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trio heading to ncaa outdoor championships

5/18/2018

The official NCAA Division III Track & Field championship field will be announced Saturday with as many as three Fredonia Blue Devil seniors on the list.

Sarah Couperus (Marion, N.Y./Marion) and Brittany Feldman (Jamestown, N.Y./Southwestern) from the women's team and Justyn Haines (Albion, N.Y./Albion) from the men's team are likely bound for LaCrosse, Wis., the site of the D-III championship meet next Thursday, May 24, through Saturday, May 26.

The top 22 women and top 20 men are eligible for the national meet.

Couperus is highest seeded among the trio at No. 10 in the women's high jump. Her top mark of 1.68 meters (5 feet, 6 inches) came last Friday, May 11, at Allegheny College's Gator Invitational.

Feldman is 17th in the women's 400-meter dash with a season-best time of 56.30 seconds. It came April 21 at the Marietta College's Don Frail Invitational.

Haines is tied for 19th in the men's pole vault. He cleared 4.88 meters (16 feet) on May 4 at the SUNYAC championship meet.

Should their names be called, Couperus and Haines will be headed to nationals for the first time while Feldman will be making her fifth trip. She has earned NCAA D-III All-America honors twice, each time in the 400 meters.

At All-Atlantic Regional Meet held this week at Brockport, Haines cleared 4.86 meters (15 feet, 11 1/4 inches) to finish second in the pole vault, Couperus competed in the women's high jump, and Feldman raced in the 200 meters. Her time of 25.46 seconds was ninth-best.

Falling short of qualifying, yet still among the Top 50 in marks, was senior Damone Brown (Haverstraw, N.Y./North Rockland), who is 38th in the men's shot put. He competed at Brockport this week as did, among others, junior Nick Serafin (Depew, N.Y./Depew), who Thursday was seventh in the high jump at 1.88 meters (6 feet, 2 inches).

strong performances at sunyac championships

5/8/2018

Brittany Feldman hugs Sarah Couperus. Both are SUNYAC Champions.

GENESEO, N.Y. -- The Fredonia women's track and field team had a pair of conference champions crowned on Day 2 of the SUNYAC Championships on Saturday. Sarah Couperus (Marion, N.Y. / Marion) won the high jump, and Brittany Feldman (Jamestown, N.Y. / Southwestern) took home the top spot in the 400 m dash. The Devils finished fifth overall.

Couperus won with a jump of 1.67 m (5'5 3/4''). Teammate Amy Tichacek (Walworth, N.Y. / Gananda) earned points with an eighth-place finish, clearing with 1.47 m (4-9 ¾).

Feldman won the 400-meter dash in a time of 57.28. She was 0.20 seconds ahead of the next competitor. Feldman also finished seventh in the 200 m in a time of 25.45.

Hannah Kurbs (Lockport, N.Y. / Lockport) was fifth in the 5,000 m in a time of 18:14.07, and her sister Sarah Kurbs was sixth in the 3,000 m steeplechase at 12:04.11.

Rachel Williams (Lockport, N.Y. / Lockport) also earned points in two events, finishing sixth in both the shot put ( 11.64 m / 38' 2 ¼'') and the discus (35.98 m / 118' 0'')

Macy Brooks (Hornell, N.Y. / Hornell) was seventh in the heptahlon with 3,191 points.

In the 4x100 relay, Ayana Bursie (Buffalo, N.Y. / Cheektowaga), Cassie Serafin (Cheektowaga, N.Y. / Depew), Sarah Buckley (Mineola, N.Y. / Holy Trinity), and Feldman were fifth in a time of 50.80.

Fredonia earned with 55 points.

Women seventh after SUNYAC's Day 1

GENESEO, N.Y. -- Fredonia senior Brittany Feldman (Jamestown, N.Y./Southwestern) is the No. 1 qualifier heading into the finals of the women's 400 meters Saturday after sprinting 57.49 seconds during Friday's qualifying at the SUNYAC Outdoor Track & Field championship meet.

Her qualifying time is faster than her winning time of 57.71 seconds at the 2017 SUNYAC meet. She is also the defending SUNYAC 200-meter outdoor champ. Her 200 qualifying time Friday of 25.49 seconds was sixth fastest.

