) and Wilfredo de Jesus Elias (weight throw).

The Great Danes were propelled to the women's team title by senior Fey Adaramola, a double-winner in the 55- and 200-meter dashes and the Most Outstanding Track Performer of the Meet. Adaramola broke her own school record in winning the 200m championship for the second straight year by sprinting 24.18 seconds. She also hit the tape in 7.10 seconds to win the 55-dash.

"I was so nervous, but I looked at my teammates and saw that they looked extremely hungry (for this championship)," said Adaramola, whose anchored a 4x400 relay that was edged out at the finish line for first place. "When I saw everyone hungry, it made me hungry to perform at my best. My teammates also gave me energy. Everybody's support from the stands and all of our cheers created energy that was empowering."

Laura Cummings was a key figure in the Great Danes' team total by accounting for 16 points in three individual competitions. The senior middle-distance runner recorded third-place showings in the 1,000m (2:57.03) and 5,000m (17:00.92). She also took fifth in the mile run with a time of 4:58.62. Celine Cauderlier was the third women's champion as won Friday's pole vault (11-6.50).

Paw Prints: UAlbany head coach Roberto Vives and his group of assistants were chosen as both the America East Conference men's and women's coaching staffs of the year.
**********
America East Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships
MEN
Team - 1. Albany 205, 2. Binghamton 138, 3. UMBC 97, 4. New Hampshire 89, 5. Boston U. 88, 6. Maine 84, 7. Stony Brook 35, 8. Vermont 29, 9. Hartford 13.
Individual - 55-dash - 1. Landis Williams (Maine), 6.46; 55-hurdles - 1. Camal Pugh (UMBC), 7.59; 200 - Cazal Arnett (Binghamton), 21.54; 400 - 1. Cazal Arnett (Binghamton), 47.39; 500 - 1. Alie Beauvais (Albany), 1:02.32 (meet & school record); 800 - 1. Jeff Moreau (Boston U.), 1:51.88; 1,000 - 1. John Moore (Albany), 2:26.42; Mile - 1. Erik van Ingen (Binghamton), 4:04.92; 3,000 - 1. Riley Masters (Maine), 8:14.66; 5,000 - 1. Tim Hodge (Stony Brook), 14:29.16; High Jump - 1. Freddie Wills (Albany), 6-06.00; Long Jump - 1. Valete Graham (Albany), 23-06.00; Triple Jump - 1. Nasim Siddeeq (Albany), 50-02.00; Pole Vault - 1. Luke Schoen (Albany), 16-08.75; Shot Put - 1. Brice Paey (New Hampshire), 58-00.50 (meet record); Weight Throw - 1. Wilfredo de Jesus Elias (Albany), 62-04.50; Heptathlon - 1. Dominic Devaud (UMBC), 5,216 points; Distance Medley Relay - 1. Albany (Tyler Fogarty, Alie Beauvais, John Moore, Paul Lagno), 9:54.94; 4x400 Relay - 1. Binghamton (Christian Smith, Andy Haupt, Zach Keefer, Cazal Arnett), 3:12.16; 4x800 Relay - 1. Boston U. (Kenneth Haltom, Craig McPherson, Jeff Moreau, Balint Horvath), 7:38.68.

WOMEN
Team - 1. Albany 168.50, 2. Boston U. 162, 3. New Hampshire 107.50, 4. Maine 106, 5. UMBC 67, 6. Vermont 60, 7. Binghamton 53, 8. Stony Brook 34, 9. Hartford 21.

Individual - 55-dash - 1. Fey Adaramola (Albany), 7.10; 55-hurdles - 1. Nikko Brady (Boston U.), 8.04; 200 - Fey Adaramola (Albany), 24.18 (school record); 400 - 1. Jessica Hennig (Binghamton), 55.77; 500 - 1. Caitlin Wright (Binghamton), 1:13.62; 800 - 1. Allison Letourneau (New Hampshire), 2:11.87; 1,000 - 1. Sarah Mosser (Boston U.), 2:52.47; Mile - 1. Corey Conner (Maine), 4:49.67; 3,000 - 1. Holly Van Dalen (Stony Brook), 9:32.62; 5,000 - 1. Sara Parkinson (UMBC), 16:47.69; High Jump - 1. - Jesse Labreck (Maine), 5-08.00; Long Jump - 1. Nikko Brady (Boston U.), 19-00.00; Triple Jump - 1. Whitney Ford (Boston U.), 40-03.25; Pole Vault - 1. Celine Cauderlier (Albany), 11-6.50; Shot Put - 1. Amanda Deller (UMBC), 45-01.50; Weight Throw - 1. Ashlee Lathrop (New Hampshire), 58-08.00; Pentathlon - 1. Allsson Barwise (Boston U.), 3,571 points; Distance Medley Relay - 1. Stony Brook (Lisa Voltaire, Justine Noel, Mary Connor, Holy Van Dalen), 11:43.01, 4x400 Relay - 1. Boston U. (Laura Martin, Nikko Brady, Catherine Milledge, Jackie Dim), 3:48.98; 4x800 Relay - 1. Boston U. (Kathleen Davies, Madeline Steiner, Mariko Takahaski, Sarah Mosser), 9:10.92


Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

University of Albany Women's Indoor Track & Field Wins First-Ever America East Conference Championship - UAlbany Sports 2010

Boston, Mass. - University at Albany's Fey Adaramola was named the track performer of the meet in leading her team to its first-ever America East Conference indoor track and field championship on Saturday, Feb. 20 at Boston University's Track and Tennis Center.

UAlbany claimed the America East indoor women's championship in a competition that came down to the triple jump, the last event of the day. After Boston University tighten the team scoring with victories in the 4x400- and 4x-800-meter relays, the Great Danes picked up 13 points in the triple jump, paced by Sandy Antenor's third-place finish. UAlbany captured first with 168.5 points. The Terriers, who had won four indoor championships in a row, were second with 162.

