With over 50 schools competing, including top teams like the University of Tennessee, Penn State, and the University of Pittsburgh, the Penn State Invitational was a fine opportunity for the UB men's and women's track and field teams to face some of the best competition in the country.
"The purpose of attending a meet like this is to provide the intense atmosphere that we will experience at the MAC Championships. At this level, you must be at the top of your own performance to be competitive," Bulls' coach Vicki Mitchell said.
UB's athletes used the phenomenal facilities at Penn State to leave a mark with very impressive performances, particularly by the team's female distance runners.
The women's track team secured a few more ECAC qualifiers in addition to setting a school record in the 5000-meter run. The Bulls were led by Jennifer Koeppel, who finished second in the race with a time of 16 minutes, 55 seconds. This time not only qualified her for the ECAC Championships but also broke her own school record by an impressive 20 seconds.
Also on the track for the Bulls, Jen Jezorski finished 10th in the mile with a time of 4:55. Another top-25 finisher for the Bulls was Kelli O'Brien, who placed 11th in the 3000-meter run with a final time of 9:56. Following their respective excellent performances, Jezorski and O'Brien will join the already large group of Bulls attending the ECAC Championships.
In the 400-meter relay race, Celestine Coney, Patrice Coney, Stacy Downer, and Jen Jezorski assured themselves a ticket to the ECAC championships as well, turning in a time of 3:53.79 seconds.
NCAA Provisional qualifiers Faith Thompson and Sarah Vance showed their abilities on the field once again for the Bulls, as Thompson got fourth in the 20-pound weight throw with a distance of 61-8 1/2. With this exceptional length, Thompson made the NCAA Provisional and earned herself a starting spot at the ECAC Championships.
Vance's impressive meet earned her two ECAC bids in the shot put and the weight throw. She got third in the shot put with a throw of 48 1/2 and had a distance of 53-6 1/4 in the 20-pound weight throw, which was good for eighth place in the event.
On the men's side of the competition, the Bulls were led by Dan McKenna and Rayshon Higgins.
McKenna earned a starting spot at the IC4C meet, turning in a time of 4:13 in the mile. Meanwhile, Higgins qualified for the NCAA Championships in the triple jump, with a solid leap of 47 feet.
According to Coach Mitchell, the Penn State National was not only a great opportunity to show the strength of UB's track and field program, but also offered the possibility to see where the Bulls sit, with relation to some of the top schools. The meet also allowed UB the chance to gain a positive outlook for the season with more experience and self-confidence.
"Overall, both the men's and women's teams had several very impressive performances. As a team, they worked well and rose to the challenge. We are off to a solid start," said Mitchell.
The Bulls will kick off next month's schedule on Saturday at the Syracuse Invite.
Photo: Courtesy of Matthew Messina, from the RMBERS' Instagram page