The Blue Devils earned nine teams points Friday, five by senior Rachel Williams (Lockport, N.Y./Lockport), who threw 45.53 meters (149 feet, 4 inches) fo finish fourth in the hammerthrow. The other four points were scored by senior Kristen Sawyer (Lockport, N.Y./Lockport), who cleared 3.35 meters (10 feet, 11 3/4 inches) to finish fifth in the pole vault.

Completing four of seven events, Macy Brooks (Hornell, N.Y./Hornell) is seventh after the first day of the women's heptathlon.

Brown in top three in discus, shot

The Fredonia men's track and field team finished in sixth at the SUNYAC Championship Meet in Geneseo on Saturday. Damone Brown (Haverstraw, N.Y./North Rockland) was the top performer for Fredonia, finishing second in the shot put and third in the discus.

Brown recorded a distance of 14.85 m (48' 8 3/4'') in the shot put. He threw the discus 43.36 m (142' 3''). He was 3.46 meters from the top throw of 46.82 by Brockport's Tony DeYoung.

Fellow Blue Devil Jordan Toland (Lockport, N.Y./Lockport) earned points with a seventh-place throw of 39.77 m (130' 5'').

Nick Serafin (Depew, N.Y./Depew) and Mitchel Paciga (Jeffersonville, N.Y./Sullivan West) both pointed in the high jump. Serfin was third with a jump of 1.95 m (6' 4 3/4''), and Paciga went 1.85 m (6' 0 3/4'').

Paciga was fifth in the decathlon with 5,301 points. The top score was 6,111 by Cortland's Zachary Kashmer.

Dan Sudyn (West Seneca / West Seneca West) 13.55 in the triple jump, seventh place.

The 4x400 relay team of Michael Salvati (Avon N.Y./Avon), Marcus Torres (Goshen,N.Y./ Goshen), Merlin Joseph Jr.(Binghamton, N.Y./Binghamton), Mike DeLand (Dunkirk,N.Y./ Dunkirk) were sixth in 3:26.28.

The 4x100 squad of Salvati, Sudyn, Torres, and Justyn Haines (Albion, N.Y./Albion) finished seventh in 44.21.

Fredonia earned 48 points in the meet.

Fredonia men earned 13.5 team points on the first day of the 2018 SUNYAC Outdoor Track & Field championship meet at SUNY Geneseo. The bulk of the scoring came form senior Justyn Haines (Albion, N.Y./Albion), who was crowned conference champ in the pole vault.

Haines won the title by clearing 4.55 meters (14 feet, 11 inches) on his first try at the height. He then cleared a personal-best 4.88 meters -- just over 16 feet -- and attempted 4.91 meters before fouling out. His previous-best was 4.75 meters on Feb. 10 at Tiffin, Ohio. He was second in the pole vault at the 2018 SUNYAC Indoor meet.

Based on the national performance lists coming into the weekend, Haines is No. 12 nationally among NCAA Division III men -- a placement that would earn him a spot at the national meet later this month. He also moved up to No. 2 on the Fredonia Outdoor Top 10 performance list.

Fredonia earned 2.5 more points in the pole vault as freshman Jonah McGrath (Penfield, N.Y./Penfield) cleared 4.40 meters (14 feet, 5 1/4 inches) to tie for sixth and earned one point in the long jump as freshman Dan Sudyn (West Seneca, N.Y./West Seneca West) taped out at 6.54 meters (21 feet, 5 1/2 inches) to finish eighth. He was the top freshman in the event.

In addition, freshman Mike DeLand (Dunkirk, N.Y./Dunkirk) ran a personal-best 51.51 seconds in the 400 meters, while senior Mitchel Paciga (Jeffresonville, N.Y./Sullivan West) ended Friday in seventh place after the first five events of the decathlon.

Francis finishes first in Marietta 5K

4/24/2018

MARIETTA, Ohio – Fredonia men had numerous top three finishers, including one event winner, at the Don Frail Invitational outdoor track and field meet hosted Saturday by Marietta College.

The event winner was junior Ethan Francis (Dunkirk, N.Y./Dunkirk), who took the 5,000 meters in 15:37.92. Senior pole vaulter Justyn Haines (Albion, N.Y./Albion) finished second with a clearance of 4.71 meters (15 feet, 5 ½ inches), senior Damone Brown (Haverstraw, N.Y./North Rockland) second in the shot put at 15.63 meters (51 feet, 3 ½ inches), junior Nick Serafin (Depew, N.Y./Depew) third in the high jump at 1.90 meters (6 feet, 2 ¾ inches) and freshman Dan Sudyn(West Seneca, N.Y./West Seneca West) third in the triple jump at 13.39 meters (43 feet, 11 ¼ inches).