Alie Beauvais set a meet and school record in winning the 500-meter dash and was a member of the winning distance medley relay as the Great Danes won their fifth consecutive America East men's indoor track and field championship. UAlbany eclipsed the conference record for consecutive men's indoor titles, breaking a mark that was first set by Northeastern, from 1989-92.

"We have a great coaching staff and a great group of young people," explained Roberto Vives, who teams became the first since Northeastern in 2005 to win the men's and women's championships in the same year. "They bought into the vision since September. They trained hard and continued to believe they could do it. We knew that it was going to be tough. It was going to come down to the wire (the women's championship), but our kids rose to the occasion."

The Great Danes were propelled to the women's team title by senior Fey Adaramola, a double-winner in the 55- and 200-meter dashes. Adaramola broke her own school record in winning the 200m championship for the second straight year by sprinting 24.18 seconds. She also hit the tape in 7.10 seconds to win the 55-dash.

"I was so nervous, but I looked at my teammates and saw that they looked extremely hungry (for this championship)," said Adaramola, whose anchored a 4x400 relay that was edged out at the finish line for first place. "When I saw everyone hungry, it made me hungry to perform at my best. My teammates also gave me energy. Everybody's support from the stands and all of our cheers created energy that was empowering."

Laura Cummings was a key figure in the Great Danes' team total by accounting for 16 points in three individual competitions. The senior middle-distance runner recorded third-place showings in the 1,000m (2:57.03) and 5,000m (17:00.92). She also took fifth in the mile run with a time of 4:58.62. Celine Cauderlier was the third women's champion as won Friday's pole vault (11-6.50).

In the men's meet, UAlbany had seven individual champions and one relay winner in accumulating 205 points. Binghamton was second in the team standings with 138. Beauvais' time of 102.32 broke a conference meet standard that had stood since for 19 years. The senior also shattered Howard Sellers' school record that was established in 1993.

John Moore was victorious in the 1,000-meter run after helping the distance medley to a first-place finish on the first day. Moore, who is the school record holder in the 1,000, posted a winning time of 2:26.42. In addition, Moore was third in the 800-meteres (4:06.56). Nasim Siddeeq took home his second consecutive triple jump crown. Siddeeq, who also placed second in the long jump, went 50-feet, 2-inches on his second attempt in the competition.

"I believed this team could do amazing things," stated Beauvais, who also competed on the second-place 4x400-meter relay. "We could win fifteen in a row and I still wouldn't be shocked because this is such a great team and a great program. There is a great team atmosphere and team vibe with this group."

Freddie Wills was first in the high jump, as he cleared the bar a 6-feet, 6-inches. Other winners were Luke Schoen (pole vault), Valete Graham (long jump) and Wilfredo de Jesus Elias (weight throw).

Paw Prints: UAlbany head coach Roberto Vives and his group of assistants were chosen as both the America East Conference men's and women's coaching staffs of the year.
***********
America East Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships
MEN
Team - 1. Albany 205, 2. Binghamton 138, 3. UMBC 97, 4. New Hampshire 89, 5. Boston U. 88, 6. Maine 84, 7. Stony Brook 35, 8. Vermont 29, 9. Hartford 13.

Individual - 55-dash - 1. Landis Williams (Maine), 6.46; 55-hurdles - 1. Camal Pugh (UMBC), 7.59; 200 - Cazal Arnett (Binghamton), 21.54; 400 - 1. Cazal Arnett (Binghamton), 47.39; 500 - 1. Alie Beauvais (Albany), 1:02.32 (meet & school record); 800 - 1. Jeff Moreau (Boston U.), 1:51.88; 1,000 - 1. John Moore (Albany), 2:26.42; Mile - 1. Erik van Ingen (Binghamton), 4:04.92; 3,000 - 1. Riley Masters (Maine), 8:14.66; 5,000 - 1. Tim Hodge (Stony Brook), 14:29.16; High Jump - 1. Freddie Wills (Albany), 6-06.00; Long Jump - 1. Valete Graham (Albany), 23-06.00; Triple Jump - 1. Nasim Siddeeq (Albany), 50-02.00; Pole Vault - 1. Luke Schoen (Albany), 16-08.75; Shot Put - 1. Brice Paey (New Hampshire), 58-00.50 (meet record); Weight Throw - 1. Wilfredo de Jesus Elias (Albany), 62-04.50; Heptathlon - 1. Dominic Devaud (UMBC), 5,216 points; Distance Medley Relay - 1. Albany (Tyler Fogarty, Alie Beauvais, John Moore, Paul Lagno), 9:54.94; 4x400 Relay - 1. Binghamton (Christian Smith, Andy Haupt, Zach Keefer, Cazal Arnett), 3:12.16; 4x800 Relay - 1. Boston U. (Kenneth Haltom, Craig McPherson, Jeff Moreau, Balint Horvath), 7:38.68.

WOMEN
Team - 1. Albany 168.50, 2. Boston U. 162, 3. New Hampshire 107.50, 4. Maine 106, 5. UMBC 67, 6. Vermont 60, 7. Binghamton 53, 8. Stony Brook 34, 9. Hartford 21.

Individual - 55-dash - 1. Fey Adaramola (Albany), 7.10; 55-hurdles - 1. Nikko Brady (Boston U.), 8.04; 200 - Fey Adaramola (Albany), 24.18 (school record); 400 - 1. Jessica Hennig (Binghamton), 55.77; 500 - 1. Caitlin Wright (Binghamton), 1:13.62; 800 - 1. Allison Letourneau (New Hampshire), 2:11.87; 1,000 - 1. Sarah Mosser (Boston U.), 2:52.47; Mile - 1. Corey Conner (Maine), 4:49.67; 3,000 - 1. Holly Van Dalen (Stony Brook), 9:32.62; 5,000 - 1. Sara Parkinson (UMBC), 16:47.69; High Jump - 1. - Jesse Labreck (Maine), 5-08.00; Long Jump - 1. Nikko Brady (Boston U.), 19-00.00; Triple Jump - 1. Whitney Ford (Boston U.), 40-03.25; Pole Vault - 1. Celine Cauderlier (Albany), 11-6.50; Shot Put - 1. Amanda Deller (UMBC), 45-01.50; Weight Throw - 1. Ashlee Lathrop (New Hampshire), 58-08.00; Pentathlon - 1. Allsson Barwise (Boston U.), 3,571 points; Distance Medley Relay - 1. Stony Brook (Lisa Voltaire, Justine Noel, Mary Connor, Holy Van Dalen), 11:43.01, 4x400 Relay - 1. Boston U. (Laura Martin, Nikko Brady, Catherine Milledge, Jackie Dim), 3:48.98; 4x800 Relay - 1. Boston U. (Kathleen Davies, Madeline Steiner, Mariko Takahaski, Sarah Mosser), 9:10.92.

