BOSTON – The University at Albany track & field program saw two student-athletes named America East Performers of the Week following the first competitions of the 2021-22 indoor season.  Senior Yourry Tapande-Ngombe was named for Men's Track and Leann Nicholas was named for Women's Field behind a pair of NCAA top-five performances.  They were named alongside UMBC's Caitlyn Bobb (women's track) and Binghamton's Marcene Jeannot (men's field).
 
Both Tapande-Ngombe, a senior transfer student and sprinter from Capital Heights, Md., and Nicholas, a freshman jumper from Farmingdale, N.Y., made their career debuts for the Great Danes over the weekend at Army West Point's Carlton Crowell Open.  Tapande-Ngombe previously competed at Fairleigh Dickinson University, and Nicholas graduated from Farmingdale High School.
 
Tapande-Ngombe won the men's 400m in 48.49.  His time broke the existing meet record of 48.70 set in 2016 by Army West Point's Jose Santana.  The 48.49, run on a 200m flat track, converts to 47.73 for NCAA qualifying purposes, and ranks fifth nationally among Division I competitors.
 
Nicholas won the women's triple jump with a mark of 40-11.00, wiping away several UAlbany freshman class records.  She broke the indoor class record of 39-08.00 held by Tiffany Sprenkels in 2008 and Ashley Mahlmeister in 2010.  Further, Nicholas' mark surpassed the outdoor, 39-07.25 by Solene Bastien in 2013, and all-conditions, 39-11.50 (nwi) by Arina Gerasimova in 2005, class records.  Finally, she broke the existing meet record of 39-01.75 set in 2018 by Army West Point's Amy Fosam.  Nicholas already ranks sixth in indoor program history in the triple jump, and led a 1-2-3 sweep in the event for the Great Danes this weekend.  Nicholas' performance ranks fourth among NCAA Division I competitors.
 
UAlbany does not compete again until January 22 at Boston University's Battle in Beantown.