ALBANY, N.Y. – Twelve representatives from the University at Albany track & field program have qualified for NCAA East Preliminary Championships, starting Wednesday in Jacksonville, Fla.
 
Meet Info
NCAA East Preliminary Championships
Jacksonville, Fla. | University of North Florida
Championship Central | Live Results | UAlbany Entries
Streaming: Day One | Day Two | Day Three | Day Four
 
Leading the Pack

• The women won their 14th-straight, and 16th overall, America East Outdoor title
• The women's streak remains the longest among Division I programs nationally
• Great Danes set four America East Outdoor championship meet records this season
• UAlbany combined to win 14 events at outdoor championships
• UAlbany will bring 12 student-athletes to this year's East Preliminary Championships
• The men compete May 24 and 26, and the women compete May 25 and 27
• The top-12 finishers in an event advance to the NCAA Outdoor Championships
• The men's long jump group ranks seventh in the country

Last Time at East Prelims
May 25-28, 2022 | The Great Danes closed the 2021-22 track & field season with a contingent of 12 student-athletes at the NCAA East Preliminary Championships in Bloomington, Ind.  Three Great Danes advanced in the qualifying process.  On Day One, Shak Williams set a new school record in the men's 100m of 10.26 to advance out of the first round, while Dominique Clarke and Dee Denis set personal-bests in the women's 200m dash and 400m hurdles, respectively, on Day Two to advance in their events.  Williams finished 19th overall in his event, Clarke finished 23rd, and Denis placed 15th.  Denis' second-round race field featured former teammate Asia Jinks, who had transferred to Auburn before the start of the 2021-22 season.
 
Last Time Out
The Great Danes visited Army West Point for the West Point Twilight meet for one final opportunity to earn postseason qualifying marks.  Shak Williams won the men's 100m, setting meet records in both the trials and the finals, Adaliz Hunt won the women's 100m, Toni Galloway won the women's 100m hurdles, Jazmen Newberry won the women's 200m, and Shania Scott won the women's discus.  Newberry in the women's 200m and Gianni Henry in the men's 800m each set freshman class program records and moved into second-place in program history in their events.  Amanda Chambers wrapped the meet for the Great Danes in the women's 1,500m, ending her collegiate season setting one final personal best to place second in 4:27.01, the third-fastest time in program history.
 
Repeat Finish
During the 2022-23 indoor season, men's sophomore sprinter Travis Williams pulled an upset at the Millrose Games, the season's biggest meet, by placing second in the 60m dash, behind only world record-holder Christian Coleman.  Williams backed up his performance in the men's championship 100m at the outdoor season's biggest meet, the Penn Relays.  Williams qualified first overall in the preliminary round and placed second in the finals.
 
Coming Down
Amanda Chambers has rewritten her personal records this year since the start of the cross country season, improving on her personal-best times in multiple events, in some cases, by minutes at a time.  Chambers, who was the first member of the women's team to compete at Penn Relays this year, continued her hot streak, placing 26th overall in the women's 5,000m championship.  She crossed the line in 16:33.43, yet another personal-best, and this time by 31 seconds.  Chambers moves into third place in program history outdoors behind Hannah Reinhardt and Brittney Lane, and fourth place indoors and outdoors behind Reinhardt, Lane, and Silva Del Fava.
 
New Heights
With his win at the UConn Northeast Challenge, Travis Williams set a new UAlbany all-conditions record in the men's 100m with a wind-aided time of 10.09.  The new mark surpasses teammate Shak Williams' previous all-conditions record set last year of 10.17.  Additionally, T. Williams' time ranks fourth in the NCAA East Division, and further ranks eighth nationally, the latter representing the highest-ever such ranking for a Great Dane.
 
A Decade in the Making
Freshman mid-distance runner Gianni Henry set a new personal-best in the men's 800m at the UConn Northeast Challenge, crossing the line in first place in 1:49.03.  In doing so, Henry became the first Great Dane since Tyler Fogarty in 2010 to break 1:50.00 in the event.
 
America East Outdoor History
UAlbany has won 18 men's outdoor titles overall, and 14-straight women's outdoor titles, and 16 overall.  The men have had the most success in the triple jump, winning 15 event titles.  The women have had the most success in the 400m hurdle, winning 13 titles.  The Great Danes also hold 10 men's and five women's active America East Outdoor Championship meet records.  Overall, the Great Danes have won 268 event titles at America East Outdoor Championships.  The men have won 152, including 93 track events and 59 field events, and the women have won 116, including 72 track events and 44 field events.
 