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

Men's Basketball Falls on Last-Second Shot in 68-66 Loss to League-Leader Stony Brook

Albany, N.Y. - Muhammad El-Amin had 19 points and made the game-winning shot with 1.8 seconds remaining to lift Stony Brook past UAlbany, 68-66, in America East Conference play on Friday, Feb. 19 at SEFCU Arena. The Seawolves swept the season series and stayed in first place in the conference standings.

Stony Brook (20-7, AE 12-2) moved out to a 40-29 lead early in the second half when El-Amin canned a three-point field goal and Preye Preboye hit a layup off an inbounds pass. UAlbany (7-22, AE 2-12) came roaring back with 13 of the game's next 15 points. Will Harris made a rare four-point play when he was fouled on a long-range jumper and Logan Aronhalt's three-pointer from the left corner in transition tied the contest at 42 apiece.

The Seawolves, who have won nine in a row, their long streak at the Division I level, pushed out to a 49-44 margin when Dallis Joyner put back a fastbreak layup attempt. However, UAlbany worked its way back into the fray and went in front, 55-54, as Tim Ambrose followed a missed free throw. All of which set up a back-and-forth final eight minutes which featured five ties and four lead changes.

The Great Danes went ahead 66-64 when Ambrose converted a drive from the left side. Joyner drew his team even off an inbounds feed, before McRae misfired on a three-point field goal attempt. The Seawolves ran a clear out on their final possession for El-Amin and he drilled a 17-footer in the circle off the dribble.

"We are upset that we didn't get the win," said McRae, one of three senior who were honored in a pre-game ceremony. "They were one shot better than we were. We played good defense on (Muhammad) El-Amin and he made a tough shot."

In the first half, the Seawolves jumped out to a 14-2 lead by making four of their opening five 3-point field goal attempts. Chris Martin made a pair on long-range jumpers, including one from the top of the arc.

Stony Brook pushed out a 23-7 advantage on a Preboye's tip-in and Bryan Dougher's driving layup. The Seawolves still led 33-18 late in the half, but UAlbany responded with an 11-2 run to end the period. McRae scored six of his 16 points in that stretch, including a slam dunk with an offensive rebound. Harris nailed a three-pointer right before the intermission to close the gap to 35-29.

Dougher added 11 points for the Seawolves, who also won the first meeting between these teams, 67-61. UAlbany's Harris had 17 points and seven rebounds, while Ambrose finished with 12 points off the bench.

"It was emotional," said Harris, a 6-foot-5 senior who is in his second year with the program after transferring from Virgina. "We wanted to send everyone out on a good note. We kept fighting (when we were down) and left everything on the floor."

Paw Prints: UAlbany honored Brett Gifford, Will Harris, Scotty McRae, Louis Barraza and manager Chris Jennings as members of the senior class in a ceremony prior to the game ... Harris' scoring total was his highest since Jan. 13th ... McRae scored in double figures for the second straight contest after totaling a career-high 21 vs. UMBC ... Gifford, who had four points and six rebounds, tied a career-best with four blocked shots ... Gifford is seventh on the all-time blocks list with 73 ... the game was televised on MSG-Plus and seen on ESPN 360.

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

University of Albany Women's Tennis Records 6-1 Win Over Skidmore; Susan Ma Wins in Singles & Doubles - UAlbany Sports 2010

Albany, N.Y. - Susan Ma posted a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Laura Attley at No. 3 singles and teamed up with Laine Mackey for a doubles win to lead UAlbany to a 6-1 win over Skidmore in non-conference tennis action on Tuesday afternoon at The Bubble.

Ma and Mackey defeated Skidmore's Danika Robison and Nataly Mendoza, 8-5, at the top doubles position. Livia Gherman and Caitlin Crowley recorded an 8-3 win over Rachel Loeb and Dani Fancher at second doubles. The Thoroughbreds earned a win at No. 3 doubles as Attley and Tory Engros defeated UAlbany's Sarah Iannone and Aubrey Brooks, 8-3.

Gherman defeated Robison, 6-1, 6-0 at No. 1 singles, while Mackey recorded a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 win over Loeb at the second position. Crowley and Brooks also won their singles matches, with Crowley recording a 6-2, 7-6 (4) win over Mendoza and Brooks posting a 6-2, 6-0 win over Fancher at fourth and fifth singles, respectively. Skidmore's Brittany Trimble earned the Thoroughbreds' lone singles win at the No. 6 position, defeating Melissa Coughlin, 7-6 (5), 4-6, 6-0.

The Great Danes will not return to action until March 6, hosting Fordham at 1 p.m.

