TRACK & FIELD NOTEBOOK
Vermont track & field follows up a strong weekend at New England's with a pair of meets on Friday (Feb. 7) and Saturday (Feb. 8). The Catamounts head to Staten Island, New York for the UAlbany Winter Classic on Friday at Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex. UVM will then make its third trip to Dartmouth's Leverone Field House the following day.  
 
RELATED LINKS
UAlbany – Live Results | Meet Information | Performance List
Dartmouth – Live Results | Meet Information
 
COACH'S QUOTE
"We're hoping to get some fast times this weekend," said head coach Matt Belfield. "Specifically, the track down in New York should be fast with strong competition. It should be a fruitful and fun weekend overall.
 
BACK TO OCEAN BREEZE
The Catamounts compete at Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex for the second consecutive season. A small group of Vermont men were at the state-of-the-art complex last season for the Villanova Invite. The UAlbany Winter Classic will see the Catamounts compete in track events only.
 
DARTMOUTH: PART 3
Vermont will head to Dartmouth for the third time this season. The Catamounts were last in Hanover for the Dartmouth Relays on January 10. The UVM men earned a second-place finish while the women took fourth. John Benner won the mile with a time of 4:12.80 and also ran a leg on the winning 4x800 meter relay team. Phoebe Koski locked up a second-place finish in the 3000 meter run with a time of 10:02.18.
 
CATS IN THE REGIONAL RANKINGS
The UVM men were ranked 22nd in the Northeast regional rankings, conducted by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. The Catamount women were ranked 36th in the regional poll, which was released on Monday.

NEW ENGLAND'S RECAP
The Vermont men took sixth place while the women finished 12th in the New England Championships last weekend. John Benner headlined the Catamounts with a school record in the mile that earned him a victory. Phoebe Koski had the top finish on the women's side when she came in second in the 5000 meter run with a time of 17:16.40.
 
REVISITING BENNER'S RECORD
John Benner's indoor school record came from a blazing fast mile time of 4:05.34. The senior clipped the previous record of 4:07.12, which was set by Thomas O'Leary '16 on February 26, 2016. Benner now owns two UVM records – he previously set the 3000 meter outdoor mark of 8:34.85 last season.
 
TD BANK STUDENT-ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
John Benner was named TD Bank Student-Athlete of the week following his record-setting performance at the New England Championships. Not only did he post a UVM record, the senior ran the best mile time by a Division I student-athlete in New England this year and the second-best mark in America East.
 
GEARING UP FOR AMERICA EAST
Vermont competes in its final tune-up for the conference championships next week at the annual Valentine Invite, hosted by Boston University. The women visit BU on February 14 and the men compete the following day. The America East Championships close out the February schedule with two days of competition starting on February 21 at the Boston University Track & Tennis Center.