2014 University of Albany Women’s Track Wins Sixth Consecutive America East Title

BURLINGTON, Vt. – The University at Albany women’s outdoor track program won their sixth consecutive America East outdoor title on Sunday, successfully defending last year’s title as well as their most recent indoor title from earlier this year. The women scored 196 points to win the team competition. Vermont placed second as a team, scoring 142.50 points, and Binghamton was third with 130.50 points. After the first day of competition, the UAlbany women were second in the team standings behind Vermont, having scored 38 points. UAlbany placed third through fifth in the shot put. Janice Johnson, fresh of a personal best at Penn Relays, led UAlbany in third with a throw of 42’-6.75”. School record holder Samantha Kosa was fourth with a throw of 42’-0.5”. And Veleisha Walker, who broke her own school record in the javelin the day before, finished fifth, throwing 40’-7”. The Danes scored two athletes in the women’s high jump. Ashley Grant finished seventh, clearing 5’-5”, and Min Pacella was eighth, clearing 5’-3”. Solène Bastien and Pony Sokiri placed second and third respectively in the triple jump. Bastien jumped 39’-1.75” and Sokiri jumped 38’-8.25”. T’Sian Haywood finished fifth, jumping 38’-1.25”. Lauren Lopano placed second in the discus, throwing 136’-8”. Kosa was fourth, recording a mark of 133’-4”, and Walker was fifth, throwing 131’-5”. The track events began with the 4x100 relay. The team of ToniAnn Werner, Jillian Haynes, Michelle Anthony, and Kahlia Taylor finished third in 47.47. Kathryn Fanning placed second in the 1,500 in 4:22.81, a new personal best and school record by two-hundredths of a second. Kamilah Williams placed fourth in the 400, finishing in 57.06 behind a top-three UMBC sweep. Michelle Anthony and Tynelle Taylor-Chase swept the top two spots in the women’s hurdles. Anthony won in 14.08 and Taylor-Chase was second in 14.10. CiCi Simon finished eighth in 14.82. Brianne Bellon finished third in the 800 in 2:11.23, and Dominique Claudio was fifth in 2:13.83. Bellon’s time was her best of the season, and Claudio’s was a new personal best. Haynes placed fifth in the 100, finishing in 12.08. Taylor-Chase followed up her second place in the high hurdles with a victory in the 400 hurdles, finishing in 59.70. She was the only athlete to break 60 in the race. Aderinsola Ajala finished third in 1:01.82. Haynes finished fourth in the 200 in 24.43. Silvia Del Fava won the 5,000 in 16:48.18, defeating the runner-up by more than 18 seconds. Paige Vadnais placed third in the heptathlon, scoring 4,312 points. On the first day of competition, she won the 100 hurdles in 14.93, tied for seventh in the high jump in 4’-11.5”, was 10th in the shot put in 27’-1”, and was fourth in the 200 in 26.58. On the second day, she was sixth in the long jump in 16’-2.5”, seventh in the javelin in 76’-7”, and second in the 800 in 2:23.86. In the relays, the 4x800 team of Breanna Cummings, Claudio, Bellon, and Fanning placed first in 8:59,13. They were the only squad to run under 9:00. The 4x400 team of Ajala, Williams, Ashley Moxam, and Taylor-Chase closed the meet in third place, finishing in 3:53.10. The women enjoy their sixth consecutive championship alongside the men’s team, who won their tenth straight, scoring 208 points. Next on the schedule for UAlbany is the third and final home meet of the year, the UAlbany Last Chance meet, on Saturday, May 10. A week later, the team will head to Princeton University to compete at ECAC Championships, without the seniors, who will be attending their commencement ceremony.