ALBANY, N.Y. – The University at Albany hosts the Bobbi Palma Spring Classic, the team's only home meet of the 2023-24 season, while a quartet of distance runners compete at the Virginia Challenge for the first time in two years.
 
Bobbi Palma Spring Classic
April 19
Albany, N.Y.
Live Results | Meet Schedule
 
Last Time at Bobbi Palma
April 22, 2023 | The Great Danes hosted their first meet of the 2022-23 academic year, the Bobbi Palma UAlbany Spring Classic.  It was the team's first home meet since the same event in 2022, having elected to not host their traditional cross country or indoor meets this year.  The Great Danes won a combined 23 events at this year's Classic, while the meet produced seven new meet and facility records.
 
Virginia Challenge
April 19-20
Charlottesville, Va.
Live Stats
 
Last Time at the Virginia Challenge
April 22-23, 2022 | Four Great Danes competed at the Virginia Challenge, with Adrian Mitchell, Travis Robinson, and Bryan Nicholson earning top-10 finishes in their events.
 
Last Time Out
The Great Danes competed in three meets, the RPI Under the Lights Invitational, the Providence Friar Invitational, and the UConn Northeast Challenge.  UAlbany swept the top two places in both the women's heptathlon and the men's decathlon at RPI, while Skyler Smith and Jared Rogalski both posted all-time program top-five times in the women's and men's mile at Providence.  At UConn, Travis Robinson broke his own school record in the men's discus, and Amelia Benjamin tied the women's freshman class record in the high jump.  Both the men and the women placed second at UConn in the team standings behind the Huskies.
 
180
Shelby Bigsby earned three top-five finishes at UConn's Northeast Challenge.  She won the discus with a mark of 160-11.00, the second-best mark of her career, and she placed fifth in the shot put in 45-09.25.  In the hammer, Bigsby recorded a personal-best 183-09.00 to place fourth.  Bigsby, who improved on her previous best mark by more than 16', is just the fifth woman to throw 180' or more in the event in program history.
 
New Heights
The UAlbany women's team landed second in the first USTFCCCA Northeast Regional top-15 of the 2024 outdoor season, marking a new rankings high in program history.  Army West Point is the only team ranked higher than the Great Danes in Week 1, with other regional powers such as Harvard, UConn, Providence, and Boston University ranked lower than UAlbany.  Last season, the women ended the year ranked third in the Northeast.
 
Performer of the Year
Shak Williams became the first-ever America East Indoor Men's Track & Field Performer of the Year, a new honor created by the conference to recognize the most outstanding male or female track or field performer over the course of the season.  Williams swept the men's 60m and 200m at the 2024 America East Indoor Championships, earning Outstanding Track Performer honors.  Over the course of the season, Williams never placed lower than sixth in the 60m.  He won the 60m in each of his first three meets, and then placed fourth at the Harvard Crimson Elite Invitational.  His lone sixth-place finish came at the 116th Millrose Games in a field that featured world record-holder Christian Coleman and other top professionals.  There, Williams set a new personal-best of 6.61, the second-fastest time in UAlbany history.  Williams ended the season ranked first in the America East and Northeast region, second among IC4A competitors, and 24th nationally in the 60m.
 
Awards Sweep
One of the best season-opening weekends for the Great Danes led to the program sweeping all four of the America East Performer of the Week Awards to start the outdoor season.  Dominique Clarke and Ludith Campos earned the women's track and field awards, respectively, while Shak Williams and Travis Robinson took home the men's awards.
 
40
The men's quartet of Shavar Staats Jr., Shak Williams, Lucas Casab, and Rajay Morris made program and conference history in the 2024 outdoor season opener in Orlando, becoming the first squad to break 40 seconds in the men's 4x100m relay.  Their mark, 39.72, surpassed the previous school record of 40.44 set last season.  It is also believed to be the first-ever mark under 40 seconds by an America East program.  Following the first weekend of the season, the men were tied for ninth nationally in the event.
 
60
After becoming the first Great Dane to eclipse the 60' barrier in the shot put, throwing 60-09.50 at the 2024 America East Indoor Championships, Travis Robinson did it again, throwing 61-04.75 in his outdoor season opener in Orlando.  Robinson broke the program's outdoor record of 55-00.00 set in 2017 by Eric DelVescovo, and exceeded his own indoor mark from indoor championships.  Robinson improved his outdoor best by more than seven feet, and now holds the UAlbany record indoors and outdoors.
 
