Baltimore, Md. ? Joe Greene was named the championship's most outstanding performer as UAlbany captured its fourth America East Conference men's track and field championship in the last five years on Sunday, May 6 at UMBC Stadium Complex. The Great Danes also won the women's championship for the second consecutive year.
Greene, a sophomore, placed first in the 400-meter dash and 400-hurdles for the second year in a row, plus was a member of the winning 4x400 relay, as the Great Danes set a meet record with 268 points. UAlbany held the previous standard with 230 points in 2003. Greene sprinted the 400-dash in a school and championship record of 47.09 seconds. He posted a 400-hurdles' time of 52.95 seconds.
Junior Burnett earned the Coaches' Award by scoring 23 points, as he won the 100-meter dash and was a member of two winning relays. Burnett crossed the finish line in the 100 with a time of 10.90 seconds. He ran the second leg on the 4x100 relay that was clocked in 41.37. Burnett teamed with Weider, Greene and Gered Burns to set a meet record in the 4x400 relay of 3:10.85.
Burns was among six individual men's champions on the day, as he took the 800-meter crown in 1:50.15. Pat Weider was first in the 200-dash (21.76) and ran the lead-off leg on both winning relays. Freddie Wills won the triple jump with a leap of 46-feet, 10-inches. Renauld Buck was second in the shot put (48-2.50) and David Parker finished third in the decathlon with 5,830 points.
UAlbany recorded its second straight women's track title by scoring 162 points. The Great Danes, who were in fourth place in the standings after the first day, edged New Hampshire for the crown. Jessica Ortman captured her second consecutive 1,500-meter championship with a time of 4:29.65. Ortman, a sophomore, also had a pair of second-place showings in the 800-meters and 3,000m steeplechase. Adanna Andrews held on against her teammate to win the 800 in 2:11.28. Brenna Militello won the high jump with a mark 5-feet, 7-inches after finishing fifth last year.
The Great Danes showed balance with five athletes taking second in their respective events. Anisha Andrews posted a time of 56.76 in the 400-dash and was six-hundredths of a second behind champion Keisha Short of Binghamton. Kamilah McShine (100-hurdles), Sarah Charles (triple jump), Ritshell Verdier (discus) and Valerie Maignan (heptathlon) were also second.
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America East Conference Men's Track & Field Championship
1. UAlbany 268, 2. New Hampshire 154, 3. UMBC 113, 4. Binghamton 100, 5. Boston U. 82, 6. Stony Brook 57, 7. Maine 45, 8. Vermont 25, 9. Hartford 11.
America East Conference Women's Track & Field Championship
1. UAlbany 162, 2. New Hampshire 156, 3. Boston U. 139.50, 4. Vermont 110.50, 5. Binghamton 101, 6. Maine 73, 7. UMBC 70, 8. Stony Brook 31, 9. Hartford 14.