The quartet of freshman Mike DeLand (Dunkirk, N.Y./Dunkirk), senior Merlin Joseph Jr. (Binghamton, N.Y./Binghamton), freshman Marcus Torres (Goshen, N.Y./Goshen), and senior Chase Towse (East Northport, N.Y./Northport) was third in the 4-by-400 relay in 3:30.57.

Fourth-place finishes were recorded by Brown in the hammerthrow (a personal-best 46.92 meters), senior Mitch Loiacano (Lockport, N.Y./Lockport) in the 800 meters, Torres in the 400 meters (personal-best 52.10 seconds), and freshman Jonah McGrath (Penfield, N.Y./Penfield) in the triple jump.

Others recording personal-bests were freshman Ryan Dunning (Syracuse, N.Y./West Genesee) in the 5,000 meters, sophomore Matthew McCarthy (Orchard Park, N.Y./Orchard Park) in the shot put and the hammer throw, senior Mitchel Paciga (Jeffersonville, N.Y./Sullivan West) in the 100 meters, and sophomore Jordan Toland (Lockport, N.Y./Lockport) in the discus.

Three winners at Frail Invitational

Three Fredonia women won individual events Saturday at the Don Frail Invitational outdoor track and field meet hosted by Marietta College.

Senior sprinter Brittany Feldman (Jamestown, N.Y./Southwestern) was first in the 400 meters in 56.30 seconds, junior Hannah Kurbs (Lockport, N.Y./Lockport) first in the 5,000 meters with a personal-best 18:11.59, and freshman Cassie Serafin (Cheektowaga, N.Y./Depew) first in the triple jump at 10.86 meters (35 feet, 7 ¾ meters).

Other top performances included senior Sarah Couperus (Marion, N.Y./Marion), second in the high jump at 1.55 meters (5 feet, 1 inch) and third in the triple jump at 10.59 meters (34 feet, 9 inches); sophomore Kelly O'Hara (Webster, N.Y./Webster Thomas), second in the 800 meters at 2:22.68; and the quartet of O'Hara, Feldman, junior Emily Maguire(Oakdale, N.Y./Connetquot), and freshman Sarah Buckley (Mineola, N.Y./Holy Trinity), third in the 4-by-400 in 4:13.53.

Personal-bests were also recorded by freshman Samantha Zagurski (West Leyden, N.Y./Adirondack) in the hammer throw and the shot put, and freshman Kayla Murray (Buffalo, N.Y./West Seneca West) in the 100-meter hurdles.

Four PR's at Bucknell, four at Westminster

4/18/2018

Fredonia's split squad weekend garnered eight personal records -- four at each meet -- as well as two top eight finishes.

Competing at the Bucknell Outdoor Classic, senior Mitch Loiacano(Lockport, N.Y./Lockport) ran a personal-best in the 800 meters, sophomore Aidan Pollard (Lindenhurst, N.Y./Lindenhurst) in the 5,000 meters, and freshman Mike DeLand (Dunkirk, N.Y./Dunkirk) and Marcus Torres (Goshen, N.Y./Goshen) in the 400 meters.

At the Westminster (Pa.) Invitational, sophomore Matthew McCarthy (Orchard Park, N.Y./Orchard Park) and freshman Aaron Cember (Sleepy Hollow, N.Y./Sleepy Hollow) set personal-bests in the shot put and the discus; freshman Derek Sunderland (Owego, N.Y./Owego) did likewise in the 200 meters; and freshman Devin Wiencek (Clarence Center, N.Y./Clarence) followed suit in the javelin.

The Blue Devils earned seven team points at Westminster, all by senior thrower Damone Brown (Haverstraw, N.Y./North Rockland). He finished third in the shot put and eighth in the discus.

Couperus moves up outdoor high jump list

Fredonia senior Sarah Couperus (Marion, N.Y./Marion) moved up to No. 3 on the school outdoor Top 10 high jump list at the Bucknell Outdoor Classic over the weekend. She cleared 1.66 meters (5 feet, 5 1/4 inches) and finished ninth in the event. Ginger Kincaid's 5 feet, 8 inches in 2001 tops the list, followed by Jackie Majka's 5 feet, 5 3/4 inches in 2008.