2023 America East Outdoor Champions
Antonio Beltran: 4x800m – M
Dominique Clarke: 100m, 4x100m – W
KJ Dawkins: 4x800m – M
Brinesha Derrick-Bain: 400m IH, 4x400m – W
Louis Gordon: Long Jump – M
Alicia Grady: 4x400m – W
Gianni Henry: 4x800m – M
Mike Hermance III: 4x100m – M
Adaliz Hunt: 4x100m – W
Rori Lowe: 4x100m, 4x400m – W
Antwone Messado: 110m HH – M
Garry Munro: 4x100m – M
Jazmen Newberry: 200m, 4x100m, 4x400m – W
Leann Nicholas: Triple Jump – W
Efe Omokeni: Long Jump – W
Easton Reagan: 4x100m – M
Jared Rogalski: 4x800m – M
Shania Scott: Discus – W
Travis Williams: 100m, 200m, 4x100m - M
 
America East Outdoor Leaders
100m: Dominique Clarke (11.42) / Travis Williams (10.09w)
200m: Dominique Clarke (23.31w) / Travis Williams (20.77w)
800m: X / Gianni Henry (1:48.23)
100m/110m HH: X / Antwone Messado (14.07w)
400m IH: Brinesha Derrick-Bain (1:00.75) / X
4x100m: 44.60 / 40.47
4x400m: 3:41.15 / X
4x800m: X / 7:27.83
LJ: Efe Omokeni (19-11.75) / Louis Gordon (25-04.50)
TJ: Leann Nicholas (43-04.50) / X
 
America East Outdoor Performers of the Week
4/5/23: Dominique Clarke, Travis Williams
4/12/23: Brinesha Derrick-Bain, Travis Robinson
4/19/23: Rori Lowe, Gianni Henry
4/26/23: Easton Reagan, Louis Gordon
5/3/23: Leann Nicholas
 
Returning America East Outdoor Champions
Shannon Bailey: High Jump – W
Nicardo Blake: 400m – M
Nicardo Blake: 4x400m – M
Shelby Bigsby: Shot Put – W
Ludith Campos: Hammer – W
Lucas Casab: 4x100m - M
Dominique Clarke: 100m – W
Dominique Clarke: 4x100m – W
Jewel Collins: Javelin – W
Jade Foster: Long Jump – W
Rori Lowe: 4x100m – W
Garry Munro: 200m – M
Garry Munro: 4x100m – M
Garry Munro: 4x400m – M
Leann Nicholas: Triple Jump – W
Easton Reagan: 400m IH – M
Easton Reagan: 4x400m – M
Travis Robinson: Shot Put – M
Travis Robinson: Discus – M
Shania Scott: Discus – W
Shak Williams: 100m – M
Shak Williams: 4x100m – M
Travis Williams: 4x100m – M
 
Northeast Region Rankings (Outdoor)
The UAlbany women reached a season-high third in the Northeast regional rankings this week, improving one spot from their previous high of four, reached in Week 2 and again in Week 7.  The top five was unchanged but for UAlbany and Columbia switching places from last week: Harvard, UConn, UAlbany, Columbia, and Army West Point.  Binghamton held steady at 18 as the next-highest ranked America East team.  The men's top-five was unchanged except for Syracuse switching places with Rhode Island: Harvard, Cornell, UConn Syracuse, and Rhode Island.  UMass Lowell at 17 was the next-highest ranked America East team.
 
Week 8: Women (3) | Men (7)
Week 7: Women (4) | Men (7)
Week 6: Women (5) | Men (8)
Week 5: Women (5) | Men (8)
Week 4: Women (7) | Men (10)
Week 3: Women (6) | Men (9)
Week 2: Women (4) | Men (8)
Week 1: Women (9) | Men (9)
 
