AMHERST, N.Y. – Track and field standouts
Katja Meyer (Verona, N.Y.) and
Shaquille Corrica (New York City, N.Y.) have been named the Daemen College Student-Athletes of the Month - presented by Western New York Knee and Orthopedic Surgery PC - for April 2018.
Meyer, a freshman, posted seven top-five finishes over four meets last month and claimed the individual title in the triple jump at the East Coast Conference Championships, which was hosted by Daemen for the first time ever.
The rookie opened the month by posting a school-record jump of 1.47 meters in the high jump at the Cortland Please Stop Snowing Invitational on April 13, finishing fifth overall in the event and eclipsing the previous record of 1.45 meters set by Alicia Palmatier on May 11, 2012. Meyer narrowly missed another top-five finish in the long jump, placing sixth out of 18 jumpers with a leap of 4.73 meters.
A week later she helped the Wildcats post a best-ever second-place showing at the ECC Championships. Meyer accounted for 12 of Daemen's 100 points, highlighted by a record-breaking leap of 10.59 meters in the triple jump—topping the field of 10 entrants. She smashed the previous record of 10.14 meters set back on April 26, 2014 by
Ashley Krol. Meyer also added a fifth-place finish in the high jump with a leap of 1.35 meters.
Meyer's outstanding month continued at the Alfred State Invitational on April 23, as she snagged three top-five finishes. She equaled her own team record of 10.59 meters and placed second in the triple jump, and also added a third-place finish in the long jump (4.88 meters) and a second-place finish in the high jump (1.40 meters).
She capped the month by competing in the long jump and the triple jump at the University at Buffalo Invitational on April 28. A leap of 10.11 meters in the triple jump earned her a third-place showing, and she placed seventh in the long jump (4.55 meters). Teammate
Carrie Akin bested Meyers' school-record in the triple jump with a leap of 10.76 meters.
Corrica, a senior, posted 10 top-five finishes during the month and set the school record in the triple jump in three successive meets.
He opened the month at the Cortland Please Stop Snowing Invitational on April 13, where he broke two school records. Corrica placed second in the long jump with a leap of 6.67 meters, besting the previous record (6.55 meters) set by
Alex Reid at the Cardinal Last Chance Meet last May. Corrica then followed it up with a fifth-place finish in the triple jump with a leap of 12.69 meters—which eclipsed another
Alex Reidrecord (12.69 meters) set in 2014 and 2015. He was also a part of a school-record effort by the 4x100 relay team, which finished third (43.50 seconds) and bettered the previous team record of 43.80 seconds set in 2014.
A week later Corrica had another record-smashing performance while leading the Wildcats to a fourth place showing at the ECC Championships. In the triple jump, Corrica finished fourth with a jump of 12.70 meters. He bettered his school benchmark of 12.69 meters which he set a week earlier. Corrica, who is also a member of Daemen's men's soccer team, added fourth-place finishes in both the high jump and long jump, leaping 1.68 meters and 6.54 meters respectively. He was also a part of Daemen's 4x100 relay team, which placed third with a time of 43.70 seconds—just two-tenths of a second off their own school record.
Corrica's solid month continued at the Alfred State Invitational on April 23, where he competed in three events and posted a first-pace finish in both the triple jump and and long jump. He eclipsed his team triple jump record for the third consecutive meet with a leap of 12.85 meters, which was more than six-tenths of a meter better than any other competitor. Also the team record holder in the long jump (6.67 meters), Corrica was short of that distance but still placed first with a leap of 6.52 meters. He also added a third-place finish in the 100-meter dash with a time of 11.97 seconds.
He capped the month by competing in the long jump and the triple jump at the Buffalo Invitational hosted by the University at Buffalo on April 28. In the long jump he placed second with a leap of 5.69 meters and followed it up with a fourth-place showing in the triple jump (11.99 meters). His efforts earned him ECC Men's Field Athlete of the Week honors.
The Daemen women's and men's track and field teams close out the 2017-18 season by taking part in the Allegheny Gator Invite on May 11. The event will take place in Meadville, Pa. and will be hosted by Allegheny College.
Also considered for Athlete of the Month honors were Christina Stasiuk (Bowmansville, N.Y.) of the women's tennis team, Amber Custodi (Ransomville, N.Y.) of the women's triathlon team,
Amy Trabert (Amherst, N.Y.) and
Taylor Haude (Rochester, N.Y.) of the women's track and field team, Ricardo Ruiz Martinez (Valencia, Spain), Tim Georg (Aschaffenburg, Germany) and Fabian Wilde (Crimmitschau, Germany) of the men's tennis team and
Zach Laird (Alexander, N.Y.) and
Sullivan Keller (Alden, N.Y.) of the men's track and field team.
