The Binghamton men’s and women’s track and field teams cut their spring breaks short this year, returning to competition at the Bucknell Bison Outdoor Classic over the weekend. However, the meet proved to be somewhat lackluster, as the men finished No. 15 of 18 teams and the women finished No. 12 of 20 teams.
“I thought [the teams’ performance] was solid,” said BU head coach Mike Thompson. “I thought there were a few really good performances and a few that weren’t so good, and a little bit of everything in between. [It was] kind of an average meet, I guess.”
Despite the team standings, junior thrower Brooke Bonney turned in an impressive performance as Binghamton’s top finisher. Bonney soared to second place in the hammer throw (174-1). She also earned 11th place in the women’s shot put (40-06.75).
Senior jumper Keishorea Armstrong also held her own during the meet, taking seventh in the long jump (19-5) to make her the Bearcats’ second-highest finisher on the women’s side. The meet marked the first time Armstrong, who earned All-American status after competing at the 2015 NCAA Outdoor Championships, has competed since last season.
Thompson noted sophomore distance runner Erika Yamazaki’s 27th-place finish in the 5,000-meter race (18:07.09). Yamazaki finished within a minute of Grand Valley freshman Madison Goen, the first-place finisher (17:15.14).
On the men’s side, senior pole vaulter Peter Fagan was the top finisher. Fagan achieved fifth place (15-3) in the pole vault. Last weekend, at the Princeton Sam Howell Invitational, Fagan captured second place (16-8 3/4).
Senior sprinter Jon Alkins finished eighth in the 100-meter. At the America East (AE) Indoor Championships in February, Alkins set meet records in both the 60-meter and 200-meter and took first place in both events. Rounding out the top finishers for the men was junior Ted Okon, who placed seventh in the high jump (6-7 ½).
Binghamton faced tough competition from Bucknell and Buffalo in particular. Bucknell placed first in women’s team rankings and third in men’s team rankings while Buffalo finished third on the women’s side and second on the men’s side.
“This time of year, we’re always hit or miss,” Thompson said. “People are just starting to get back into the flow of competition after the long break between indoor and outdoor. A lot of people could have done better, but I also know historically that we tend to be kind of up and down this time of year.”
The teams are set to return to the track on Friday at the Larry Ellis Invitational in Princeton, New Jersey. The meet is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m.