Northeast Region Top-8
Tyler Charles: TJ (6, 49-01.50)
Dominique Clarke: 100m (1, 11.42); 200m (3, 23.31w); 4x100m (1, 44.60)
Brinesha Derrick-Bain: 4x400m (4, 3:41.15)
Stephan Farquharson: LJ (5, 24-11.25)
Toni Galloway: 100m HH (7, 13.68)
Louis Gordon: LJ (1, 25-04.50)
Alicia Grady: 4x400m (4, 3:41.15)
Gianni Henry: 800m (4, 1:48.23)
Mike Hermance III: 4x100m (4, 40.47)
Adaliz Hunt: 100m (4, 11.62w); 4x100m (1, 44.60)
Rori Lowe: 200m (8, 23.63w); 400m (8, 54.39); 4x100m (1, 44.60); 4x400m (4, 3:41.15)
Antwone Messado: 110m HH (8, 14.07w)
Garry Munro: 100m (4, ,10.32w); 4x100m (6, 40.47)
Jazmen Newberry: 100m (2, 11.45w); 200m (4, 23.51); 4x100m (1, 44.60); 4x400m (4, 3:41.15)
Leann Nicholas: TJ (1, 43-04.50)
Easton Reagan: 4x100m (56 40.47)
Travis Robinson: DT (5, 176-09.00)
Shak Williams: 100m (2, 10.28w); 4x100m (6, 40.47)
Travis Williams: 100m (1, 10.09w); 4x100m (6, 40.47)
 
#EventSquad Rankings
 
USTFCCCA #EventSquad rankings places a rank order to a program's "squad" of athletes in a particular event, using the cumulative season-best qualifying marks from a team's top-four ranked athletes on the national descending-order list.  As with the national descending-order list for qualifying and seeding purposes, marks are subject to be converted due to track size and/or altitude. A team must have four or more athletes with a valid season-best mark recorded with TFRRS to achieve a ranking in a particular event.
 
Women: 100m (24); 100m HH (28); 200m (47); 400m (116); 800m (149); 1,500m (182); 5,000m (206); LJ (56); SP (65); DT (60)
 
Men: 100m (26); 110m HH (66); 200m (92); 400m (146); 800m (52); 1,500m (160); HJ (41); LJ (7); TJ (25); SP (95); DT (99)
 
NCAA East Individual Top-48
Dominique Clarke: 200m (47, 23.31w)
Stephan Farquharson: LJ (33, 24-11.25)
Louis Gordon: LJ (18, 25-04.50)
Gianni Henry: 800m (28, 1:48.23)
Leann Nicholas: TJ (16, 43-04.50)
Travis Robinson: DT (48, 176-09.00)
Travis Williams: 100m (10, 10.09w)
 
Outdoor School Records
3/18/23: Travis Williams (200m, 21.07)
4/15/23: Men's 4x100m (40.47)
4/15/23: Women's 4x100m (44.60)
5/6/23: Jazmen Newberry (100m, 11.66) – freshman
5/7/23: Jazmen Newberry (100m, 11.56) – freshman
5/7/23: Jazmen Newberry (200m, 23.79) – freshman
5/7/23: Leann Nicholas (TJ, 43-04.50)
5/11/23: Gianni Henry (800m, 1:48.23) – freshman
5/11/23: Jazmen Newberry (200m, 23.51) – freshman
 
Sustained Success
Since reclassifying to Division I for the 1999-00 season, the University at Albany track & field program has won a total of 61 America East indoor and outdoor titles.  Thirty-four of those titles have come during the outdoor season.   Additionally, the women's 11 total indoor titles in UAlbany's Division I era rank tied for ninth among D-I programs overall, and tied for second since the team won its first indoor title in 2010 (North Dakota State, 12; Alabama State, 11).  The men's 16 total indoor titles are tied for second-most among D-I schools since 1999-00 with Houston, behind Liberty's 22, and outright second-most since their first indoor title in 2003 (Liberty, 19).
 
Since reclassifying the men's 18 outdoor titles rank second behind Liberty's 19, and the women's 16 rank tied for second with Alabama State, behind Monmouth's 17.  Finally, since winning their first Division I conference titles, the men's in 2003 and the women's in 2006, the Great Dane men and women each lead the country in outdoor conference titles.
 
The women's current streak of 14-straight outdoor conference titles are the longest in Division I.
 
Championship Pedigree
The UAlbany track & field and cross country program won its first America East title in 2003 when the men broke through to claim the indoor track team championship.  Since then, each of the six programs has won at least one America East crown, with women's cross country winning its first in 2018 as the final team to join the group of title-winners.  Overall, the program's six teams have collectively won 62 of UAlbany's 125 conference titles in the Division I era, through the end of the winter 2021-22 season.  The men have won 18 outdoor and 16 indoor titles, followed by women's outdoor with 15, women's indoor with 11, and men's and women's cross country with one each.
 
