The track and field teams' outdoor season is still young, but both teams already have reason to be optimistic looking toward next month's Mid-American Conference Championships.
On Saturday, the Bulls traveled south to Pennsylvania to compete in the Bucknell Bison Outdoor Classic. By the end of Sunday's competition, the men's and women's track and field teams had earned nine first-place finishes and five second-place finishes.
The men's team won a pair of events, including the highlight of the weekend competition - a new school record in the high jump.
Sophomore Chris Reape's jump of 6-feet-11-inches added almost an inch to the school record that he had set himself earlier this season at the Wake Forest Open. Reape is the UB record holder in the high jump in both indoor and outdoor competition.
"Chris has really come a long way since last year when he walked on to the team," said head coach Perry Jenkins. "For him to hold both records in the high jump now is a great achievement."
The men's 4x100 relay team also took first place in the weekend's meet. The foursome - consisting of junior Miles Lewis and a freshmen trio of Darien Johnson, Ryan Billian, Micah Oliver - finished the race in a season-best 41.32 seconds.
The Buffalo women completed the sweep of the 4x100 relay events as senior Jamiee McClary, junior Crystal Graham and freshmen Malayah White and Camaria Long won the event, setting a new Bucknell facility record in the process. The team finished the race in 45.88 seconds.
"It's great to be able to have some success in the 4x100, especially with the Penn Relays coming up," Jenkins said. "Our relay teams will definitely be pushing for some school records and some NCAA marks."
The women's squad found success in the throwing events as well, as senior Shante' White won the hammer throw - an event in which three Bulls finished in the top four. White also earned a second-place finish in the women's discus with a season-best throw.
In the women's shot put, former Buffalo All-American Becky O'Brien secured a first-place finish that was closely followed by three current Bulls - junior Rachel Roberts, senior Kristy Woods and senior Erin Miller.
The Buffalo women put on a show on the track and came away with five first-place finishes.
Long took first place in both the 100-meter and the 200-meter, putting up season-best times in both events. White followed Long very closely in the 100, and she finished in second place.
In the 800-meter event, sophomore Megan Manley came in ahead of the pack, finishing the race in 2:09.80.
The Bulls swept the women's hurdle events with wins from senior Kristina Arcury and junior Donna Jeanty.
Although the Bulls saw were successful over the weekend, Jenkins stressed the team still has a long way to go
"We have five weeks of training outside before the conference meet," Jenkins said. "In these next few weeks, we're really going to find out how badly we want to be MAC champions."
The next meet for both the men's and women's track and field teams is the Princeton Larry Ellis Invitational. The meet is scheduled for Friday and Saturday.
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Photo: Courtesy of UB Athletics
