Monday, May 6, 2024
Palmer named MAAC Most Outstanding Field Performer
by Rider Sports Information
For the second consecutive year, the Rider University men's track & field team won the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Rider finished the weekend with 267 points.
Sophomore Michael Palmer was named the 2024 MAAC Most Outstanding Field Performer and Head Coach Bob Hamer was once again named MAAC Coach of the Year. This is the second year that both the women's and men's teams won both the MAAC indoor and outdoor titles.
"It was a great day for the teams today," says Hamer. "I am really proud of the time, effort and the energy that the athletes put into the success of the team. We are very lucky to have the opportunity to win both titles again."
In the triple jump, Palmer earned gold with a mark of 14.00 and a silver medal in the high jump with a mark of 1.98, while senior Brandon Williams earned bronze with a mark of 13.74. In the shot put, junior Jayden DuBard won gold with a mark of 16.70, while senior Abraham Ohiokhai-Benson earned bronze with a mark of 14.68. In the discus throw, Ohiokhai-Benson took home gold with a mark of 48.17, and Junior Noah Lawson took home the bronze with a mark of 41.63.
Senior Artie Burgess took silver in the 100-meter sprint with a time of 10.61. He was also part of the gold medal-winning 4x100-meter team, along with junior Gregory Moundine, sophomore Steven Bado and senior Kaya Simpson. The 4x800-meter relay team of senior Travis Lahr, senior Gobi Thurairajah, graduate student Derian Stianche and sophomore Mali Coleman won silver with a time of 7:45.37.
Graduate student Marques Merriweather won gold in the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 14.37, and junior Ethan Przygoda also won gold in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 55.13. Sophomore Steven Crespo earned bronze with a time of 56.64.