UAlbany Sweeps Outdoor Track and Field Championships Again

UAlbany's ToniAnn Werner, left, and Tynelle Taylor-Chase compete in the 100m hurdles at the America East Championships. Taylor-Chase swept both the 100m and 400m hurdles at the competition, while Werner came in 5th in the 100m and 11th in the pole vault.

VESTAL, N.Y. -- The University at Albany men and women earned a fifth consecutive sweep of the America East Outdoor Track and Field Championships Sunday afternoon at the East Gym Track Complex at Binghamton University. It was also the fifth consecutive championship for the Great Dane women, while the men stretch their record title streak to nine straight years.

For the UAlbany men, who scored 230.5 points, it was also their 10th championship in the last 11 years. After an impressive weekend UMBC took runner-up honors with 176 points and Maine came in third with 121 points. Rounding out the field was Binghamton (117) in fourth, New Hampshire (115) in fifth, Vermont (63.5) in sixth, Stony Brook (27) in seventh and Hartford (6) in eighth.

En route to an eighth outdoor title in the last nine years, the women from UAlbany scored an America East record 245 team points, shattering Vermont’s record of 226.5 from 2000. Binghamton was the runner-up with 136 points and Vermont rounded out the top three with 109.5 points. UMBC (108), New Hampshire (105.5), Maine (84), Stony Brook (36) and Hartford (34) followed in the standings.

UAlbany's Alexander Bowen shattered the meet record in the high jump with a leap of 7’3.25”, earning first place in the event and Most Outstanding Field Performer for the meet.

The men’s team standings were close all day, as UAlbany and UMBC started the day tied for first place. In the first relay event, the 4x100, the Retrievers grabbed the early momentum with a thrilling victory. Dennison Long (Greenbelt, Md.) propelled his squad to victory with an unbelievable anchor leg, besting the Great Danes by just three thousandths of a second. Long went on to sweep the 100 and 200 meter dash events and compiled 23 points for the Retrievers to earn Most Outstanding Track Performer honors and the Coaches' Award.

UAlbany then began to take some momentum back, as Taariq Jones (Kingston, N.Y.) claimed the 400 meter dash. Later in the day Jones would play a big role in an important 4x400 relay win. Alexander Bowen (Beacon, N.Y.) highlighted the field portion of the day with a record-breaking effort in the high jump. Bowen, who shattered the America East record by clearing 7’3.25”, was also named the meet’s Most Outstanding Field Performer.

In the women’s competition, UAlbany had some excellent individual efforts on the track to establish a commanding lead early in the day. Allison Rogers (Amherst, N.Y.) won the 400 meter dash and Tynelle Taylor-Chase (Whitby, Ontario) swept the 100 and 400 meter hurdles. Patricia McNish (Great Neck, N.Y.) won the triple jump for the second straight season to go along with her long jump title from day one. UAlbany also posted a dominant showing in the relays, sweeping all three to earn 30 points as a team.

Up next, UAlbany will compete at the IC4A/ECAC Championships hosted by Princeton University, from Friday through Sunday. After that, the Great Danes will take part in the NCAA Preliminary Championship in Greensboro, N.C., from May 23-25.

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