The Blue Devils also sent a split squad to the Westminster (Pa.) Invitational. They earned two points via a seventh-place finish by freshman Sarah Kurbs (Lockport, N.Y./Lockport) in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. Her 12:34.52 was also a personal-best for Kurbs.

Other personal-bests by Blue Devil women at the Westminster meet:

Junior thrower Abriel Andrews (Syracuse, N.Y./Henninger) in the discus; sophomores Kelly O'Hara (Webster, N.Y./Webster Thomas) and Jordyn Wilde (Hamburg, N.Y./Frontier) in the 800 meters and the 1,500 meters, respectively; and seven freshmen: Macy Brooks (Hornell, N.Y./Hornell), Sarah Buckley (Mineola, N.Y./Holy Trinity), Ayana Bursie(Buffalo, N.Y./Cheektowaga), Caitlin Clonan (Cazenovia, N.Y./Cazenovia), Ariel Davis (Lockport, N.Y./Lockport), Kayla Murray (Buffalo, N.Y./West Seneca West), and Amy Tichacek (Walworth, N.Y./Gananda).

Brooks established three PR's (200 meters, 100-meter hurdles, long jump), Buckley (200 meters, 400 meters) and Tichacek (100-meter hurdles, high jump), and the others one each: Bursie and Davis in the 200 meters, Murray in the 100-meter hurdles, and Clonan in the 1,500 meters.

Capestrani sets another school record

3/5/2018

ITHACA, N.Y. -- Fredonia senior pole vaulter Mikayla Capestrani cleared 12 feet, 1 1/4 inches (3.69 meters) and finished second Friday at the All-Atlantic Region Indoor Track & Field championship meet. It set a new school record.

Capestrani has now broken the Fredonia women's indoor mark three times this season. The new height is 1 1/2 inch higher than her previous school record, which was ranked 22nd in NCAA Division 3 at the start of the weekend.

Only the top 15 men and 17 men qualifying for nationals March 9 & 10 in Birmingham, Alabama.

Women's pole vault / Top 8
1.       Katherine Pitman – Ithaca, 4.27 meters – DIII Record
2.       Mikayla Capestrani – Fredonia, 3.69m
3.       Kelcey Watson – Brockport, 3.54m (tied)
4.       Kaitlyn Dermen – Stockton, 3.54m (tied)
5.       Samantha Kaplan – RIT, 3.54m
6.       Sarah Bronk – Geneseo, 3.54m
7.       Emily Gallagher – Brockport, 3.54m
8.       Laura Piazza – Geneseo, 3.39m

Another Fredonia, Kristen Sawyer (Lockport, N.Y. / Lockport) tied for ninth in the pole vault.

In other Friday events:

Women's shot put -- Rachel Williams (Lockport, N.Y. / Lockport) was 9th. She is a senior
Women's triple jump -- Freshman Cassie Serafin (Cheektowaga, N.Y. / Depew) was sixth and senior Sarah Couperus (Marion, N.Y. / Marion) ninth in a field of 23 women.

Haines second in AARTC men's pole vault

ITHACA, N.Y. -- Justyn Haines (Albion, N.Y. / Albion) finished second in the men's pole vault at Friday's All-Atlantic Region Track & Field meet.

Haynes cleared 4.71 meters (15 feet, 5 1/2 inches), good for eight team points. He entered the meet at No. 22 on the NCAA Division 3 performance list.

Also, Damone Brown (Haverstraw, N.Y. / North Rockland), a senior, finished fourth in the men's shot put. Brown's best throw of the day traveled 15.28 meters (50 feet, 1 3/5 inches), which earned five team points.

Mitchel Paciga (Jeffersonville, N.Y. / Sullivan West) is seventh after four events in the men's heptathlon

Feldman wins AARTC 400 meters

ITHACA, N.Y. -- Fredonia senior Brittany Feldman (Jamestown, N.Y. / Southwestern) won the women's 400 meters Saturday at the All-Atlantic Regional Track & Field Conference meet.

Feldman hit the finish line in 57.65 seconds, 1.2 seconds faster than Plattsburgh's Marissa Jones. The first five finishers were all from SUNYAC schools.

Also Saturday, senior Rachel Williams (Lockport, N.Y. / Lockport) finished fourth in the women's 20-pound weight throw with a toss of 15.32 meters (50 feet, 3 1/4 inches). There were 15 women entered in the event.

