UAlbany Track Ranked In Regional Poll
NEW ORLEANS – For the third consecutive week, the University at Albany men’s and women’s track teams hold spots in the Northeast Regional rankings. The men jumped three spots to sixth, and the women held steady in the 10th spot. The men’s poll saw no change in the top-five, with Cornell once again securing the top spot, whereas Buffalo jumped Dartmouth to take over fifth in the women’s poll. The Harvard women, however, continue to top the list. The UAlbany women remain the only America East squad to earn a spot in the rankings, while the men’s team sits six places ahead of the one other America East squad, Maine.
Freshman Youssef Benzamia added to UAlbany’s list of regionally ranked athletes. His long jump of 24’-5.75” in the college section of the Collegiate Invitational stands as the second best jump in the Northeast. Alexander Bowen still tops the region in the high jump, and Matthew Catera and Nathan Hiett held steady at sixth in the heptathlon and eighth in the pole vault respectively. The men’s distance medley relay team dropped two spots to eight, and the men’s 4×400 dropped one spot to seventh, despite recording their fastest time over the weekend.
There were similar ranking fluctuations among the women’s performers. Aiyanna James and Rochelle Reid held steady at third in the long jump and eighth in the high jump respectively. Michelle Anthony dropped two spots to sixth in the 60 hurdles, and Silvia Del Fava dropped one spot to seventh in the 5,000. And although the women set a new school record in the 4×400 over the weekend, they held steady at seventh place.
Although the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association only ranks the top 15 teams in each of the nine Division I regions, plus the top 25 D-1 programs nationally, it should be noted that over 40 D-1 schools exist in the Northeast region.
Next up for the Danes, a handful of athletes will travel to either the Spire Institute in Geneva, Ohio for the NCAA Division I Invitational, or back down to the Armory to compete in the Millrose Games.
