UAlbany Men & Women Look to Defend America East Indoor Track and Field Titles

Championship Central Men's Descending Order List Women's Descending Order List 2011 Indoor Track & Field Championship Preview CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - The University at Albany men's and women's track and field teams hope to repeat last season's championship sweep when they take to the Boston University Track and Tennis Center for the 2011 America East Indoor Track and Field Championship this Friday and Saturday. In 2010, the Great Dane men won their fifth straight America East indoor title while the women earned their first indoor conference crown.

On the men's side, Albany was the preseason favorite to defend their title. To do that, the Great Danes will look to their depth in the sprints and middle distances. Sophomore Tristan Akong (Springfield Gardens, N.Y./St. Francis Prep) set the conference's top mark in the 60-meter dash last Saturday with a time of 6.81. Just .14 seconds behind Akong is classmate Jake Rachiele (Farmingdale, N.Y./St. John the Baptist), who put up the third-best time in America East this season, also last Saturday. The 2010 Most Outstanding Rookie Jonathan Santana (Rochester, N.Y./Edison Tech) should also score points for Albany as he currently ranks among the top six in the conference in the 200 meters (fourth - 22.26), 400 meters (sixth - 49.69) and 500 meters (third - 1:03.95). In the 800-meter run, juniors Nicolas Santos (Albany, N.Y./Colonie Central) and Chris Burke (Tully, N.Y./Tully/SUNY Delhi) currently sit one-two in America East. In the field, senior Wilfredo de Jesus Elias (Arroyo, P.R./Natividad Rodriguez Gonzalez) has a chance to win his third straight title in the weight throw as he has set the conference's top mark this season with a toss of 19.96 meters (65'6").

On the women's side, Albany looks to defend its first America East title with some of the top performers across the board. Freshman Brianne Bellon (Greenfield, N.Y./Saratoga Springs) has posted top times in the 800 meters and 1,000 meters. While junior Brittany Eveleth (Watervliet, N.Y./Watervliet) enters the championship as the top seed in the 500 meters. Also on the track, the Great Dane women have posted the conference's top times in the 4x400-meter relay, 4x800-meter relay and the 4,000-meter distance medley. In the field, seniors Kadine Johnson (New Rochelle, N.Y./New Rochelle) and Sandy Antenor (Suffern, N.Y./Suffern) anchor the Great Danes. Johnson is ranked No. 1 in the weight throw and No. 2 in the shot put. Antenor is the America East leader in the triple jump.

by America East Communications