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Sports Recap
Outdoor Track and Field
Vance earns two spots in NCAA Championship field
The Bulls competed at the NCAA East Regional Outdoor Track and Field Championships at the University of Florida, with two women athletes scoring in the finals.
Sarah Vance earned her first trip to the NCAA Outdoor National Championship with her finish in the women's shot put on Friday. Vance, who represented UB at the Indoor National Championship in March, came up with a school record heave of 51-9.75 (15.79m) to place fourth among 28 finishers in the event. Vance bettered the UB record of 50-9.25 (15.47m) set by Faith Thompson in the 2005 season. Vance also picked up All-East honors with the finish as the top eight placers in each event earn the distinction. Virginia Tech thrower and Niagara Falls native Brittany Pryor won the competition with a throw of 54-7.50 (16.65m).
On Saturday, Vance picked up a third-place finish in the hammer throw, turning in a toss of 194-1 (59.17m) on her final of six attempts. Defending NCAA women's champion Jenny Dahlgren of Georgia won the competition with a throw of 222-5 (67.80m), nearly 24 feet better than the second-place finisher, Lafayette's Ashley Harbin (198-6, 60.51m).
Vance just barely made the cut for the final round with her one scoring throw of 179-2 (54.62m). She fouled on her other two attempts of the flight. The throw was good enough to place her eighth among the competition's 22 entrants, with the top nine advancing into the finals. She bettered her standing with her first throw of the final round with a toss of 183-7 (55.97m).
She is the first UB athlete to qualify in more than one event at the national finals. The NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships will be held June 7-10 in Sacramento, Calif.
Vanessa Roelofsen earned a point in the women's javelin competition with her eighth-place finish and season-best throw of 153-2 (46.68m). Roelofsen, the Mid-American Conference champion in the javelin at the league meet two weeks ago, also tallied All-East honors with the finish.
Tina Villa finished 10th in the shot put with a toss of 48-10.25 (14.89m). In the women's high jump, sophomore Caitlin Godin tied for 17th with a height of 5-7.25 (1.71m). Godin cleared the opening height, but was unsuccessful at the next height of 5-9.25 (1.76m) in her three attempts.
Men's hurdler Reggie Rucker was denied a chance to advance into the championship finals of both the 110-meter and 400-meter events. Rucker placed 10th in the 110-meter hurdles in 14.28 seconds, finishing third in his preliminary race. He also finished 14th in the 400-meter hurdles, turning in a finish of 51.76 seconds, third in the heat. Eight hurdlers reached the finals of both events.
Long jumper Roy Richards finished 11th in his event with his best leap of 23-11.75 (7.31m) occurring on the second of three attempts. The top nine jumpers moved into the finals, with Richards just missing a spot in the finals by two and a half inches.
Jake Madonia finished 16th in the men's shot put with a toss of 56-5.25 (17.20m), setting a new personal best. Madonia, who entered the competition with a previous best of 55-8 (16.97m), posted his top toss in the event twice, throwing better than 17 meters on his second and third attempts.
Rayshon Higgins was unable to advance past the first round of the men's triple jump. Higgins, the two-time MAC champion in the event, turned in leap of 48-6 (14.78m) on his first attempt in the opening round to place 19th overall.
The UB women scored a team total of 12 points to place in a tie for 16th among 57 scoring teams. The UB men did not score on the weekend.
UB lands nine on Academic All-MAC track and field squad
UB led the Mid-American Conference with nine student-athletes named to the 2007 Men's and Women's Outdoor Track and Field Academic All-MAC. A total of 20 men and 30 women were selected in a vote conducted by the league's faculty athletic representatives.
Named to the men's squad were Andy Leonard, Jack Madonia and Paul Riley. All three also were named to the Academic All-MAC Indoor Track and Field squad. Jennie Donofrio, Caitlin Godin, Carrie Hinners, Sarah Vance, Mary Veith and Tina Villa were selected for the women's squad. Vance, Veith and Villa had named to the indoor All-Academic team in March. Leonard and Veith were named to the league's cross country all-academic squad last fall.
Baseball
Folli, Radanovic pick up All-MAC honors
For the first time since joining the Mid-American Conference, UB has landed more than one athlete on the MAC's postseason awards list. Junior Mike Folli was named to the All-MAC First Team, while senior pitcher Mike Radanovic was named to the All-MAC Second Team.
Folli is the first UB player to be named to the All-MAC First Team, as well as the first player to make a postseason team more than once. Folli was a second-team All-MAC selection following his freshman season. He finished eighth in the league in batting with a team-high .346 batting average. He also led the team with 65 hits. Folli will play for the Outer Banks Daredevils in the Coastal Plains League this summer.
Radanovic spent just one season with UB after transferring from Niagara University, but had an outstanding year, including a flawless record during MAC play, where he went 3-0 with six no-decisions. For the season, Radanovic had a 3-2 record with seven no-decisions and led the Bulls in innings pitched (80.2) and strikeouts (62). His 3.68 ERA was also tops on the pitching staff for anyone making at least three appearances on the year.
Folli and Radanovic helped UB to its best conference finish since joining the MAC. The Bulls finished with 11 conference wins, five more than their previous best, and a seventh-place finish in the MAC. UB finished the season just shy of making its first-ever MAC Tournament.
Crew
Eight rowers named CRCA scholar athletes
Eight members of the rowing squad were named Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association scholar athletes for the 2007 season. To qualify for this honor, a student must meet all eligibility rules as defined by her institution, be in at least her second year of eligibility and must have rowed in her institution's NCAA eligible boats for a minimum of 75 percent of her school's spring races. All eligible student-athletes must have at least a 3.5 cumulative grade-point average.
UB's scholar athletes are Katie Barnum (3.72 GPA, studio art and communication design), Diana Minardo (3.50 GPA, occupational therapy). Sher Briggs (3.93 GPA, business), Brittany Aiello (3.73 GPA, psychology), Morgan Witte (3.71 GPA, business), Ashley Wodzinski (3.86 GPA, history), Adriane Wotawa-Bergen (3.90 GPA, electrical engineering) and Heidi Kenefick (3.75 GPA, nutrition science).