Vikings Deliver Strong Weekend Across UAlbany Spring Classic and Region III Multi-Event Meet
CONTACT: Julia Quinlan, j.quinlan@hvcc.edu, (518) 629-7863 or (518) 530-7376
FOR RELEASE: Immediate, Saturday, April 18, 2026
The Hudson Valley Community College men's and women's track & field teams delivered a historic weekend, combining standout performances with multiple school records at the UAlbany Spring Classic and the Region III Multi-Event Meet.
Highlighting the meet was a new school record in the men's 4x100-meter relay, as the team of Nick Rushford, Jair Oliva, Darius Simmons, and Justice Affinito blazed to a 2nd place finish in 42.23 seconds, setting a new program standard. On the women's side, Inara Bradford made history in the sprints, breaking two school records. She clocked 25.61 seconds in the 200 meters, and followed with a 12.63-second performance in the 100 meters, officially establishing the program record under legal wind conditions after previously matching the mark with a wind-aided effort at the NJCAA Championships. Noddy Udeh also etched her name in the record books, delivering a 5.23m mark in the long jump, the best in program history since Hudson Valley reinstated track & field in 2018. In the throws, Nadia Khan set a new school record in the hammer throw with a mark of 28.17 meters, continuing her strong season and adding to the Vikings' growing list of record-breaking performances.
Beyond the records, the Vikings turned in a number of top finishes at UAlbany. Makai Gordon placed 3rd in the high jump (1.91m), while Nicholas Rushford added 4th place finishes in both the 110-meter hurdles (15.79) and 400-meter hurdles (57.92). On the women's side, Meghan Cowles secured a 3rd place finish in the javelin (28.97m), and Ava Dwyer placed 9th in the 1500 meters (5:27.07). The Vikings also saw strong contributions from their sprint and field event groups throughout the meet.
At the Region III Multi-Event Meet, Alan Arnold led the distance squad with a 3rd place finish in the 10,000 meters (33:50.92). Robert Wiltsie placed 12th (37:58.05). In the decathlon, Vincent Marks showcased his versatility across all ten events, highlighted by marks of 11.75 (100m), 5.71m (long jump), 7.66m (shot put), 53.67 (400m), 16.76 (110m hurdles), 3.55m (pole vault), and 5:30.02 (1500m). The women's distance group also competed in the 10,000 meters, led by Athena Seebald (9th – 45:45.40), followed by Paulina Ostrander (10th), Rebecca Church (11th), and Laurel Ticer (12th).
Hudson Valley returns to action on Friday, April 24 at the Rensselaer Capital District Classic, with events beginning at 2:00 PM.
