Women's Track and Field 6/22/2010 1:16:00 PM UAlbany Sports Information

UAlbany Sends Four Track & Field Athletes to USA Junior National Championships

Albany, N.Y. - Sean Halpin, one of the top qualifiers in the men's 1,500-meter run, leads a group of four student-athletes who will represent the University at Albany at the 2010 USA Junior National Track & Field Championships. The competition will be held at Drake Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa from June 23-27.
     Joining Halpin will be Craig Weiss in the men's 3,000-meter steeplechase as well as women's triple jumpers Ashley Mahlmeister and Pat McNish. All four athletes will compete for the right to advance to the 2010 IAAF World Junior Championships in Athletics, which will be held from July 20-25 at Moncton, Canada.
     Halpin, who was a four-time All-American and eight-time all-state honoree on the scholastic level, started his collegiate career strong by being the first Great Dane to cross the finish line at the 2009 America East Conference Cross Country Championships. A native of Mount Vernon, N.Y., he initially qualified for USA Junior Nationals by winning the mile in a meet-record time of 4:08.77 at the Great Dane Classic on Jan. 22. For his efforts, he was named the Male Track Athlete of the Meet as well as the America East's male track performer of the week. In addition, Halpin led off the 4x1,500-meter relay which set a school record and placed second behind Arkansas in 15:27.39 at the Texas Relays. His split time of 3:53.8 helped put the relay in a position to finish ahead of Texas, LSU, Texas A&M, Baylor and Kansas. An IC4A qualifier in three individual events, Halpin also garnered all-conference honors as a member of the winning 4x800-meter relay at the America East outdoor meet.
     Mahlmeister, who met the women's triple jump standard with a winning leap of 39-feet, 8-inches at the Binghamton Tri-Meet on Feb. 12, has been a versatile athlete for the Great Danes in her first collegiate season. She achieved points in three different events at both the America East indoor and outdoor competitions. Shortly after earning America East women's field performer of the week laurels for her efforts at Binghamton, which included qualifying for the ECAC Championship, Mahlmeister played a key role in securing the women's program's first America East indoor title. In a meet that was decided by the triple jump, the freshman from Unadilla, N.Y. placed seventh to help clinch the team crown. She earned additional points for the squad by placing fourth in the 55-meter high hurdles and seventh in the long jump. An all-state selection and Nike Outdoor Nationals qualifier in high school, Mahlmeister also helped the Great Danes claim the America East outdoor championship by earning a fourth-place finish in the triple jump after placing sixth in the 100-meter hurdles and seventh in the long jump.
     McNish, a two-time all-state honoree on the scholastic level from Great Neck, N.Y., eclipsed the meet standard in the women's triple jump by recording a sixth-place mark of 38-11.75 at the America East outdoor meet on May 2. The freshman was among four UAlbany triple jumpers to accumulate a combined 18 points in the event which was being held late in the competition. McNish was also the team's top long jumper throughout the year, garnering all-conference accolades both indoors and outdoors by placing third in the event at each America East competition. She fell less than three inches shy of qualifying for USA Junior Nationals in the long jump and finished 13th at the ECAC Championship during the outdoor season.
     Like Halpin, Weiss was one of the top harriers on the men's cross country team that placed fourth at the America East Championship despite fielding the youngest squad at the meet. A state qualifier on the scholastic level, the freshman surpassed the steeplechase standard for USA Junior Nationals by hitting the tape in 9:37.76 at the Duke Invitational on April 3. A native of Loudonville, N.Y., he also posted a top-13 finish at the America East competition and registered a fourth-place mark at the UMass Nine-Way Meet to help the Great Danes win the team title.
     In previous USA Junior Nationals competitions, the Great Danes have produced seven All-Americans, including Tyler Fogarty in the 800-meter run, Ryan Gaedje in the steeplechase, Joe Greene in the 400-meter intermediate hurdles, Alyssa Lotmore at 1,500 meters, John Moore in the 800, Jenna Ortman in the 1,500 and Jessica Ortman at 800 meters.

Paw Prints: Wilfredo de Jesus Elias, a native of Arroyo, Puerto Rico, broke his own school record in the men's hammer throw by almost 10 feet at the Army Strong Hammer Throw Series, a USA Track & Field sanctioned event which was being hosted by the United States Military Academy on June 16 ... The junior placed fourth by registering a toss that sailed 211-feet, 3-inches ... The mark easily broke the previous program standard of 201-11, which he recorded at the 2010 IC4A Championship ... It is also a Puerto Rico national record for athletes under the age of 23 ... de Jesus Elias has been selected to compete at the U-23 North American, Central American and Caribbean Championships (NACAC) in Miramar, Florida from July 9-11 as well as the Central American and Caribbean Games (CACGs) in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico from July 25 to July 31.

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Players Mentioned

Joe Greene: Sprints/Hurdles; 6' 1"; Senior

Ashley Mahlmeister: Hurdles/Jumps; 5' 6"; Freshman

Pat McNish: Jumps/Hurdles; 5' 6"; Freshman

Tyler Fogarty: Mid-Distance; 6' 1"; Junior

Sean Halpin: Mid-Distance; 5' 7"; Freshman

John Moore: Mid-Distance; 5' 10"; Junior

Craig Weiss: Distance; 5' 8"; Freshman

Wilfredo de Jesus Elias: Throws; 5' 11"; Junior

Players Mentioned

Joe Greene
: 6' 1"; Senior
: Sprints/Hurdles

Ashley Mahlmeister
: 5' 6"; Freshman
: Hurdles/Jumps

Pat McNish
: 5' 6"; Freshman
: Jumps/Hurdles

Tyler Fogarty
: 6' 1"; Junior
: Mid-Distance

Sean Halpin
: 5' 7"; Freshman
: Mid-Distance

John Moore
: 5' 10"; Junior
: Mid-Distance

Craig Weiss
: 5' 8"; Freshman
: Distance

Wilfredo de Jesus Elias
: 5' 11"; Junior
: Throws