AARTFC LINKS: VIDEO | LIVE RESULTS | WEDNESDAY SCHEDULE OF EVENTS | THURSDAY SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (May 18, 2021) – Six members of the SUNY Delhi track & field team are set to take flight at this week's All-Atlantic Region Track & Field Conference (AARTFC) Championships. The two-day competition begins Wednesday, May 19 through Thursday, May 20 at St. John Fisher College. Four of the six competitors are freshmen, while the two returning student-athletes will be making their AARTFC debut.
Four Broncos qualified for the regional championships during the team's five-meet season this spring. At their season opener on April 17, sophomore Sophie Stewart (Newark Valley, NY / Newark Valley) took down the 3000-meter steeplechase qualifying mark with a first-place time of 12:05.37, while freshman Josh Jeffes (Scotia, NY / Scotia-Glenville) punched his ticket in the 400 meters with a mark of 49.78. Freshman sprinter Naquille Harris (Bronx, NY / Cardinal Hayes) will compete in the 100 and 200 meters after clocking respective times of 10.82 and 21.99 during the team's visit to Albany Pharmacy on May 2. Fellow freshman John Amenta (Fishkill, NY / John Jay) reached the 5000 meters competition after posting a time of 15:20.23 on May 7.
Additionally, senior Jaylynn Sheppard (Queens, NY / CTEA) and freshman Morgan Condon (Walton, NY / Walton) received wildcards for the championships, with Sheppard taking on the 100 meters and Condon the 400-meter hurdles. Sheppard recently posted a career-best time of 13.02 in the hundred, less than two-tenths of a second from the qualifying time, while Condon ran and leaped his way to an early lifetime best of 58.08, with just over one second separating him from the AARTFC benchmark.
"We are very excited to have these athletes still competing," related head coach Robb Munro. "After a long and frustrating year, these students have shown great persistence and resiliency and now they are getting rewarded with an opportunity to compete at a very high level. They have all been looking great in their build up to this meet and I am optimistic that we will have some great performances!"
The Broncos have boasted multiple qualifiers and at least one podium finish in every AARTFC indoor and outdoor competition since joining the conference in 2018-19. At their first and previous outdoor appearance in 2019 (2020 outdoors was cancelled due to COVID-19), Delhi swept the top three in the 5,000 meters, represented by Kobie Lane (14:53.18), Abshir Yerow (15:00.89), and Nick Arnecke (15:01.22), respectively. Arnecke went on to also take third in the 10,000 meters (32:18.22) roughly one hour later. The following day, jumper Glenn Butler took third in the high jump (2.03m).
At the 2019 indoor championships, Butler and Katerina Salcedo earned podium placements, with Butler finishing sixth in the high jump (1.96m) and Salcedo seventh in the 800 meters (2:20.44). In 2020, Butler placed second in the long jump (7.20m) and fourth in the high jump (2.04m), while Humphrey Banful took silver in the 60-meter hurdles (8.36).
SUNY DELHI'S SCHEDULE OF EVENTS (SUBJECT TO CHANGE):
Women's 100 Meters Preliminaries: Jaylynn Sheppard - Wednesday, 5:10 p.m. / Finals - Thursday, 3:10 p.m.
Men's 100 Meters Preliminaries: Naquille Harris - Wednesday, 5:25 p.m. / Finals - Thursday, 3:15 p.m.
Women's Steeplechase: Sophie Stewart - Wednesday, 7:45 p.m.
Men's 5,000 Meters: John Amenta - Wednesday, 8:45 p.m.
Men's 400 Meters: Josh Jeffes - Thursday, 2:55 p.m.
Men's 400-Meter Hurdles : Morgan Condon - Thursday, 4:20 p.m.
Men's 200 Meters: Naquille Harris - Thursday, 4:50 p.m.