-agate-

Doubles

Susan Ma/Laine Mackey (UA) def. Danika Robison/Nataly Mendoza (SC), 8-5

Livia Gherman/Caitlin Crowley (UA) def. Rachel Loeb/Dani Fancher (SC), 8-3

Laura Attley/Tory Engros (SC) def. Sarah Iannone/Aubrey Brooks (UA), 8-3

Singles

Gherman (UA) def. Robison (SC), 6-1, 6-0

Mackey (UA) def. Loeb (SC), 6-4, 4-6, 6-4

Ma (UA) def. Attley (SC), 6-3, 6-3

Crowley (UA) def. Mendoza (SC), 6-2, 7-6 (4)

Brooks (UA) def. Fancher (SC), 6-2, 6-0

Brittany Trimble (SC) def. Melissa Coughlin (UA), 7-6 (5), 4-6, 6-0

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

University of AlbanyLacrosse's Olivia Jarem Receives NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship; One of 13 Honored - UAlbany Sports 2010

Indianapolis, Ind. - University at Albany's Olivia Jarem, a midfielder on the women's lacrosse team, has been awarded an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship, as announced on Tuesday, Feb. 16 by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Jarem was one of 13 females nationwide to receive the award.

Jarem, a senior from Clifton Park, N.Y. and a graduate of Shenendehowa High, has a 4.0 cumulative grade point average in psychology with a minor in education. Jarem, who intends to study sports psychology, is in her second year with the UAlbany lacrosse program after transferring from UC Davis. She appeared in 11 games as junior when the Great Danes posted their first winning campaign since 2000. Jarem scored three goals in a victory over Temple and had two points in a conference road win at Binghamton.

"It's an honor to even be considered and I am overwhelmed," said Jarem, a two-time U.S. Lacrosse Academic All-American on the high school level. "I give credit to my institution and people in the athletic department who supported me in the process."

Recipients must be seeking admission or have been accepted into a sports administration or related program that will help them obtain a career in intercollegiate athletics. Scholarship winners have one year to use the one-time award of $6,000.

The scholarship programs were developed by the NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics and the NCAA Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee with the goal of increasing the pool of and opportunities for qualified minority and female candidates in intercollegiate athletics.


Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

Great Danes Picked Third in America East Conference Preseason Men's Lacrosse Poll

Cambridge, Mass. - After winning four America East Conference championships since 2003, UAlbany has been picked to finish third in the conference preseason poll, as announced on Tuesday, Feb. 16 by the league office. The poll was voted by the conference's head coaches. Defending champion UMBC and Stony Brook share the top spot with 22 points apiece. The Great Danes earned 19 points and one first-place vote.

UAlbany opens its 2010 schedule against Denver on Saturday, Feb. 27. The Great Danes meet five opponents who reached last year's NCAA Tournament field, including defending national champion Syracuse.

Head coach Scott Marr, who enters his 10th season, returns 27 letterwinners from last year's 7-7 squad. Brian Caufield, a USILA honorable mention All-America attackman, ranked seventh among the national scoring leaders with 24 goals and 27 assists last year. Joe Resetarits, a first-team All-America East selection, was Division I's fourth-highest scoring freshman with 34 goals and nine assists. Defensemen Mark Kelly, a second-team all-conference pick, started all 14 games and collected 30 ground balls.

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America East Conference Men's Lacrosse Preseason Poll
t1. UMBC (3), 22; t1. SB(2), 22; 3. Albany (1), 19; 4. Hartford 12, 5. Vermont 9, 6. Binghamton 6.
( ) - first-place votes

Paw Prints: UAlbany is ranked No. 18 in the USILA coaches' preseason poll and No. 20 in the Nike/Inside Lacrosse media poll ... the Great Danes have named defenseman Mark Kelly, midfielder Mark Cometti, midfielder Dave Brock, attackman Brian Caufield and midfielder Kyle Crotty as team captains for 2010 ... Caufield was second behind North Carolina's Billy Bitter among the nation's top scoring sophomores ... Brendan Gleason, a senior defenseman, is the most veteran UAlbany player with 44 career appearances ... UAlbany will appear on television in five games, including once on ESPNU and four times on Time Warner Cable.

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

University of Albany's Luke Schoen and Ashley Mahlmeister Named America East Field Performers of the Week

Cambridge, Mass. - University at Albany's Luke Schoen and Ashley Mahlmeister have been named America East Conference indoor track men's and women's field performers of the week, as announced by the league office on Tuesday, Feb. 16. Six members of the men's program and four members of the women's team have combined to win a conference-best 15 weekly awards this winter.

Schoen, a senior from West Islip, N.Y., garnered the honor for the third time this season, as he tied for seventh among the collegians and tied for 11th overall in the invitational section of the pole vault at the University of Arkansas' Tyson Invitational on Feb. 13. The three-time All-American cleared 16-feet, 6.75-inches, a mark which has been unmatched by any other America East competitor this season. The senior finished behind three 2009 NCAA Division I Indoor All-Americans, three graduated NCAA Division I All-Americans and one 2009 USA Junior National All-American. Schoen has topped the league's performance list since winning the event in his season debut at the Penn State Northeast Challenge. His season-best mark of 17-7, which meets the NCAA provisional standard, is currently tied for 10th nationally.

Mahlmeister, a freshman from Unadilla, N.Y., is being recognized by the conference for the first time, as she qualified for two postseason championships and accumulated a meet-high 15 points to help UAlbany win a triangular over Binghamton and Syracuse on Feb. 12. Mahlmeister won the triple jump by leaping 39-feet, 8-inches to easily qualify for the ECAC Championship and USA Junior Nationals. She also placed third in the long jump by posting a mark of 18-5.75 and was also third in the 55-meter high hurdles by hitting the tape in 8.44 seconds, falling just short of the ECAC standards. Mahlmeister ranks among the top seven on the conference performance list in all three events.

The UAlbany men's indoor track and field team will aim to win a league-record fifth straight America East Conference crown at the league championship meet on Feb. 19-20 at the Boston University Track & Tennis Center. Northeastern previously won four in a row, from 1989-1992. The women's program will look to win their first title after finishing in the runner-up position four times.


Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

Baseball Picked to Finish Fourth in 2010 America East Conference Preseason Poll

Cambridge, Mass. - The University at Albany baseball team has been picked to finish fourth in the America East Conference Preseason Poll, as announced by the league on Wednesday afternoon. Maine was chosen first in the poll, as voted by the conference's head coaches, earning three first-place votes.

