ALBANY, N.Y. – Two members of the University at Albany men's track & field program, Shak Williams and Shavar Staats Jr., will compete at the Ocean Breeze Facility on Staten Island on Friday in the Fastrack Last Chance Invitiation.  The pair seek to improve their standings in their signature event, the 60m dash, to better position themselves for a chance to qualify for NCAA Indoor Championships.
 
Meet Info
Fastrack Last Chance Invitational
February 23, 2024 | Ocean Breeze Athletic Facility | Staten Island, N.Y.
Live Results
 
Earlier this week, the Great Danes reclaimed their team titles at the America East Indoor Championships.  The women won for the first time since 2022, after falling short for second place to UMass Lowell by just one-half point last year.  For the men, it was their first title since the 2020 season, having placed second to the River Hawks in each indoor championship meet since.
 
The women won six total events and scored 191 points to win by 57 points over runner-up Binghamton, and the men won seven events to beat UMass Lowell by 22.5 points.  It was the 10th sweep for the Great Danes of the men's and women's team titles, and brings the women's total to 12 and the men's to 17.
 
Toni Galloway set a new program record in the women's 60m hurdles, winning the event in 8.25 and surpassing the previous mark of 8.38 set in 2015 by Michelle Anthony.  She also set an America East championship meet record, besting the 8.39 set by Maine's Jesse Labreck in 2011.  Travis Robinson set his own America East championship meet record in the men's shot put, recording a mark of 60-09.50, exceeding the previous record of 58-11.50 set in 2012 by New Hampshire's Brice Paey.  Robinson also surpassed his own UAlbany program record of 57-11.00 set earlier this season.
 
Williams took gold in both the men's 60m and the men's 200m at the America East Indoor Championships.  Staats Jr. finished second in the same events.  But both will focus their efforts on the 60m dash on Friday.
 
To qualify for NCAA Indoor Championships, an individual must rank in the top-16 among Division I competitors in their event.  Leading into their final chance to solidify a qualifying spot, Williams stands in a seven-way tie for 16th in the dash with a time of 6.61.  Staats Jr. ranks 91st with a 6.71.
 
Williams recorded his best time this season at the 116th Millrose Games as part of a world-class field that included 60m world record-holder Christian Coleman.  His 6.61 effort placed sixth in the race, and is the second-best time in program history, behind just the 6.59 set at last year's Millrose Games by former teammate Travis Williams.
 
Staats Jr. ran his 6.71 on the same track as Williams ran his, at the Dr. Sander Invitational Columbia Challenge.  A transfer from UMBC who placed second in both the 60m and 100m at last year's America East championship meets to Travis Williams, Staats Jr. already has recorded the third-best time in the 60m dash in UAlbany history.  Both Willams and Staats Jr. will make their final efforts in the dash in conjunction with competitors from the major conferences undertaking their championship meets this weekend.
 
The men's 60m dash on Friday is scheduled for 1:20 pm.