HVCC Men's Track & Field Wins Regional Championship in First Season

CONTACT: Adam Sopris, a.sopris@hvcc.edu, 518-629-7898
FOR RELEASE: Immediate, Saturday, May 5, 2018

Hudson Valley Community College men's track and field team won the 2018 NJCAA Region 3 Championship this afternoon in Little Falls, N.Y. The men's team won six individual events and accumulated 171.50 points to win the regional title. The women's program placed third overall with five event wins. 

The regional championship comes in Hudson Valley's first track and field season since the College ended the program several years ago. 

Elijah Washington(Ballston Spa/Ballston Spa) was named the Men's Field Athlete of the Meet following his two wins in the Hammer Throw and Shot Put. Washington tossed the hammer 45.67m and the shot put 12.66m. Washington also placed second in the Javelin with a final throw of 39.84m. 

The men's team swept the three major sprinting events as three different Viking individuals won the 100m dash, the 200m dash and the 400m dash. Devin Kipp(Hudson/Hudson) and Christian Otorubio(Ft. Lauderdale, Fla./David Thomas) placed first and second in the 100m dash. Kipp finished with a final time of 11.40 and Otorubio crossed the finish line in 11.52. Otorubio won the 200m dash with a time of 23.12 and Miles James(Rochester/Churchville-Chili) captured the 400m dash in 51.72. Kipp also placed second in the Discus Throw with a toss of 35.85m. 

The 4x100 relay team of Otorubio, Kipp, Brandon Clancy(Rensselaer/Rensselaer) and Tajier Adams(Queens/Bishop Laughlin) claimed the regional championship and all-conference honors with their win. The team crossed the finish line in 45.01, defeating Onondaga's relay team by 0.3 seconds. 

The women's top student-athlete was Ashley Martinez(Red Hook/Red Hook) as she was named the Women's Track Athlete of the Meet following her two wins in the 100m and 200m dash events. Martinez nearly swept all sprint events after she placed second in the 400m dash with a time of 1:05.38, which was 0.03 seconds behind Onondaga's Shelby Kiteveles. 

Mercedes Planavsky(Ballston Spa/Ballston Spa) won the 1,500m Run and recorded an official time of 5:37.50. Planavsky also placed second in the 800m Run with a time of 2:38.49. 

Alexis Holmes(Albany/Guilderland) and Alayna Fredenburg(Rotterdam/Schalmont) won their respective throwing events. Holmes won the Discus Throw with a distance of 27.39m. Fredenburg won the javelin on her second throw, which went 29.40m. 

The Vikings will carry their championship momentum into the National Meet on May 10-12, which is hosted by Mohawk Valley. 

 Vikings Personal and Seasonal Records Set at Regionals

PR = Personal Record
NQ = National Qualifier