Finishing in a tie for fourth place in the high jump was senior Sarah Couperus (Marion, N.Y. / Marion). She cleared 1.59 meters (5 feet, 2 1/2 inches).

Brown wins SUNYAC shot put title

2/26/2018

BROCKPORT, N.Y. -- Senior thrower Damone Brown (Haverstraw, N.Y. / North Rockland) is the SUNYAC men's indoor shot put champion.

Competing on Day 1 of the conference championship meet Friday, Brown stretched the tape out at 15.93 meters (52 feet, 3 ¼ inches) with his third of six throws Friday inside the Brockport Special Events & Recreation Center. He came into the meet as the No. 2 seed.

Fredonia's next-best finish Friday came from junior Ethan Francis (Dunkirk, N.Y. / Dunkirk), who rallied for third in the 5,000 meters. He went immediately to the front and led after the first 600 meters, then settled into stride and dropped back to eighth in a tight pack of runners. He passed three runners in the next-to-last lap and was still picking up time when he crossed the wire in 15:16.78, just 2.7 seconds out of second.

Also Friday:

Senior triple jumper Rocky Caparro (Staten Island, N.Y. / Susan E. Wagner) was fourth with 13.82 meters (45 feet, 4 ¼ inches) and freshman Dan Sudyn (West Seneca, N.Y. / West Seneca West) was seventh with 13.71 meters (44 feet, 11 3/4 inches). Sudyn was 16th prior to the meet on the conference performance list.

Senior pole vaulter Justyn Haines (Albion, N.Y. / Albion) cleared 14 feet, 11 inches (4.55 meters) to finish tied for second.

In the heptathlon, senior Mitchel Paciga (Jeffersonville, N.Y. / Sullivan West) is sixth after four events. In a field of 13 starters, he was 11th in 60 meters, 11th in the long jump, sixth in the shot put, then shot up the standings with a high jump of 1.93 meters, first in the competition and worth 740 of his 2,296 points. The remaining events Saturday are the 60-meter hurdles, the pole vault, and the 1,000 meters.

Fredonia finished the day third in the team standings. Brockport leads with 59.5, Cortland has 40.5, the Blue Devils have 36, and Geneseo has 29.

Feldman qualifies first in 400, fourth in 200

Fredonia senior Brittany Feldman (Jamestown, N.Y. / Southwestern) put in the fastest qualifying time in the women's 400 meters during the first day of the SUNYAC Indoor Track & Field championship meet.

Feldman was timed in 58.54 seconds, .73 of one second faster than the next fastest qualifier. The 400 final is scheduled for Saturday at 1:20 p.m. An hour later, at 2:20 p.m. Saturday, Feldman will also compete in the finals of the 200 meters -- in which she will be the fourth seed following her qualifying time of 26.27 seconds on Friday night.

In other Friday running events:

Starting quickly, then moving steadily throughout, junior Hannah Kurbs (Lockport, N.Y. / Lockport) finished seventh in the 5,000 meters, good for two team points. She was third in the early going, dropped back as far as 10th where she ran tandem with senior Madison Courtney (Getzville, N.Y. / Williamsville South), then picked up three spots to finish in 18:56.80. Courtney finished ninth.

Fredonia finished seventh in the distance medley relay with a time of 13:32.53. The four runners were freshman Sarah Kurbs (Lockport, N.Y. / Lockport), freshman Ariel Davis (Lockport, N.Y. / Lockport), sophomore Kelly O'Hara (Webster, N.Y. / Webster Thomas), and junior Emily Maguire (Oakdale, N.Y. / Connetquot).

In Friday field events:

Mikayla Capestrani (Jamestown, N.Y. / Jamestown) was fourth and Kristen Sawyer (Lockport, N.Y. / Lockport) seventh in the women's pole vault. Capestrani cleared 11 feet, 5 3/4 inches while Sawyer went over 10 feet, 11 3/4 inches. Both are seniors.

The Blue Devils also had two scorers in the triple jump, led by freshman Cassie Serafin (Cheektowaga, N.Y. / Depew) in third at 11.34 meters (37 feet, 2 ½ inches), up eight spots from where she stood on the pre-meet performance list. Finishing eighth was senior Sarah Couperus (Marion, N.Y. / Marion) in 10.78 meters (35 feet, 4 ½ inches).