Stony Brook, the 2008 league champion, earned two first-place votes and 21 total points for second place. Binghamton, the winner of last year's America East championship after claiming three straight regular-season titles, earned the final first-place vote and 19 total points. Hartford (nine points) and UMBC (five points) round out the six-team poll.

UAlbany opens its 2010 schedule on the road at UNC Greensboro on Friday, Feb. 26. The Great Danes, who won the 2007 America East title, earned 13 votes in the preseason poll. Senior Brendan Rowland, the starting right fielder for the past two seasons, scored 55 runs and stole 25 bases last season to pace last year's squad. Junior right hander Dave Kubiak and sophomore righty Zach Kraham both earned all-conference second-team honors last season and return to anchor the rotation. Kubiak started a staff-high 13 games and recorded 55 strikeouts in 71.2 innings pitched, including two complete games. Kraham made 11 appearances, including 10 starts, and returns the best ERA (4.86), while compiling a 5-2 record and 40 strikeouts.

The league will compete in two separate divisions in 2010, with the top four teams, regardless of division, advancing to the America East Championship. The highest seed will host the three-day, double-elimination tournament, with the winner receiving the league's automatic berth to the NCAA Championship. UAlbany, Hartford and Maine will compete as the red division, with Binghamton, UMBC and Stony Brook making up the white division.

America East Conference Baseball Preseason Poll
1. Maine (3), 23; 2. Stony Brook (2), 21; 3. Binghamton (1), 19; 4. UAlbany 13, 5. Hartford 9, 6. UMBC 5.
( ) - first-place votes

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

University of Albany Iromuanya's Career Night and Big Second Half Propels Women's Basketball Past Binghamton

Albany, N.Y. - Charity Iromuanya scored 14 of her career-high 22 points in the second half and defensively helped keep one of the nation's top three-point shooters in check to propel the UAlbany women's basketball team to a 65-51 win over Binghamton on Monday, Feb. 15 at SEFCU Arena. The Great Danes, who were supporting the WBCA's "Pink Zone" initiative to raise awareness of Breast Cancer, forced the Bearcats to shoot a season-low 21.5 percent from the floor to earn their second America East Conference win in the past three games.

Binghamton (9-17, AE 5-8), which had won the last three meetings between the teams by an average margin of four points, rallied from a three-point halftime deficit and regained the lead at the 17:14 mark when Andrea Holmes made a shot from the right elbow in transition. Iromuanya then scored seven of the Great Danes' next nine points, which included burying a three-point field goal at the 13:51 mark to break a 34-34 deadlock.

The Bearcats drew even at 41 apiece at the midway point of the frame when Viive Rebane sank two free throws, but UAlbany broke loose by embarking on a 13-2 run. Julie Forster and Iromuanya combined for all of UAlbany's scoring during the stretch. A layup by Ebone Henry, who was named the league's rookie of the week earlier in the day, increased the margin to double digits the rest of the way, and Keyana Williams' free throws with 29 seconds remaining gave the Great Danes their largest lead at 14 points and sealed the final outcome.

"The thing that impressed me the most was that these kids showed they could come back after losing two days ago," said head coach Trina Patterson, whose squad will hit the road to face UMBC on Thursday, Feb. 18. "We kept the foot on the gas pedal (when we got the lead in the second half), and we really focused on playing two offensive halves and two defensive halves. To me, those were our two biggest accomplishments. We also took Erica Carter and Viive Rebane out of the game, and Charity was definitely our MVP tonight."

UAlbany (9-16, AE 2-10) used a balanced scoring attack to jump out to a 13-3 lead by the second media timeout. Defensively, the Great Danes forced the Bearcats to miss 14 of their first 15 shots. The conference's top three-point shooting team fought back and went on a 16-2 run by using the long ball and offensive rebounding to get to the free throw line. A trifecta by Jackie Ward from the right corner put Binghamton ahead for the first time since the opening minutes at the 6:14 mark.

The end of the half featured a wild string of events in the final 40 seconds. With the Great Danes trailing 22-21, Felicia Johnson made a three-point field goal from the top of the key with 18 seconds left. UAlbany maintained possession due to a foul called off the ball, and Iromuanya took advantage of the situation by drilling a shot from beyond the arc to give the hosts a five-point lead with 15 ticks remaining. Holmes' jumper on the ensuing play beat the buzzer, but the hosts still went into the recess with a 27-24 advantage.

"I was able to shoot the ball well, but it felt like somebody got an assist off of almost every shot that I made," added Iromuanya, who was 8-of-13 from the field and was named the team's player of the game. "Felicia and everybody else on the floor were doing a great job of passing and moving the ball, and that helped me to knock down my shots."

In addition to netting a career-best 22 points, Iromuanya shot a perfect 4-for-4 from beyond the arc and 2-for-2 from the free throw line to lead the Great Danes. Along with Henry, who added six points and five rebounds, the duo combined to hold Carter, who ranked third nationally in three-point field goals per game, to just three points and no field goals from behind the arc. Johnson added 14 points and four assists, while Forster finished with 13 points and eight rebounds. Holmes, who was named Binghamton's player of the game, finished with a double-double on 19 points and 12 rebounds to go along with four assists. Ward added 11 points, and Rebane grabbed 12 boards while being limited to just four points.



Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

University of Albany Basketball's Mike Black Chosen America East Conference Rookie of the Week - UAlbany Sports 2010

Cambridge, Mass. - University at Albany's Mike Black has been selected America East Conference Rookie of the Week in men's basketball, as announced on Monday, Feb. 15 by the league office. Black was voted the conference's rookie award for the second consecutive week.

Black, a freshman from Chicago, Ill., averaged 14.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists in two games last week. The 6-foot guard scored 12 of his 15 points in the first half in leading his team to a 75-62 road win at UMBC on Feb. 13. Black made a career-high four 3-pointers and handed out four assists, as the Great Danes ended an eight-game slide. He also netted 14 points and grabbed a career-best five rebounds against New Hampshire on Feb. 9.

