Sports Information Department – 112 Dods Hall
Phone (716) 673-3100 / Fax (716) 673-3136

CONTACT: Jerry Reilly,
Sports Information Director

DATE: Fri., April 25, 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Track & Field

Hopson repeats as SUNYAC throws champ

CORTLAND, N.Y. -- For the second straight year, Fredonia State thrower Julia Hopson (Poughkeepsie/Arlington) won two SUNYAC outdoor titles.

Hopson won the women's hammerthrow and the shotput at the conference championship meet Friday at SUNY Cortland. It was the third time she won the hammerthrow crown, this time measuring out with a meet-record -- and NCAA automatic-qualifying -- 53.63 meters. Her winning shot put of 12.92 meters was an NCAA provisional qualifying effort, slightly better than her provisional throw last weekend at the University at Buffalo Open.

In other women's finals Friday, sophomore Jackie Majka (Depew) finished second in the long jump with a season-best 5.27 meters, while senior Samantha Ellwood (Hamburg) finished fourth in the 10,000 meters in 39:37. It was her best-ever finish at a SUNYAC meet in her final competition.

In preliminaries, freshman Kate Brett (Webster/Webster-Schroeder) had Friday's fastest time in the 400-meter hurdles (1:04.44) and the second-fastest time in the 100-meter hurdles (:15.20). Her 400 time is the second fastest in Fredonia State women's outdoor track history.

Also, senior Nicole C. Smith (Amherst) is seeded eighth heading in Saturday's finals in the 400 meters with a time of 1:00.82.

The Blue Devil women earned 33 points on the day, good for fourth place.

In men's competition, freshman Nick Guarino (Bergen/Byron-Bergen) ran a personal-best 1:55.87 in the 800 meters while junior Geoffrey Lesch-Wragge (Fredonia) was clocked in 1:56.65. Both men will run in the finals Saturday.

Also, freshman Greg Craft (Cheektowaga/JFK) earned a team point with an eight-place finish in the pole vault (3.96 meters).

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DAY 1 RESULTS

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