ALBANY N.Y. – Eight student-athletes on the University at Albany track & field program remain active this late into a championship season that began on the first weekend in May. These eight have qualified for the NCAA East Preliminary Championships, which will take place at the University of Kentucky after spending the last few years at the University of North Florida.
The travel roster consists of five men, Adrian Mitchell, Jonathan Eustache, Robert Harris III, Jordan Crump-King, and Devon Willis, and three women, Stephanie Osuji, Halie Snyder, and Anika Hibbard. The last two seasons, the Great Danes sent 10 competitors each. In order to qualify for East Prelims a student-athlete must rank within the top-48 in the region in his or her respective individual event. Relays must rank within the top-24.
Mitchell, a freshman from Kingston, Jamaica, ranks 16th in the East in the men's javelin with a season-best mark of 227-02.00. In his first meet as a Great Dane, Mitchell threw himself into the record books with the second-best javelin throw in program history, and after improving on that mark two times this season, he sits less than two feet behind the school record. Mitchell won the event at the America East Outdoor Championships.
Eustache, a senior from Rosedale, N.Y., ranks 27th in the East in the men's discus with a season-best mark of 180-07.00. He won the discus at the America East Outdoor Championships, and has qualified for his second-consecutive trip to East Prelims.
Harris III, a senior from the Bronx, N.Y., ranks 49th in the East in the men's 100m with a wind-aided time of 10.39. Harris III made the Preliminary field due to other athletes ranked ahead of him scratching from the event. He won the 100m at the America East Outdoor Championships and has qualified for his third-consecutive trip to East Prelims.
Crump-King, a senior from Menands, N.Y., ranks 25th in the men's triple jump with a wind-aided mark of 51-07.00. He won the event at the America East Outdoor Championships with a wind-legal mark of 51-05.50, and further placed fourth in the long jump in 22-09.75. Afterwards, Crump-King won the triple jump at IC4A Outdoor Championships in 51-03.50. Crump-King has qualified for his second East Prelims after not making it last year.
Willis, a junior from Schenectady, N.Y., ranks 31st in the men's triple jump with a season-best mark of 51-02.25. Willis hasn't competed since April 22 at the UAlbany Spring Classic, but is the reigning America East and IC4A Indoor champion in the triple jump. Willis has qualified for his third-consecutive East Prelims.
Osuji, a junior from Rosedale, N.Y., ranks 41st in the women's 100m with a wind-aided time of 11.50, which is the fastest time ever recorded in program history discounting the wind. Osuji also set the school record in both the indoor and outdoor 200m this season. She won the 100m and the 200m at the America East Outdoor Championships, won the 200m at ECAC Outdoor Championships, and was a member of the women's 4x100m relay team that set the school record with a season-best time of 45.22 to win the college final at the Penn Relays.
Snyder, a junior from Mineville, N.Y., ranks 41st in the women's 400m hurdles with a season-best time of 59.48. The latest in a long line of converted 400m runners, Snyder set a three-second personal-best in the 400m hurdles at the America East Outdoor Championships to earn a come-from-behind victory in her first year trying the event.
Hibbard, a sophomore from Bedford, N.H., ranks 30th in the women's high jump with a season-best clearance of 5-08.50. Hibbard placed third in the high jump at the America East Outdoor Championships and second at the ECAC Outdoor Championships. She has qualified for her second-consecutive East Prelims.
To advance to NCAA Outdoor Championships, a competitor in an individual event will need to place within the top 12 at his or her respective Preliminary Championship meet. Last season, UAlbany sent two student-athletes to nationals: Matthew Campbell in the men's high jump, and Grace Claxton in the women's 400m hurdles.
The meet begins Thursday, May 25 at 11:30 a.m. Mitchell will be the first Great Dane to compete at 12:00 p.m. Snyder will be the first Great Dane on the track at 4:30 p.m. when the track events commence.