Black owns a four-game, double-figure scoring streak and is averaging 14.5 points in that span. He is contributing 6.6 points, 1.9 assists and 1.6 rebounds in 27 appearances this season.

Paw Prints: UAlbany halted three separate losing streaks in last Saturday's decision at UMBC ... the Great Danes' eight-game skid was their longest at the Division I level ... UAlbany ended a nine-game road loss skein and an 11-game conference road losing streak, dating back to Jan. 11, 2009 ... Tim Ambrose recorded his second career double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds at UMBC ... Ambrose has scored in twin figures 50 times as a collegian ... UAlbany meets Stony Brook at SEFCU Arena on Friday, Feb. 19 at 7:04 p.m. ... the contest will be televised on MSG-Plus (Time Warner Cable, Channel 26) and ESPN360.com ... UAlbany's senior class will be recognized in a pre-game ceremony.


Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

University of Albany's Ebone Henry Named America East Conference Rookie of the Week in Women's Basketball - UAlbany Sports 2010

Cambridge, Mass. - University at Albany's Ebone Henry has been chosen America East Conference Rookie of the week in women's basketball, as announced on Monday, Feb. 15 by the conference office. Henry is the second UAlbany player to earn the league's weekly rookie award this season.

Henry, a freshman from San Diego, Calif., averaged 24.0 points and 9.0 rebounds in a pair of games last week. She scored a career-high 26 points, including seven in overtime, as the Great Danes snapped a nine-game losing streak with a 59-52 triumph over Stony Brook on Feb. 10. Henry, who added nine rebounds and three steals, established the program's Division I freshman single-game scoring record and produced the highest point total by a UAlbany player this season.

Henry also had 22 points and nine rebounds in a 69-65 loss to Boston University on Feb. 13. She made a career-best five 3-point field goals. The 5-foot-10 swing player leads the Great Danes in scoring at 10.8 points per game and is averaging 5.3 rebounds.

Paw Prints: UAlbany is home against Binghamton on Monday, Feb. 15 at 7:00 p.m. in the annual Pink Zone game to publicize Breast Cancer Awareness ... Charity Iromuanya (9.9 ppg) has moved to eighth on the program's career steals list with 202 ... Iromuanya, a senior guard, will be honored prior to the final home game of the season against Hartford on Wednesday, Feb. 24 ... Julie Forster is on pace to break the freshman single-season rebounding mark ... Forster has 187 rebounds and needs 30 to break Danielle Hutcheson's standard.


Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

University of Albany Men's Basketball Takes 75-62 America East Conference Win Against UMBC - UAlbany Sports 2010

Baltimore, Md. - Scotty McRae scored a career-high 21 points and Tim Ambrose added 17 points and 10 rebounds off the bench in leading UAlbany to a 75-62 road win against UMBC in America East Conference play on Saturday, Feb. 13 at Retriever Activities Center. The Great Danes snapped an eight-game losing streak.

UAlbany (7-21, AE 2-11) led 44-38 in the second half, but then ripped off six unanswered. Ambrose and Brett Gifford had baskets and Mike Black converted a fastbreak layup. Still leading 57-47, the Great Danes tallied eight of the game's next 11 points. Ambrose, a 6-foot junior who made 7-of-8 from the floor and handed out six assists, ignited that stretch with a free throw and slam dunk off his steal. McRae ended that decisive outburst with a conventional three-point play when he was fouled on a fastbreak layup for a 65-50 margin with 4:07 remaining.

"It was a good team effort on both ends of the floor," said UAlbany coach Will Brown, whose club shot 52.9 percent from the field, the second-best figure of the year. "We rebounded consistently, controlled tempo and got easy baskets in transition. It was a much-needed win and good for our psyche."

In the first half, UAlbany took an early 13-4 lead when Black. a freshman guard who had 15 points, made consecutive 3-pointers, including one from the right side. The lead swelled to 12 as Ambrose hit a deep three-pointer from the right wing and put back a missed layup.

The Great Danes, who shot nearly 54 percent in the period, later moved out to a 34-16 advantage. Logan Aronhalt connected on a three-point play as he was fouled on a turnaround from right of the lane. McRae added an offensive rebound basket. The Retrievers put together a run of eight straight. Chris De La Rosa, who tallied 12 of his 19 points in the stanza, had a pair of baskets, including a driving layup that sliced the deficit to 34-24 in the final three minutes of the half.

UAlbany led by 14 early in the final period as Fran Urli made a three-point play when he scored off the glass in the lane. UMBC (3-23, AE 2-11) regrouped with a 12-4 run as Chauncey Gilliam, who had all 15 of his points after the break, led the way. The sophomore guard canned a three-point field goal from the top of the arc as his team closed within six with 15:34 left.

"I thought we played solid team defense," offered McRae, whose squad stopped an 11-game conference road loss skein that dated back to January 2009. "We made a decent amount of our shots, ran the floor, and played aggressively."

McRae, a 6-foot-8 senior who made 7 of 9 from the field and 7 of 7 from the line, added nine rebounds to his scoring total. His team also ended a nine-game road losing skid.

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

University of AlbanyIndoor Track and Field Teams Continue to Pile Up IC4A and ECAC Marks at Tyson Invitational - UAlbany Sports 2010

Fayetteville, Ark. - Tyler Fogarty was among four Great Danes to post a top-12 finish and Fey Adaramola eclipsed the ECAC Championship standard in two events for the second straight week to lead the UAlbany men's and women's indoor track and field programs at the Tyson Invitational hosted by the University of Arkansas on Feb. 12-13. Eight of the 10 student-athletes who competed registered at least one IC4A or ECAC qualifying mark at the national competition.

Fogarty fell under a second shy of meeting the NCAA provisional standard of 1:50.50 in the invitational section of the 800-meter run. He navigated the track in 1:51.46, which was good for 11th place. The junior, who ranks first in the event on the America East Conference performance list, is one of just two student-athletes in the league along with teammate John Moore to qualify for the IC4A Championship in five different events.