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.
 
Sustained Success
Since reclassifying to Division I for the 1999-00 season, the University at Albany track & field program has won a total of 65 America East indoor and outdoor titles.  Thirty-four of those titles have come during the outdoor season.   Additionally, the women's 12 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 17 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 second behind Monmouth's 18.  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 or share the lead in the country in outdoor conference titles.
 
The women's current streak of 14-straight outdoor conference titles is the longest in Division I, women's or men's.
 
America East Outdoor Leaders
100m: Clarke (11.57) / S. Williams (10.29w)
200m: Newberry (23.80) / X
400m: X / Chery (47.64)
800m: X / Abidi (1:49.92)
1,500m: X / Rogalski (3:48.15)
100m/110m HH: X/ Messado (14.36w)
4x100m: 45.47 / 39.72
HJ: Benjamin (5-09.25) / Reynolds (6-09.75)
LJ: X / Menchini (23-01.75)
TJ: Nicholas (42-03.25) / Charles (50-00.50)
SP: X / Robinson (61-04.75)
DT: Bigsby (160-11.00) / X
JT: Collins (140-03.00) / X
 
Northeast Outdoor Rankings
Week 4: Women (4) / Men (8)
Week 3: Women (4) / Men (6)
Week 2: Women (4) / Men (5)
Week 1: Women (2) / Men (4)
 
Outdoor #EventSquad Top-25
Week 4: Women's Hammer (15) / Men's High Jump (18)
Week 3: Men's High Jump (22) / Women's Hammer (23)
Week 2: Women's Hammer (12) / Men's High Jump (14) / Women's Discus (22)
 
Northeast Top-8
Hassan Abidi: 800m (8, 1:49.92)
Amelia Benjamin: HJ (3, 5-09.25)
Shelby Bigsby: SP (4, 48-08.25); DT (5, 160-11.00)
Ludith Campos: HT (6, 192-04.00)
Lucas Casab: 4x100m (1, 39.72)
Tyler Charles: TJ (3, 50-00.50)
Quincy Chery: 400m IH (7, 52.78)
Dominique Clarke: 100m (2, 11.57); 200m (4, 23.90); 4x100m (1, 45.47)
Jewel Collins: JT (6, 140-04.00)
Brinesha Derrick-Bain: 400m IH (7, 1:01.60)
Toni Galloway: 100m HH (8, 13.78)
Zhi Luncheon-Lowrie: HJ (8, 6-08.25)
Rajay Morris: 4x100m (1, 39.72)
Jazmen Newberry: 200m (1, 23.80); 400m (5, 54.88); 4x100m (1, 45.47)
Leann Nicholas: TJ (3, 42-03.25)
Shantae Pryce: 4x100m (1, 45.47)
Ja'Lil Reynolds: HJ (5, 6-09.75)
Travis Robinson: SP (1, 61-04.75); DT (1, 186-10.00)
Shania Scott: DT (7, 159-08.00)
Shavar Staats Jr.: 4x100m (1, 39.72)
Shenequa Vassell: 4x100m (1, 45.47)
Shak Williams: 100m (1, 10.29w); 4x100m (1, 39.72)
 
NCAA East Top-48/Relay Top-24
Amelia Benjamin: HJ (21, 5-09.25)
Ludith Campos: HT (32, 192-04.00)
Lucas Casab: 4x100m (21, 39.72)
Tyler Charles: TJ (24, 50-00.50)
Rajay Morris: 4x100m (21, 39.72)
Leann Nicholas: TJ (15, 42-03.25)
Ja'Lil Reynolds: HJ (32, 6-09.75)
Travis Robinson: SP (18, 61-04.75); DT (21, 186-10.00)
Shavar Staats Jr.: 4x100m (21, 39.72)
Shak Williams: 100m (44, 10.29w); 4x100m (21, 39.72)
 
