Canales, Laird & Keller Headline Men's Track & Field All-Conference Selections

By: By Mike Miranto, Sr. Associate A.D. for External Operations & Communications

Men's Track & Field | 5/3/2018 2:55:00 PM

AMHERST, N.Y. - Long distance specialist Lucas Canales (Ithaca, N.Y.) and throwers Zach Laird (Alexander, N.Y.) and Sullivan Keller (Alden, N.Y.) of the Daemen College men's track and field team were each named first team All-East Coast Conference honorees for the 2018 outdoor season today in a release from conference headquarters in West Babylon, N.Y. The trio of first team honorees were joined by sprinter Rodney Corbin (Williamsville, N.Y.) and jumper Shaquille Corrica (New York City, N.Y.) who earned second team All-ECC honors. The selection of All-ECC athletes is based on individual finishes at the ECC Outdoor Track and Field Championship meet which was hosted by Daemen on April 21 at Williamsville South High School; individuals finishing first and second in their respective events earn first team All-ECC honors, while third and fourth place finishers earn second team All-ECC accolades.

Canales earned the third all-conference honor of his outdoor track and field career, and his second as an individual, for his performance in the 10,000 meter run. He placed second in the event with a time of 34:19.43, just two seconds back of race winner Matthew Tina of St. Thomas Aquinas College (34:17.31). The 5-foot-7 junior, who also competes for the Daemen cross country team, had previously earned second team All-ECC honors as part of the Wildcats' 4x800 meter relay team in 2016, and for the 5,000 meter run in 2017.

Laird, a 5-foot-11 senior and two-time team MVP, earned first team All-ECC honors for the third consecutive season, and for his third different event. After previously being a first team All-ECC performer in javelin (2016) and high jump (2017), Laird earned the accolade this time around for his second place finish in the shot put (12.67 meters). In addition, Laird earned second team All-ECC honors for his third place finish this year in the javelin (47.61 meters), bringing the total number of all-conference honors to six for his outdoor track and field career (also previously earned second team All-ECC honors in shot put [2016] and 110 meter hurdles [2017]).

Like Laird, Keller picked up both first and second team All-ECC honors this season. He placed second in the javelin, edging Laird with a long throw of 47.93 meters to earn first team accolades. In the shot put, his best effort (12.31 meters) was good for third place and second team honors. It's the second straight season that Keller has earned second team All-ECC honors in shot put.

Corbin, a 5-foot-7 dynamo of a sprinter, placed fourth in the 100 meter dash with a time of 11.30 seconds to earn the first all-conference nod of his outdoor career. The Daemen freshman also collected second team All-ECC honors for the 60 meter dash earlier this year for the indoor track and field season.

Corrica, a three-year member of the Daemen soccer team who's now in his first season competing in track and field, placed fourth in the high jump (1.68 meters), long jump (6.54 meters) and triple jump (12.70 meters). In so doing, Corrica becomes the first athlete in team history to earn all-conference recognition for three events in the same season.

The nine events that Daemen athletes earned all-conference accolades for sets a new program high for the outdoor season. The previous best was eight events during the 2016 season.

Daemen's 2018 season continues next week with the Allegheny Gator Invite in Meadville, Pa. The May 11 meet represents the final chance for Daemen athletes to achieve automatic or provisional qualifying marks for the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships which takes place May 24-26 in Charlotte, N.C.

For breaking news and continuing coverage of the Daemen College track and field program, follow @DaemenAthletics and @DaemenTrack on Twitter.

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