Northeast Region Rankings (Indoor)
Week 1: Women (5) | Men (7)
Week 2: Women (4) | Men (8)
Week 3: Women (4) | Men (9)
Week 4: Women (6) | Men (12)
Week 5: Women (3) | Men (6)
Week 6: Women (4) | Men (11)
 
Northeast Region Indoor Top-8
Isaiah Allen: TJ (7th, 48-09.00)
Shelby Bigsby: SP (7th, 47-08.50); WT (5th, 64-10.00)
Ludith Campos: WT (3rd, 68-00.50)
Dominique Clarke: 60m (1st, 7.38); 200m (2nd, 23.69)
Louis Gordon: LJ (4th, 24-03.75)
Steph Green: WT (8th, 62-00.25)
Leann Nicholas: TJ (2nd, 42-04.00)
Shak Williams: 60m (2nd, 6.66)
Travis Williams: 60m (1st, 6.59); 200m (1st, 20.89)
 
NCAA Indoor Top-16
Travis Williams: 60m (t-16th, 6.59)
Travis Williams: 55m (1, 6.14e)
 
Indoor School Records
12/3/22: Shak Williams (60m, 6.66)
2/3/23: Travis Williams (60m, 6.64)
2/4/23: Dominique Clarke (60m, 7.38)
2/11/23: Travis Williams (60m, 6.59)
2/11/23: Travis Williams (55m, 6.14 – en route)
2/19/23: Travis Williams (200m, 20.89)
2/19/23: Jazmen Newberry (200, 23.85, freshman)
2/26/23: Ludith Campos (WT, 68-00.50)
 
America East Indoor History
In 2022, the UAlbany women repeated, again, as America East Indoor champions, while the men placed second behind champion UMass Lowell.  The women won nine-straight indoor conference titles from 2013-22, and further 11 in 12 years, while the men have won 16 since their first in 2003.  Since joining the America East, the program has claimed a total of 232 America East indoor event titles.  The men have won 131, including 77 track and 54 field, and the women have won 101, including 62 track and 39 field.  In 2017, the men set a single-meet program record with 10 event victories, and the women's record of nine came in 2019, the year of their Triple Crown.  The women's most successful event has been the high hurdles, winning the event nine times, where the men have found the most success in the triple jump with 13 victories.  Currently, the Great Danes hold six women's and eight men's indoor championship meet records.
 
2023 America East Indoor Champions
Shelby Bigsby: Shot Put - W
Dominique Clarke: 60m, 200m – W
Ludith Campos: Weight Throw – W
Brinesha Derrick-Bain: 4x400m – W
Louis Gordon: Long Jump – M
Alicia Grady: 4x400m – W
Rori Lowe: 4x400m – W
Antwone Messado: 60m HH – M
Jazmen Newberry: 4x400m – W
Leann Nicholas: Triple Jump – W
Efe Omokeni: Long Jump – W
Travis Robinson: Shot Put - M
Travis Williams: 60m, 200m – M
 
America East Indoor Leaders (W/M)
60m: Clarke (7.38) / Williams, T. (6.59)
200m: Clarke (23.69) / Williams, T. (20.89)
800m: X / Dawkins (1:52.03)
4x400m: 3:45.84 / X
4x800m: X / 7:28.64
DMR: 11:43.55 / X
LJ: Omokeni (19-04.00) / Gordon (24-03.75)
TJ: Nicholas (42-04.00) / X
SP: Bigsby (47-08.50) / X
WT: Campos (68-00.50) / X
 
America East Indoor Performers of the Week
12/5/22: Ludith Campos, Shak Williams, Louis Gordon
12/13/22: Amanda Chambers, Shelby Bigsby, Travis Williams
1/24/23: Adaliz Hunt, Leann Nicholas, Travis Williams, Tyler Charles
1/31/23: Efe Omokeni, Tino Mancabelli
2/7/23: Dominique Clarke, Ludith Campos, Travis Williams, Isaiah Allen
2/14/23: Ludith Campos, Travis Williams
 
Dashing
Great Danes have recorded five separate program record-breaking performances in the 60m dash during the 2022-23 indoor season.  First, Shak Williams broke Junior Burnett's long-standing record in the first meet of the season with a 6.66.  Two months to the day later, teammate Travis Williams ran 6.64.  The following week, T. Williams ran 6.59 to place second at the 115th Millrose Games.  Additionally, T. Williams surpassed the program's 55m record, en route, with a 6.14.  Finally, on February 4, Dominique Clarke bested the women's record of 7.40, by both Dayleen Santana Rodriquez and Stephanie Osuji, with her 7.38 at the Bruce Lehane Scarlet & White Invitational.
 