In the shot put, senior Rachel Williams (Lockport, N.Y. / Lockport) was fourth with a throw of 11.62 meters (38 feet, 1 ½ inches).

Fredonia is third after the first day of competition with 23 points behind Geneseo with 90 and Brockport with 79. Cortland is fouirth with 11.

Serafin 2nd in HJ, trio scores in wt. throw

Fredonia's fourth-place finish at the SUNYAC Indoor Track & Field championship meet was fueled by field performances.

At the top of the list was junior high jumper Nick Serafin (Depew, N.Y. / Depew), who finished second by clearing 6 feet, 4 1/2 inches (1.95 meters). He tied Brockport's Damian Fender at the height, who won the event by clearing it on his first try while Serafin cleared it on his second. Both men missed all three tries at 6 feet, 6 3/4 inches.

Three Fredonia men scored in the 35-pound weight throw, a haul of eight team points. Sophomore Jordan Toland (Lockport, N.Y. / Lockport) was fifth at 14.93 meters (48 feet, 11 3/4 inches), freshman Jeremiah Chandler (Lockport, N.Y. / Lockport) sixth atr 14.87 meters (48 feet, 9 1/2 inches), and senior Damone Brown(Haverstraw, N.Y. / North Rockland) eighth at 14.57 meters (47 feet, 9 3/4 inches). Brown, who won the shot put on Friday, earned a team-high 11 individual points, tied for fourth among all field athletes.

Also doing his work in field events was senior multi-athlete Mitchel Paciga (Jeffersonville, N.Y. / Sullivan West), who scored 4,014 points to finish fifth out of 13 men in the men's heptathlon. Paciga had the best pole vault (3.80 meters) during Saturday's competition after having the best high jump on Friday. He was also sixth in the 60-meter hurdles and 11th in the 1,000 meters on Saturday.

Fredonia had two individuals earn points in running events Saturday. Junior Ethan Francis (Dunkirk, N.Y./Dunkirk) was sixth in the 3,000 meters and senior Merlin Joseph Jr. (Binghamton, N.Y./Binghamton) seventh in the 800. Francis's time time of 8:49 made him the first non-Geneseo runner to cross the line. He was also Fredonia's top scorer among runners with nine points, 12th overall. Joseph's time in the 800 was 1:59.33.

The Blue Devils also earned sixth-place points in the 4-by-400 meter relay with the quartet of freshman Michael Salvati (Avon, N.Y./Avon), senior Mitch Loiacano (Lockport, N.Y./Lockport), freshman Marcus Torres (Goshen, N.Y./Goshen), and freshman Mike DeLand (Dunkirk, N.Y./Dunkirk). They edged out Western New York rival Buffalo State by six one-hundredths of a second and by three points in the team scoring. That earned Fredonia two more points in the season-long Battle By The Lake series with the Bengals.

Feldman, Couperus claim 2nds at SUNYAC's

The senior tandem of Brittany Feldman (Jamestown, N.Y. / Southwestern) and Sarah Couperus (Marion, N.Y. / Marion) each had a second-place finish Saturday during the SUNYAC Indoor Track & Field championship meet. The Blue Devils finished fourth in the team standings.

Feldman was second in the 400 meters with a time of 58.24 seconds, then came back to finish fourth in the 200 meters in 26.35 seconds. She earned 13.25 points in the meet, including a quarter-point as part of Fredonia's eighth-place 4-by-400 relay, which was ninth best among all women runners.

The second-place finish by Couperus came in the high jump, where she tied two other women by clearing 5 feet, 1 3/4 inches (1.57). All three women had the same number of misses so officials split the point totals for the three places.

Wth their second-place finishes, Feldman and Couperus each earned the distinction of SUNYAC All-Conference Second Team.

Finishing just out of the all-conference mix was senior Rachel Williams (Lockport, N.Y. / Lockport), who was third in the 20-pound weight throw with a toss of 14.96 meters (49 feet, 1 inch). She earned six team points, giving her 11 in the meet, tied for fifth among all women field athletes. Williams was fourth Friday in the shot put.

In the Battle By The Lake competition, Buffalo State was eighth in the team standings so Fredonia earned two more points to add to its lead

Capestrani repeats as Field Athlete honoree

2/20/2018

CORTLAND, N.Y. -- Fredonia senior Mikayla Capestrani (Jamestown, N.Y. / Jamestown) has again been selected State University of New York Athletic Conference Women's Indoor Track Field Athlete of the Week.

