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laird ecc field athlete of the week 4.10.17

Men's Track & Field 4/10/2017 5:04:00 PM Mike Miranto, Associate A.D. For Communications

Laird Earns Second-Straight ECC Field Athlete Of The Week Honor

Daemen Thrower Eclipsed His Own Record In The Javelin

AMHERST, N.Y. - Zach Laird (Alexander, N.Y./Alexander Central) of the Daemen College men's track and field team has been named the East Coast Conference Field Athlete of the Week for competitions held April 3-9. The official announcement was made via the league's weekly track and field report which was released this afternoon from conference headquarters in Central Islip, N.Y.

Laird, a 5-foot-11 junior, finished fourth out of 44 competitors in the javelin throw at the ROC City Classic meet hosted by Nazareth College on April 9. Laird's heave of 50.63 meters eclipsed his own school record of 49.10 meters which he set just a week earlier at the Geneseo Early Spring Invitational.

A versatile athlete who competes in throwing, sprinting and jumping events, Laird was also named the ECC Field Athlete of the Week for March 27 through April 2. He becomes Daemen's first two-time Field Athlete of the Week honoree. This marked the first time that Daemen has earned two Field Athlete of the Week selections in a season since former Wildcats Patrick Dorsey (Cheektowaga, N.Y./John F. Kennedy) and Nick Marlin (Rochester, N.Y./Greece Athena) did so in 2015.

In addition to Laird's selection, senior middle distance runner Matt VanDeMortel (Geneva, N.Y./Geneva) was named the ECC's weekly honor roll. VanDeMortel turned in the lone top-five finish on the track for Daemen at the ROC City Classic, running the 800-meter race in 1:57.14 to come in fourth place. Also, on the women's side, sophomore Kyra Kress (Wayland, N.Y./Alfred-Almond Central) was named to the weekly honor roll after posting new team records in the pole vault (3.00 meters) and 400-meter hurdles (1:08.77).

Daemen returns to competition this Friday, April 14 at the Brockport Invitational.

For breaking news and continuing coverage of the Daemen men's and women's track and field teams, follow @DaemenAthletics and @DaemenTRACK on Twitter.

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Players Mentioned

Zach Laird: 5' 11"; Junior

Matt VanDeMortel: 5' 10"; Senior

Players Mentioned

Zach Laird
: 5' 11"; Junior

Matt VanDeMortel
: 5' 10"; Senior