Indoor Track Update

[McFan]

BURNS RUNS FASTEST 800-METER TIME IN NATION AT COLLEGIATE INVITATIONAL

 

New York, N.Y. - UAlbany's Gered Burns ran the fastest time in the 800-meter run by a collegian this season and Alyssa Lotmore set a school record in the 5,000-meters at the New Balance Collegiate Invitational held at the New York City Armory on Feb. 3-4. The Great Danes established four school marks at the two-day competition.

 

Burns, who had already broken his own school record once this season, won the championship 800m in a time of 1:48.80, provisionally qualifying for March's NCAA Championship. The senior took first in this same event at the 2004 Collegiate Invitational and finished second last season. Burns' time is the fastest in the America East Conference by nearly five seconds. Andy Allstadt also ran a personal-best 14:47.11 in the 5,000m. It was the first time he has broken the 15-minute mark this season.

 

"I was really happy with how it turned out," said Burns, who has won consecutive IC4A 800m indoor titles. "It helped to have such great competition, and I went out hard."

 

"Gered is one of those special individuals that coaches get every now and then," said UAlbany track and field coach Roberto Vives. "He ran against the best today and showed that he is a champion."

 

Lotmore, a junior, covered the 5,000m in an ECAC-qualifying time of 16:57.62 to become the first woman in school history to break the 17-minute mark indoors. She eclipsed the previous standard of 17:34.61, set by Tonya Dodge in 1997, by more than 35 seconds. Corinna Hengen broke her own school record in the pole vault with a mark of 10-feet, 10-inches. She improved on her personal best by four inches.

 

Jessica Ortman bested her own UAlbany 800m standard with a 2:09.76 clocking, good for fourth place in the championship run. Ortman's time is tops in the America East this season. Her twin sister Jenna Ortman qualified for ECACs in the mile and improved her season-best in the collegiate 800m with a time of 2:13.15. The freshman became the second UAlbany woman to break the five-minute mark in the mile this season with a time of 4:59.23.

 

Defending America East champion Arina Gerasimova took third in the triple jump with a leap of 39-feet, 9.75-inches, while freshman Sarah Charles posted a seventh-place showing in the event with a mark of 39-0.25.

 

The UAlbany indoor track and field teams return to action next weekend when they face Binghamton in a dual meet on Saturday, Feb. 11.

 

 

 

UALBANY MEN'S 4X400-METER RELAY WINS AT THE 99TH MILLROSE GAMES

 

New York, N.Y. - The UAlbany men's squad won the 4x400-meter college relay at the 99th Millrose Games held at Madison Square Garden on Friday, Feb. 4. The team finished in a time of 3:25.43 to win the event for the second consecutive year.

 

Stephen Evans ran an anchor split of 50.7 seconds to overtake C.W. Post in the final straightaway of the relay. Post finished second in a time of 3:25.75, while St. Francis (N.Y.) took third in 3:31.79. Junior Burnett, who recently set a school record in the 200m, turned in a time of 50.1 to cut the gap during the third leg. Freshmen Pat Weider and Rachaud Hill led off with splits of 51.9 and 52.2 seconds, respectively.

 

"It was really exciting to compete at Madison Square Garden," said Evans, who has helped the relay to a first-place finish in the college 4x400m relay at three of the last four Millrose Games. "The energy from the crowd and from my teammates helped me to catch and pass the other team in the final seconds."

 

The UAlbany women turned in a fourth-place showing in their side of the 4x400m college relay. Junior Adanna Andrews ran an anchor split of 58.7 to help the women's relay cross the line in 3:59.48. Her twin sister Anisha Andrews led off with a time of 60.3, while Melissa Lee and Jessica Ortman ran the middle legs with splits of 60.2 and 59.8, respectively. Essex County College won the women's event in a time of 3:53.52, followed by South Carolina in 3:53.74 and Seton Hall in 3:56.19.

 

The UAlbany indoor track and field teams wrap up this week's competition tomorrow, as they contend at the final day of the New Balance Collegiate Invitational at the New York City Armory.

[McFan]

Burns Wins at Tyson, UA Defeats Binghamton

 

Fayetteville, Ark. - UAlbany's Gered Burns (left) won the 800-meter run at the Tyson Invitational on Saturday, Feb. 11 at Arkansas' Randal Tyson Track Complex. Burns, who competed against three All-Americans in the event, posted a winning time of 1:49.86. The Great Danes also defeated Binghamton in dual meet action on Saturday, Feb. 11 at the Binghamton Event Center.

 

 

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GERED BURNS CAPTURES 800-METER RUN AT TYSON INVITATIONAL

 

Fayetteville, Ark. - UAlbany's Gered Burns won the 800-meter run at the Tyson Invitational on Saturday, Feb. 11 at Arkansas' Randal Tyson Track Complex.

 

Burns, who competed against three All-Americans in the event, posted a winning time of 1:49.86. Stanford's Michael Garcia, a two-time New Mexico scholastic state champion in the 800m, finished second in 1:51.09.

 

Earlier this season, Burns captured 800m titles at the Great Dane Classic and the New Balance Collegiate Invitational, where he ran the fastest time by a collegian this season at 1:48.80.

 

 

 

UALBANY MEN'S AND WOMEN'S TRACK TEAMS DEFEAT BINGHAMTON IN DUAL MEET

 

Vestal, N.Y. - Adanna Andrews won the 1,000-meter run with an ECAC-qualifying time as UAlbany defeated Binghamton, 80-72, in a dual meet at the Binghamton Event Center on Saturday, Feb. 11. The UAlbany men downed the Bearcats, 82-57.

 

Andrews, who earlier this season qualified for the ECAC meet in the 800m event, posted a winning time of 2:57.32 in the 1,000m. Ritshell Verdier captured the shot put (42-feet, 0.5 inches) and the weight throw (41'-7") to lead the Great Danes in the field events. Danielle Trimpop raced to a win in the mile with a time of 5:12.03, while Anisha Andrews finished first in the 800m in 2:18.68. Twin sisters Jessica and Jenna Ortman placed one-two in the 3000m and Kamilah McShine won the 55m hurdles.

 

Ray Gilman (47'-9.25") and Freddie Wills (47'-0.75") both qualified for the IC4A Championship in the triple jump, finishing first and second. Wills added a first-place jump of 22-6.25 in the long jump, while Renauld Buck won the shot put with a throw of 46-10.25.

 

Kamar Elliott claimed the top spot in the 55m hurdles in a season-best time of 7.77, while also finishing second in the long jump. Joe Belokopitsky captured the 800m and was part of the winning 4x400 relay that also included Rachaud Hill, Jared Jupin and Andrew Overbaugh.

 

Junior Burnett and Pat Weider added victories in the 55m and 200m, respectively. Ricardo Estremera (mile) and Ryan Gaedje (3,000m) also posted individual victories for the Great Danes.