Outdoor Program Records
3/15/24: Travis Robinson (SP, 61-04.75)
3/16/24: Men's 4x100m (39.72 – Shavar Staats Jr., Shak Williams, Lucas Casab, Rajay Morris)
4/13/24: Travis Robinson (DT, 186-10.00)
4/13/24: Amelia Benjamin (HJ, 5-09.25, ties freshman class record)
 
America East Outdoor Performers of the Week
4/16/24: Travis Robinson
3/18/24: Dominique Clarke, Ludith Campos, Shak Williams, Travis Robinson
 
Returning America East Outdoor Champions
Dominique Clarke: 100m, 4x100m – W
Brinesha Derrick-Bain: 400m IH, 4x400m – W
Louis Gordon: Long Jump – M
Alicia Grady: 4x400m – W
Adaliz Hunt: 4x100m – W
Antwone Messado: 110m HH – M
Jazmen Newberry: 200m, 4x100m, 4x400m – W
Leann Nicholas: Triple Jump – W
Efe Omokeni: Long Jump – W
Jared Rogalski: 4x800m – M
Shania Scott: Discus – W
 
Breaking Barriers
The 2023-24 indoor season saw Great Dane student-athletes surpass significant competitive milestones in their events.  Steph Green became the fourth woman to record a mark of 64' or greater in the women's weight throw.  Kiki Nosile became the seventh woman to record a mark over 60' in the same event.  Hassan Abidi is the fourth to break 1:20.00 in the men's 600m, and the second to break 1:19.00.  He is also the second to break 2:24.00 in the men's 1,000m.  Antwone Messado is the fourth to break 8.00 in the men's 60m hurdles.  Finally, Travis Robinson became the first to break 60' in the men's shot put.
 
Rare Air
The UAlbany record books have seen a rewriting of the throwing events this season.  In the first meet, Travis Robinson broke his own program record in the men's shot put with a mark of 57-11.00.  He threw 57-04.50 two meets later, and is the only Great Dane to record a mark greater than 55' in program history.  Additionally, the women's weight throw saw Steph Green become the fifth Great Dane to record a mark greater than 64', and Kiki Nosile the seventh to record a mark greater than 60.
 
600
UAlbany's first meet of 2024 brought forth a rewriting of the program record book in the men's 600m run.  Hassan Abidi set the overall school record, finishing second overall, and first among collegiate competitors, in 1:18.56.  He is just the second Great Dane in history to break 1:19.00 in the event.  His time also broke his own Tunisian indoor national record.  Behind Abidi, freshman Mikolaj Gancarz, in his first race in a UAlbany uniform, set the freshman class record, 1:21.17.
 
Millrose Bound
The UAlbany track & field program will, once again, have a presence at the biggest meet of the indoor season, the Millrose Games, at The Armory in New York City on February 11.  Shak Williams was accepted to compete in the men's 60m dash, while Steph Green and Kiki Nosile were each invited to participate in the Games' special weight throw session on Thursday.
 
#1
Following her performance in the first meet of the indoor season, Leann Nicholas ranked first among all Division I competitors in her signature event, the triple jump recording a mark of 41-06.00.  Nicholas is the first Great Dane to hold a #1 ranking at any point during the indoor or outdoor season since Travis Williams in the men's 55m dash, en route, in 2023, and just the third woman during the program's Division I era, after Grace Claxton (300m) and Venique Harris (discus).
 
Coming Down
Continuing her resurgence, Amanda Chambers climbed the ladder of the program's cross country rankings, bringing her personal-best times down in both the 5K and the 6K during the 2023 cross country season.  She now ranks ninth all-time in the 5K and fourth in the 6K, adding to her three other top-10 rankings indoors and outdoors.  Chambers opened the indoor season lowering her 5,000m time once again, to 16:32.02, an improvement over her best time outdoors by more than one second.
 
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 65 of UAlbany's 130 conference titles in the Division I era, through the end of the winter 2023-24 season.  The men have won 18 outdoor and 17 indoor titles, followed by women's outdoor with 16, women's indoor with 12, and men's and women's cross country with one each.
 
Schedule Note
Once again, the 2023-24 UAlbany track & field schedule will not include an indoor home meet.  With the cross country season also not featuring a home meet for the Great Danes, the only time UAlbany will compete at home this season will be the Bobbi Palma Spring Classic, on April 19, during the outdoor season.
 