Competing against several Olympic gold medalists and NCAA All-Americans, Adaramola continued to run many of the fastest times the conference has seen this season in the short sprints. She finished the 60 in 7.61 seconds and the 200 in 24.86. Adaramola tops the America East performance list in the 60 and is tied for second in the 200 heading into the championship portion of the schedule.

Laura Cummings and Kadine Johnson, who have emerged as the conference's premier middle-distance runner and thrower, respectively, also represented the women's program at the prestigious meet. Cummings most notably posted a 16th-place time of 4:57.42 in the invitational section of the mile, while Johnson was 17th in the weight throw for her toss that traveled 54-feet, 7.25-inches.

Valete Graham and Fred Casimo, who rank first and second, respectively, on the league's performance list in the long jump, continued to meet the IC4A standard in the event. Graham finished 16th in the invitational section for leaping 23-7.25, while Casimo placed fifth in the college section by recording a mark of 23-6.

Rounding out the list of student-athletes to accumulate qualifying performances for postseason competition were Luke Schoen in the pole vault and Wilfredo de Jesus Elias in the weight throw. Schoen, a three-time All-American, tied for 11th in the invitational section by clearing 16-6.75. de Jesus Elias, who like Schoen has topped the America East performance list throughout the winter in his premier event, placed 12th for his toss that sailed 58-8.75.

The UAlbany men's and women's indoor track and field teams will compete at the America East Conference Championships on Feb. 19-20 at the Boston University Track & Tennis Center. The men's squad will look to earn a league-record fifth straight title, while the women will aim to win their first after finishing in the runner-up position four times.

UAlbany Men's Results

800-Meter Run (Invitational): 11. Tyler Fogarty 1:51.46 (IC4A). Mile (Invitational): 19. John Moore 4:29.86. Mile (College): 21. Sean Halpin 4:23.27. Long Jump (Invitational): 16. Valete Graham 23-7.25 (IC4A). Long Jump (College): 5. Fred Casimo 23-6 (IC4A). Pole Vault (Invitational): T-11. Luke Schoen 16-6.75 (IC4A). Weight Throw: 12. Wilfredo de Jesus Elias 58-8.75 (IC4A).

UAlbany Women's Results

60-Meter Dash (Prelims): T-42. Fey Adaramola 7.61 (ECAC). 200-Meter Dash: 56. Fey Adaramola 24.86 (ECAC). 800-Meter Run (College): 16. Laura Cummings 2:19.24. Mile (Invitational): 16. Laura Cummings 4:57.42 (ECAC). Weight Throw: 17. Kadine Johnson 54-7.25 (ECAC).

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

Mahlmeister Leads UAlbany Women's Track & Field to Victory at Binghamton Triangular - UAlbany Sports 2010

Vestal, N.Y. - Freshman Ashley Mahlmeister won the triple jump to qualify for two postseason championships and placed third in two other events in leading the UAlbany women's indoor track and field program past Binghamton and Syracuse in a triangular meet held at the Events Center on Friday, Feb. 12. Dong Ning Hu paced the Great Dane men's squad, which finished second behind the host Bearcats, with a winning mark in the triple jump and a third-place performance in the long jump.

Mahlmeister racked up a meet-high 15 points for the women's team which had eight student-athletes win an event. The freshman most notably qualified for the ECAC Championship as well as USA Junior Nationals for her winning mark of 39-feet, 8-inches in the triple jump. Mahlmeister's third-place finishes in the long jump (18-5.75) and 55-meter high hurdles (8.44 seconds) fell just short of meeting the standards for ECAC. Classmate Pat McNish and junior Christen Griffen also posted ECAC marks for the first time this winter. McNish leaped 19-1.50 to finish second in the long jump, while Griffen won the 55-hurdles in a personal-best time of 8.22. Tiffany Sprenkels also met the ECAC standard by finishing second in the triple jump behind Mahlmeister with a mark of 39-3.

Alli Rogers, a freshman who anchored the school's record-breaking 4x200-meter relay team last weekend, won the 55-meter dash in 7.32 and led off the second-place 4x400-meter relay which hit the tape in 3:58.83. Sheena Simpkins, a junior transfer from Mount Saint Mary's where she was a two-time All-Northeast Conference selection in the 500, sophomore Allie Carlson and junior Jenn Pierson rounded out the list of first-place finishers in track events. Simpkins was victorious in the 800 in 2:19.60, while Carlson took first in the 1,000 for navigating the track in 3:06.78. Pierson, who became the program's first ECAC qualifier in a distance event last week at the New Balance meet, finished the mile in a personal-best time of 5:08.12.

Senior Candice Mann and junior Celine Cauderlier, who competed at the France National Championships last summer, both won a field event for the Great Danes. Mann earned the weight throw crown with a personal-best mark of 49-5.50. She also placed third in the shot put for her toss that sailed 39-1.75. Cauderlier cleared 11-1.75 to win the pole vault.

Hu was one of three Great Dane men to win an individual event and piled up a team-best 11 points. The senior won the triple jump by flying 46-10.25 and finished third in the long jump for his mark of 22-10.50. Sophomores Peter Rowell and David Rothman placed first in the 800 and 3,000, respectively. Rowell's winning time was 1:59.02, while Rothman clocked in at 9:02.51.

Other notable performances were made by senior Garrett Askew and sophomore Cory Thomas. Askew matched the IC4A Championship standard of 7.75 in the 55-hurdles in the preliminary round before finishing second in the finals in 7.83. Thomas registered runner-up performances in both throwing events, notching a mark of 47-5.25 in the shot put and 45-3 in the weight throw.

The UAlbany men's and women's indoor track and field teams will compete at the America East Conference Championships on Feb. 19-20 at the Boston University Track & Tennis Center. The men's squad will look to earn a league-record fifth straight title, while the women will aim to win their first after finishing in the runner-up position four times.
-agate-

Men's Team Standings
1, Binghamton 106; 2. UAlbany 101.50; 3. Syracuse 78.50.