Leadership Team
In lieu of team captains for the 2022-23 season, the UAlbany track & field program selected a 12-member leadership council: Shannon Bailey, Shelby Bigsby, Emily Brown, Lucas Casab, Jewel Collins, Noreen Guilfoyle, Tino Mancabelli, Efe Omokeni, Easton Reagan, Travis Robinson, Shania Scott, and Shak Williams.  The council is made up of representatives from each of the team's event groups.
 
Record Breaker
Through her first two meets of the 2022-23 season, graduate distance runner Amanda Chambers has claimed victories in both of her races, finishing with personal best marks and new meet records in the process.  At Army West Point's Crowell Open, Chambers won the 3,000m in 9:55.13, a personal-best by nearly 90 seconds.  She followed up her performance the following week by winning the 5,000m at the Joe Donahue Games at The Track at New Balance in Boston, finishing in 17:07.50, a personal best of one minute and 40 seconds.  In her third meet of the season, following a six-week competition hiatus, Chamber set a 27-second personal best in the mile, and a two-and-a-half second personal best in the 800m.  In her fourth meet, the Dr. Sander Invitational Columbia Challenge, Chambers lowered her PR in the 3,000m yet again by just over five seconds.  Ashley Miller from WNYT featured Chambers' early season accoladed for her January 31 Athlete of the Week segment.
 
Top Marks
Four Great Danes put up NCAA Division I top-10 marks in the first meet of the season.  Louis Gordon and Travis Williams ranked second and third, respectively, in the men's 60m.  Ludith Campos ranked fifth in the women's weight throw.  And Louis Gordon ranked 10th in the men's long jump.  Their marks lasted through the first full weekend of the 2022-23 season and they entered their second meet holding the same national rankings.  Ultimately, their respective rankings held until the middle of January.
 
Team Leader
Director of Track & Field and Cross Country Roberto Vives once again answered the call from Puerto Rico to work with the team at an international competition.  Vives served as team leader for the Puerto Rico qualifiers at the 2022 World Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Ore.  Vives, who reunited with Grace Claxton at World Championships, previously worked with the Puerto Rico National Team in 2018 and 2019, and worked in 2015 as a member of the Team USA staff.
 
Hall of Fame
Two additional members of the UAlbany track & field and cross country program have been inducted into the Greater Capital Region Track, Field, and Cross Country Hall of Fame.  Head cross country coach and assistant track & field coach Matt Jones was inducted as a member of the class of 2022, as was former men's competitor Felipe Reyes ('09).  Jones and Reyes were inducted in a class of 10, and bring the total number of inductees with ties to the UAlbany program to eight.  Additionally, the Hall of Fame began honoring high school athletes this year, and incoming freshman Alex Saltsman was honored for his career at Fonda-Fultonville.
 
50
Only two women have hit the 50' mark in the shot put in program history.  Tara Belinsky hit it first, and remains the only woman to throw that far in both the indoor and outdoor events.  During the indoor 2020 season, Shelby Bigsby surpassed Belinsky's indoor record of 50-00.00 by nearly five inches, becoming the second woman to hit or exceed a 50' shot put mark.  Bigsby did not get a chance to carry her momentum to the outdoor season, which was cancelled due to COVID-19.
 
Continued Excellence
The UAlbany men have a stellar recent history in the high jump, featuring three overlapping student-athletes, Alex Bowen, Matthew Campbell, and Kingsley Ogbonna, who each cleared 7-00.00 in the event.  After they had all exhausted their eligibility, a new jumper joined the program.  Louis Gordon became the fourth Great Dane in history to clear 7-00.00 in the high jump, recording a season-best 7-02.25 to win the 2020 America East Indoor Championships as a freshman.  This season, Ja'Lil Reynolds cleared 6-09.00 to move into a tie for 10th place in program history.
 
Triple Crown
After winning the 2018-19 America East XC team title, the UAlbany women went on to claim team victories in the America East Indoor and Outdoor Championship meets, becoming the first women's program in conference history to win all three titles in the same academic year.  Previously, the 2011-12 UAlbany men and 1988-89 Northeastern men had claimed the Triple Crown.
 
Next: Qualifiers will advance to the 2023 NCAA Outdoor Championships hosted by the University of Texas starting on June 7.