Also the winner of last year's honor, Capestrani broke the school pole vault record for the second straight meet. She cleared 11 feet, 11 3/4 inches -- four inches higher than seven days earlier at Tiffin, Ohio -- to finish second, first among NCAA Division 3 women, at Cornell University's Marc Deneault Invitational on Saturday.

She also moved to No. 16 on the NCAA Division 3 indoor performance list this winter.

Blue devils close regular season with a bang!

2/19/2018

ITHACA, N.Y. -- Two Fredonia seniors from the same hometown broke women's indoor track & field school records Saturday, records which they already held.

Jamestown, N.Y. natives Mikayla Capestrani and Brittany Feldman set new marks in the pole vault and the 300 meters, respectively, at Cornell University's Marc Deneault Invitational inside Barton Hall.

Capestrani, who attended Jamestown High School, cleared 11 feet, 11 3/4 inches -- four inches higher than seven days earlier at Tiffin, Ohio -- to finish second in the event Saturday. She also moved to No. 16 on the NCAA Division 3 indoor performance list this winter. Feldman, a Southwestern High School graduate, was clocked in 41.30 seconds, which shaved 1.33 seconds off her previous school record set in Dec. 2015. She finished third in the event behind two women from Cornell.

Other Deneault highlights by Fredonia women:

Competing alongside Capestrani, senior Kristen Sawyer (Lockport, N.Y. / Lockport) finished fourth in the pole vault by clearing a personal-best 11 feet, 5 3/4 inches -- now No. 34 on the NCAA D3 performance list.

In the triple jump, freshman Cassie Serafin (Cheektowaga, N.Y. / Depew) had a personal-best 10.78 meters (35 feet, 4 1/2 inches) to finished fourth -- first among NCAA D3 women. Also, senior Sarah Couperus (Marion, N.Y. / Marion) was fourth in a field of 18 high jumpers. In the women's 3k, junior Hannah Kurbs clocked in a season best time of 10:50.94.

Next up for the Blue Devils is the 2018 SUNYAC Championships held at SUNY Brockport, Feb. 23-24th starting at 3pm.

ITHACA, N.Y. -- Fredonia freshman sprinter Michael Salvati (Avon, N.Y. / Avon) moved up an indoor track & field performance list during Saturday's Marc Deneault Invitational at Cornell's Barton Hall.

Previously No. 8 in the 300 meters, Salvati moved up two spots to No. 6 with a time of 36.39 seconds. He finished third in the event behind two men from Syracuse, an NCAA Division 1 program, and was eighth in the 200 meters -- an event in which he's already No. 10 on the Fredonia performance list.

In other Fredonia running news, senior Merlin Joseph Jr. (Binghamton N.Y. / Binghamton) was sixth out of 34 men in the 800 meters 1:58.42; junior Ethan Francis (Dunkirk, N.Y. / Dunkirk) ran a personal-best 4:24.36 indoor mile -- an improvement of nearly five seconds -- to finish eighth in a field of 36; and senior Mitch Loaicano (Lockport, N.Y. / Lockport) finished fifth in his first collegiate 600 meters in a time of 1:24.73, putting him 8th all time in Fredonia history.

Field highlights included junior Trent Howard (Dewittville, N.Y. / Chautauqua Lake) and freshman Jonah McGrath(Penfield, N.Y. / Penfield) each clearing 13 feet, 2 1/2 inches in the pole vault to finish third and fourth, respectively, based on fewest misses; senior Damone Brown (Haverstraw, N.Y. / North Rockland) was third in the shot put -- first among NCAA D3 throwers; and seventh-place finishes by junior Nick Serafin (Depew, N.Y. / Depew) in the high jump, and sophomore Jordan Toland (Lockport, N.Y. / Lockport) in the 35-pound weight throw.

Next up for the Blue Devils is the 2018 SUNYAC Championships held at SUNY Brockport, Feb. 23-24th starting at 3pm.

The Final Meet of the Regular Season

2/16/2018

The Blue Devils are gearing up for one last regular season competition at Cornell University. For most, this meet is a “tune up” for the SUNYAC Championships being held next weekend. For others, it’s a last chance to qualify for the championships.

