STAFF REPORTS
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BUFFALO — The University at Buffalo track and field team kicks off their outdoor season this Friday and Saturday at the Fred Harvey Invitational in Richmond, VA. The Bulls are coming off a very successful indoor season that saw six individual MAC Champions and one relay MAC Champion. Joshua Gali, a senior for the Bulls, was named MAC Most Outstanding Track Athlete at the 2017 Indoor MAC Championships.
Megan Patterson was a stand-out athlete last year. The senior from Peublo, CO took home two bronze medals (shot put and weighted throw) at the Outdoor MAC Championships last year. She placed 18th at the NCAA East Prelims with a distance of 15.62m in the shot put; which was the 4th best in program history. Ryan Cribbin is returning to the outdoor roster this year in hopes of building upon his success from last year. At the 2016 Outdoor MAC Championships, Cribbin brought home the gold in the men’s shot put and qualified for NCAAs. Cribbin also brought home the silver in the men’s shot put at the 2017 Indoor MAC Championships this past February, while teammate Devon Patterson brought home the gold.
Joshua Gali, Ryan Billian, and Michael Morgan are hoping to carry their success from the 2017 Indoor MAC Championships to the outdoor season. Gali brought home three gold medals and the title of MAC Most Outstanding Track Athlete after his performance at the MAC Championships. Gali had already broken the school record in the 200m, 400m, and 4X400 Relay earlier in the indoor season. He was able to take the conference title in all three events. The 4X400 Relay team of Gyasi Morris, Gali, Craig Kaiser, and Mitchell Moore blew their competition away at the MAC Championships; and are hoping to do the same during the outdoor season. Billian won two medals this year: gold in the 60H and silver in the long jump. Morgan also won himself a gold in the heptathlon.
The women are hoping to have success during the outdoor season as well. Tyra Forbes won a silver medal at last year’s MAC Championships as a member of the 4X100 Relay team. Christine Lyttle is hoping to improve upon her indoor performance. She took fourth place in the 60HH at this year’s Indoor MAC Championships. Stephanie Ward also had an outstanding performance is hoping to be successful in the outdoor portion of the season as well. Ward placed fifth in the 3000m.
The Bulls’ first meet of the outdoor season is in Richmond, VA at the Fred Harvey Invitational. The field events begin at 12:00 pm, and track events begin at 5:00 pm.
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