America East Indoor History
The women won nine-straight indoor conference titles from 2013-22, and further 12 in 14 years, while the men have won 17 since their first in 2003.  Since joining the America East, the program has claimed a total of 245 America East indoor event titles.  The men have won 138, including 81 track and 57 field, and the women have won 107, including 65 track and 42 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 and the triple jump, winning each event 10 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 10 men's indoor championship meet records.
 
2024 America East Indoor Champions
Hassan Abidi: 800m – M
Amelia Benjamin: High Jump – W
Dominique Clarke: 60m – W
Toni Galloway: 60m HH – W
Louis Gordon: Long Jump – M
Antwone Messado: 60m HH – M
Leann Nicholas: Triple Jump – W
Efe Omokeni: Long Jump – W
Ja'Lil Reynolds: High Jump – M
Travis Robinson: Shot Put – M
Skyler Smith: 1,000m – W
Shak Williams: 60m, 200m – M
 
America East Indoor Event Leaders (W/M)
60m: Clarke (7.41) / S. Williams (6.61)
200m: X / S. Williams (21.35)
800m: X / Abidi (1:49.45)
1,000m: X / Abidi (2:23.38)
60m HH: Galloway (8.25) / Messado (7.99)
HJ: Benjamin (5-10.75) / Reynolds (6-11.50)
LJ: X / Gordon (24-10.00)
TJ: Nicholas (42-11.00) / X
SP: X / Robinson (60-09.50)
 
Northeast Indoor Rankings
Week 6: Women (9) / Men (6)
Week 5: Women (11) / Men (9)
Week 4: Women (8) / Men (7)
Week 3: Women (7) / Men (9)
Week 2: Women (5) / Men (9)
Week 1: Women (8) / Men (13)
 
#EventSquad Indoor Top-25
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 to achieve a ranking in a particular event.
 
Women's 60m HH: 23
Men's High Jump: 21
Men's Long Jump: 21
Men's Triple Jump: 22
 
Northeast Indoor Top-8
Hassan Abidi: 800m (8, 1:45.45)
Amelia Benjamin: HJ (2, 5-10.75)
Tyler Charles: TJ (4, 50-04.00)
Dominique Clarke: 60m (1, 7.41); 200m (2, 23.96)
Toni Galloway: 60m HH (2, 8.25)
Louis Gordon: LJ (4, 24-10.00)
Steph Green: WT (4, 64-05.25)
Zhi Luncheon-Lowrie: HJ (6, 6-10.25)
Jazmen Newberry: 200m (4, 24.09)
Leann Nicholas: TJ (1, 42-11.00)
Ja'Lil Reynolds: HJ (5, 6-11.50)
Travis Robinson: SP (1, 60-09.50)
Shavar Staats Jr.: 60m (4, 6.71)
Shak Williams: 60m (1, 6.61); 200m (7, 21.35)
 
Indoor Program Records
12/3/23: Amelia Benjamin (HJ, 5-08.75, freshman, ties varsity)
12/3/23: Travis Robinson (SP, 57-11.00)
1/20/24: Hassan Abidi (600m, 1:18.56)
1/20/24: Mikolaj Gancarz (600m, 1:21.17, freshman)
1/20/24: Charlotte Moscovici (PV, 10-08.75, freshman)
1/27/24: Leann Nicholas (TJ, 42-11.00)
2/2/24: Louis Gordon (LJ, 24-09.25)
2/19/24: Louis Gordon (LJ, 24-10.00)
2/20/24: Toni Galloway (60m HH, 8.25)
2/20/24: Amelia Benjamin (HJ, 5-10.75, freshman & varsity)
2/20/24: Travis Robinson (SP, 60-09.50)
 
America East Indoor Performers of the Week
2/13/24: Steph Green, Shak Williams
2/6/24: Antwone Messado, Louis Gordon
1/30/24: Leann Nicholas, Shak Williams, Travis Robinson
 
Returning 2023 America East Indoor Champions
Dominique Clarke: 60m, 200m – W
Brinesha Derrick-Bain: 4x400m – W
Louis Gordon: Long Jump – M
Alicia Grady: 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
 
Next: UAlbany competes at the Penn Relays April 25-27, and at RPI's Capital District Classic on April 26.