Some notables to watch this weekend on the women’s side: senior Madison Courtney will try and qualify in the 3k. Her goal time of 10:55 will be a personal best for her and help lock in a spot for next weekend’s championships. Freshman Kayla Murray will look to better her vault mark this weekend. Freshman Sarah Buckley is making her season debut in the triple jump. The women’s 4x400m relay is stacked to better their time from Boston. They will be looking to run 4:10 to help ensure their spot in the fast heat at SUNYAC’s.

Some events to watch for on the men’s side are: senior Merlin Joseph running his first 800m of the indoor season. Rocky Caparro is coming off a knee injury, he will look to hit a qualifying mark in the high jump and shake off some rust in the triple jump. Freshman Mike Salvati will look to qualify in the 200m. He has already posted a 23.19 at Boston. Jonah McGrath will look to set a personal best in the pole vault.

“This meet always provides strong competition and a very loud environment. There is a bit more pressure on those athletes who have not qualified yet, if they trust in their training and perform at the best of their abilities, good things will happen. My coaching staff and I are excited to be taking such a young group of athletes this weekend.” Coach Wilson

LIVE RESULTS

PR by Haines No. 14 on NCAA indoor list

2/12/2018

TIFFIN, Ohio -- Fredonia senior Justyn Haines (Albion, N.Y./Albion) moved into a tie for No. 14 on the 2018 NCAA Division III pole vault performance list with a personal-best effort Saturday.

Haines cleared 15 feet, 7 inches (4.75 meters) to finish third -- the first collegian -- at the Tiffin Dragon Grand Prix. His previous-best of 15 feet, 5 inches came last weekend at Rochester Institute of Technology.

In other events, freshman Dan Sudyn (West Seneca, N.Y. / West Seneca West) won the men's long jump. His 21 feet, 3 1/2 inches (6.49 meters) was better than 26 other jumpers in the event. Sudyn also finished seventh in the triple jump at 42-feet even (12.80 meters).

Mitch Loiacano (Lockport, N.Y. / Lockport) was third in the 800 meters in 2:00.50. Chase Towse (East Northport, N.Y. / Northport) finished eighth.

Ethan Francis (Dunkirk, N.Y. / Dunkirk) was the first collegian -- third overall -- in the 3,000 meters with a tie of 8:55.42.

Nick Serafin (Depew, N.Y. / Depew) finished fourth in the high jump with a clearance of 6 feet, 2 1/4 inches (1.89 meters).

In the mile, senior Merlin Joseph Jr. (Binghamton, N.Y.) shaved fractions off his personal-best with a sixth-place 4:27.28. His previous-best time was 4:27.75 last Friday at RIT.

Fredonia finished third in the 4-by-400 meter relay with the quartet of Michael Salvati (Avon, N.Y. / Avon), Loiacano, Derek Sunderland (Owego, N.Y. / Owego), and Towse.

TIFFIN, Ohio -- Fredonia senior Mikayla Capestrani (Jamestown, N.Y. / Jamestown) established a new school record in the women's indoor pole vault during Saturday's Tiffin Dragon Grand Prix. She finished third in the event.

By clearing 11 feet, 7 3/4 inches, Capestrani went two inches higher previous co-holders Julia Schreier and Olivia Kurbs (11 feet, 5 3/4 inches). In the process, Capestrani moved up to No. 22 on the current NCAA Division III women's indoor track & field performance list.

Capestrani also overtook fellow senior Kristen Sawyer (Lockport, N.Y. / Lockport) on the Fredonia career vault list, who cleared 11 feet, 5 1/4 inches during a 2016 meet. Sawyer finished fifth Saturday at 11 feet, 1 3/4 inches.

Also on the NCAA performance list is senior Rachel Williams (Lockport, N.Y. / Lockport), who set a personal-best in the 20-pound weight throw for the second time in three weeks. She finished second Saturday with a throw of 51 feet, 4 1/2 inches (15.66 meters), which is No. 26 nationally. Two weekend ago at Brockport, Williams threw a then-PR of 50 feet, 2 3/4 inches -- her first of three straight meets throwing 15 meters or better.

In other field events, Sarah Couperus (Marion, N.Y. / Marion) was third in the triple jump and fourth in the high jump; and Cassie Serafin (Cheektowaga, N.Y. / Depew) was fifth in the triple jump. In running events, Hannah Kurbs (Lockport, N.Y. / Lockport) was third in the 3,000 meters, and Madison Courtney (Getzville, N.Y. / Williamsville South) was fourth in the mile.