After record-setting performances at both the SUNYAC Championships and ECACs, senior Jazmin Dunham and junior Jazlyn Porter stayed on the right track this past weekend. They both performed well at the NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships at the JDL Fast Track in Winston-Salem, N.C. this past weekend.

Both Dunham and Porter took home two All-American certificates and led the Buffalo State women’s track and field team to an eighth place finish out of 67 teams. Dunham finished as the runner-up in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.50 seconds, breaking her own record and finishing just .05 seconds behind the title-winner.

Dunham also finished third in the 60-meter dash, an event that she doesn’t usually participate in, with a time of 7.64, just .06 seconds behind the national champion.

“I felt pretty good about my performances,” Dunham said. “I still wanted to be All-American in all three events that I went for, but two is good, so I wasn’t too upset.”

Those two All-American certificates made Dunham the most decorated athlete in Buffalo State history.

“It makes me feel good about myself,” Dunham said. “Coming into college, I knew I was good at track, but I didn’t know I could be this good, and to make history, I’m really excited about that.”

Dunham’s head coach, Eugene Lewis, knew that Dunham was capable of the strong performance.

“Well that’s a special thing,” Lewis said when asked about his thoughts on Dunham being the most decorated athlete in Buffalo State history. “The thing that’s ironic about that is that was the expectation. We knew she was a very good track and field athlete and she believed in us as coaches and we believed in her.”

Porter had a runner-up finish in the 400-meter dash and also a sixth-place finish in the long jump, an event that she was ranked 16th in, to earn her two All-American certificates.

“I was pretty excited,” Porter said. “I felt like I came there and I just worked and I did what I was supposed to do.”

Lewis reflected on the progression of Porter.
“Porter is our most improved overall athlete in our program,” Lewis said. “Slowly becoming a major piece of the foundation performance-wise, in the long jump for her going in 16th and finishing where she did is incredible, and kudos to her for that.”

The men’s track and field team wasn’t able to produce any All-Americans, but junior Josiah Thomas posted a 14^th place finish in the triple jump.

The NCAA Championships marked an end to a record-breaking indoor track season for the women’s team.

“This season overall had to be the best season we have ever had,” Dunham said. “To win SUNYACs, and the following week, for us to win ECACs, I think this was just an amazing season and I’m excited and I’m anxious to see what we can do outdoor season.”

They won’t have to wait long to get outdoor season started, as they will travel to the University of Redlands in California on Saturday to kick off the season.