Outdoor Track Women Wrap Mt. SAC; Spring Classic Day One In The Books
Spring Classic: Day One Results
Mt. SAC Relays: 10,000m Results ǀ Hammer Throw Results
WALNUT, Calif. & ALBANY, N.Y. – The University at Albany outdoor track program had two events scheduled for this weekend. Here at home, the Great Danes hosted the first home meet of the 2015 season in the first day of the Spring Classic, which consisted of the first group of events for the women's heptathlon and men's decathlon, as well as a handful of other field events. On the other side of the country, four members of the women's team made the trip to compete in the Mt. SAC Relays on Thursday and Friday.
Three of the four women to make the trip, Valentina Talevi, Molly Pezzulo, and Jessica Donohue, competed in the collegiate 10,000. Their section of the event was scheduled for 11:15 p.m. PST, meaning they were racing at 2:15 a.m. local time. Talevi placed 15th in the section in a personal best 36:18.23. Donohue placed 20th in 36:45.34, completing her first collegiate 10,000. Pezzulo placed 26th 37:13.00. All three times satisfy the ECAC standard.
Also competing was hammer-thrower Briana-Cherry Bronson. Cherry-Bronson competed Friday in the open division of the women's hammer throw. She placed 19th overall, recording a mark of 172'-6”.
Back at home, the Great Danes held the first day of competition for the Spring Classic. The meet expanded this year to cover two days, which allowed for the addition of the multis events, which highlighted the meet's first day.
The meet started with the women's heptathlon. UAlbany fielded two competitors in the field of six, Paige Vadnais and Mary Adeyeye. The heptathlon began with the 100 hurdles, where Vadnais won in 15.69. Adeyeye did not finish the race, but continued on to the next event, the high jump. Vadnais tied for first with Adelphi freshman Emily Hagarty, with both student-athletes clearing a height of 5'-1.75”. Adeyeye placed fifth, clearing 4'-11.5”. Adeyeye placed first in the third event, the shot put, in 37'-4”. Vadnais took fourth in 26'-11.75”. In the day's last event, the 200, Vadnais claimed first in a wind-aided 25.60, and Adeyeye took fourth with a wind-aided 27.82.
After the first four events, Vadnais sits in first place, accumulating 2,701 points, and Adeyeye is sixth with 1,897 points. The heptathlon continues tomorrow with the final three events, the long jump, javelin, and 800.
The men's decathlon began with the 100. The field of four included a single UAlbany competitor, Philip Blanda. Blanda took the 100 in 12.10. He also won the long jump in 19'-11”, the shot put in 42', and the high jump in 5'-8.75”. Blanda took third in the 400, the fifth and final event of the first day, in 57.67.
After the first five events, Blanda is first with 2,969 points. The decathlon will continue tomorrow with the final five events, the 110 hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin, and 1,500.
The men's and women's hammer and javelin also competed on Friday, another schedule change afforded by the move to the two-day format. Lauren Lopano won the women's hammer, breaking her own facility record in 165'-8”, which is also a personal best by nearly seven feet. Chinwe Igwe placed second in 151'-1”. Acacia Larson placed fourth in a season-best 142'-5”. Jonathan Eustache placed second in the men's hammer in 174'-11”, a personal best of just over seven feet. Eustache's mark satisfies the IC4A standard and moves him in to fifth place all-time in school history.
Veleisha Walker won the women's javelin in 142'-7”, breaking her own school record of 141'-1” set last year, and satisfying the ECAC standard. Ali Trezza placed fourth in a personal best 89'-8”. Bam Akinniyi placed fourth in the men's javelin in 148'-3”, a collegiate best by nearly 20 feet. Na'Ja Hart placed fifth in 140'-11”. And UAlbany alumnus Alfonso Scannapieco, competing unattached, tied for seventh with Saint Rose's Kyle Thompson, throwing 134'.
The Spring Classic will continue tomorrow with a full slate of events. The day begins at 10:00 a.m. with the continuation of the multis events and the men's discus. Track events begin at 12:00 p.m. with the women's 5,000.