UAlbany Men's Results

55-Meter Dash (Prelims): 3. Tristan Akong 6.58, 4. Germain Smith 6.62, 5. Jake Rachiele 6.64, 8. Earnest Waters 6.71, 10. Jeffery Barnes 6.83, 11. Taylor Chaney 6.85, 12. Kevin O'Riley 6.92, Jordan Pollock 6.96. 55-Meter Dash (Finals): 3. Tristan Akong 6.55, 4. Germain Smith 6.56, 5. Jake Rachiele 6.61. 200-Meter Dash: 2. Taylor Chaney 22.84, 3. Jake Rachiele 22.87, 6. Earnest Waters 23.34, 7. Tristan Akong 23.38, 9. Germain Smith 24.16. 500-Meter Dash: 2. Nick Santos 1:07.08, 3. Ebube Abara 1:07.85, 4. Alex Petit-Frere 1:09.31. 55-Meter High Hurdles (Prelims): 1. Garrett Askew 7.75 (IC4A), 4. Freddie Wills 7.92, 5. Shane Wagner 8.06, 6. Mohamed Kanu 8.11, 8. Alfred Pryor 8.18, 9. Sean Cooper 8.19. 55-Meter High Hurdles (Finals): 2. Garrett Askew 7.83, 3. Freddie Wills 7.87, 5. Mohamed Kanu 8.03, 6. Shane Wagner 8.28. 800-Meter Run: 1. Peter Rowell 1:59.02, 3. Ryan Florkiewicz 2:00.76, 4. Alan Nimblette 2:01.97. 1,000-Meter Run: 4. Cory Greczyn 2:39.94. Mile: 2. R.J. Sniffen 4:20.55, 4. Alex Leuchanka 4:22.40, 7. Ethan Clary 4:28.38, 12. Chris Manico 4:31.95, 13. Craig Weiss 4:33.86. 3,000-Meter Run: 1. David Rothman 9:02.51. High Jump: 3. Tim McGreevy 6-0.75, T-6. Kevin O'Riley 5-8.75. Long Jump: 3. Dong Ning Hu 22-10.50, 6. Sean Cooper 21-4, 7. Kevin O'Riley 21-3.50. Triple Jump: 1. Dong Ning Hu 46-10.25, 2. Jordan Pollock 45-11.75. Shot Put: 2. Cory Thomas 47-5.25. Weight Throw: 2. Cory Thomas 45-3. 4x400-Meter Relay: 3. Alex Petit-Frere, Kevin O'Riley, Sean Cooper, Shane Wagner 3:33.23.

Women's Team Standings
1. UAlbany 136; 2. Binghamton 103; 3. Syracuse 62.

UAlbany Women's Results

55-Meter Dash (Prelims): 1. Quante Harris 7.34, 4. Alli Rogers 7.52, 6. Patrice Johnson 7.63, 8. Jessica Antoniades 7.74, 9. Katie Fargnoli 7.75, 11. Sandy Antenor 7.81. 55-Meter Dash (Finals): 1. Alli Rogers 7.32, 2. Quante Harris 7.33, 5. Patrice Johnson 7.61. 200-Meter Dash: 4. Tenica Roberts 27.21, 6. Katie Fargnoli 27.82, 7. Patrice Johnson 27.93. 400-Meter Dash: 2. Octavia Clarkson 58.43. 500-Meter Dash: 2. Sherez Mohamed 1:17.57, 3. Rebecca Kelly 1:18.68, 4. Jessica Hunter 1:19.09, 5. Elia Francis 1:19.28, 6. Tierra Chavis 1:20.47, 7. Renee Johnson 1:21.45, 9. Kendra Adams 1:21.93. 55-Meter High Hurdles (Prelims): 2. Christen Griffin 8.30, 3. Ashley Mahlmeister 8.59, 7. Pat McNish 9.11, 10. Celine Cauderlier 9.53, 12. Emily Curry 9.98, 13. Emily Mino 10.72. 55-Meter High Hurdles (Finals): 1. Christen Griffin 8.22 (ECAC), 3. Ashley Mahlmeister 8.44. 800-Meter Run: 1. Sheena Simpkins 2:19.60, 2. Maureen Nweke 2:21.17, 3. Laura Varble 2:28.38, 4. Emily Finnegan 2:29.45, 5. Emily Mino 2:54.05. 1,000-Meter Run: 1. Allie Carlson 3:06.78. Mile: 1. Jenn Pierson 5:08.12, 2. Ada Lauterbach 5:11.59, 4. Miranda McConnell 5:19.72, 6. Ally Panos 5:25.37. High Jump: T-5. Karley Giles 4-11, T-8. Emily Curry 4-11. Long Jump: 2. Pat McNish 19-1.50 (ECAC), 3. Ashley Mahlmeister 18-5.75, 5. Sandy Antenor 17-9.50, 7. Tiffany Sprenkels 17-4.75, 14. Karley Giles 15-3.25, 16. Emily Curry 14-5.75, 17. Emily Mino 13-8.75. Triple Jump: 1. Ashley Mahlmeister 39-8 (ECAC, USA Junior National) 2. Tiffany Sprenkels 39-3 (ECAC). Pole Vault: 1. Celine Cauderlier 11-1.75, 5. Rebecca Power 10-2, 7. Emily Mino 10-2. Shot Put: 2. Catie Coxon 39-2.25, 3. Candice Mann 39-1.75, 4. Ashley Lewis 38-9.75, 5. Rebecca Power 36-10.25, 9. Sineaid Corley 33-4.75. Weight Throw: 1. Candice Mann 49-5.50, 2. Sineaid Corley 48-9.50. 4x400-Meter Relay: 2. Alli Rogers, Kendra Adams, Tenica Roberts, Rebecca Kelly 3:58.83.

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information