Indoor Track Wraps Armory Track Invitational
Complete Results
Athletes of the Meet: Michelle Anthony, Briana Cherry-Bronson, John DeLallo, Nathan Hiett
NEW YORK – The University at Albany indoor track program competed at the Armory in New York City for the first time this season on Friday and Saturday, taking part in the Armory Track Invitational, formerly the Armory Collegiate Invitational. The new format parsed down the number of teams in the field from years past and added professional events to serve as a season preview for later events at the Armory this season, including the Millrose Games in two weeks.
The meet was the second the Great Danes have participated in that recorded team scoring. The men placed 13th out of 39 scoring teams, with 25 points. The women placed 15th out of 38 scoring teams with 16 points. Wisconsin won the men's team title with 58 points, and Mississippi State won the women's team title with 84 points.
The coaching staff continued the new tradition this season of naming athletes of the meet. Michelle Anthony was named for women's track for her performance in the 60 hurdles. Briana Cherry-Bronson was named women's field performer for the second time this season for the weight throw. John DeLallo was named for men's track after his performances in the 1,000 and 800. Nathan Hiett was named for men's field for his performance in the pole vault.
Anthony ran a personal best mark of 8.48 in the preliminary round of the 60 hurdles, to qualify for semifinals in fourth place. Her previous best was 8.54. In the semifinal later on Friday, Anthony ran another personal best of 8.38 to qualify for finals in fifth place. The time is also a new school record, surpassing the old mark of 8.44 set in 2003 by Teresa Covert. Anthony's final was part of the televised broadcast on Saturday on NBCSN, and she placed fifth with a time of 8.45.
Grace Claxton placed seventh in the women's 400 with a time of 54.85, which breaks her own school record of 55.07 set two weeks ago at the Penn State Nittany Lion Challenge. Taariq Jones placed ninth in the men's 400 in 48.52.
John DeLallo was the sole UAlbany athlete to win an event over the weekend, claiming victory Friday in the men's 1,000 in 2:25.16. On Saturday, DeLallo returned to place sixth in the 800 in 1:52.37, which is an indoor personal best. His teammate, Youness Benzaid, placed fifth in a personal best of 1:52.34.
The women's 4x200 relay ran a season time of 1:41.31. Chanel Smith led off in 25.20, followed by Kahlia Taylor in 25.49, Stephanie Osuji in 25.25, and Ashlee Maduro in 25.38 as the anchor leg.
Cherry-Bronson placed second in the women's weight throw with a mark of 65'-4.25”. It was the third time in three meets she had broken the school record in the event, following her throw of 64'-1.25” at the Nittany Lion Challenge, and then 64'-1.75” at Cornell's Upstate Challenge.
Hiett placed ninth in the men's pole vault, clearing a season best height of 15'-11.75”. Aiyanna James placed 10th in the women's long jump with a mark of 19'-1.5”. The men's 4x400 relay team placed eighth with a non-converted season best time of 3:19.16.
The Great Danes had four new performances that satisfied IC4A and ECAC qualifying standards, bringing the season total to 24. In addition to Bendaid's 800 and Hiett's pole vault, Colonel Fakarode and Solène Bastien qualified in the men's and women's triple jump, recording marks of 47'-5" and 39'-9.75" respectively.
Additional competition videos from the meet can be found here.
UAlbany now has two weeks off before their next meet, as part of a designed break in the competition schedule with the new approach the coaching staff is taking this season. The next event on the calendar is the Valentine Invitational at Boston University on February 13 and 14. Additionally a select group of UAlbany student-athletes may have the opportunity to compete at the Millrose Games at the Armory on February 14.
