Great Danes Take Home Four America East Titles; Men's Lacrosse Hosts NCAA Opening Wednesday at Home

  • A man in a gray shirt and white shorts holds a sign that says America East Champions as his teammates walk behind him on a green athletic field during the day.

    UAlbany men's lacrosse team celebrates its 2025 America East Championship. (Photo by UAlbany Athletics)

  • A large group of girls, some seated and some standing, are positioned together across a lacrosse field with a large sign in front of them and on a scoreboard behind them with the words America East Champions written.

    The UAlbany women's lacrosse team celebrates their 2025 America East Championship on Sunday, May 4 in Smithfield, R.I. (Photo by America East Athletics)

  • A large group of men in gray shirts with America East champions written on them celebrate together in a gymnasium.

    The UAlbany men's track and field team captured their first America East title since 2022 on Sunday. (Photo by Jaime Dickinson/UAlbany Athletics)

  • A large group of women wearing gray shirts in a gymnasium hold a sign that says America East Champions.

    The UAlbany women's track and field team captured their 16th consecutive outdoor title on Sunday in Durham, N.H. (Photo by Jaime Dickinson/UAlbany Athletics)

  • A man wearing a purple jersey and a large helmet holds a goalie lacrosse stick as he looks off in the distance.

    Freshman goalie Brady Smith stopped 13 shots against Bryant to lead the Great Danes into the NCAA Tournament. (Photo by Brent Warzocha/UAlbany Athletics)

  • A game photo of a girl with a lacrosse stick, goggles and a yellow lacrosse ball wearing a black shirt that says UALBANY and has the number 34 on it.

    Senior Gracie McCauley broke the America East single-game tournament record with eight goals in Sunday's championship. (Photo by Jaime Dickinson/UAlbany Athletics)

  • A girl wearing a white long sleeve shirt and a yellow and purple jersey jumps down the runway on an athletic track.

    Senior Leann Nicholas, the UAlbany recordholder in the event, took the title in the triple jump at the America East Championships. (Photo by Jaime Dickinson UAlbany Athletics)

  • A man runs on a track wearing a yellow and purple jersey with the number 4 and UAlbany written on it.

    Hassan Abidi broke a 31-year-old meet record in winning the 800m at the America East Track and Field Championships. (Photo by Jaime Dickinson/UAlbany Athletics)

    By Michael Parker

    ALBANY, N.Y. (May 6, 2025) — The University at Albany Great Danes added four America East titles over the weekend, winning championships in men's and women's track and field as well as men's and women's lacrosse. The victories earn the lacrosse teams trips to the postseason, starting with the men's team facing crosstown rival Siena on Wednesday in the opening round of the NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Tournament.

    Men's Lacrosse Hosts Siena Wednesday

    The men's lacrosse team is set to host crosstown rival Siena (11-4) on Wednesday in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. The game is set for a 7 p.m. start under the lights at Tom and Mary Casey Stadium. Tickets are on sale now. 

    The Great Danes (9-8) earned the spot after scoring a dominant win in the America East championship game on Saturday over Bryant, 12-7. UAlbany held the Bulldogs without a goal in the first half. It's the second consecutive title for UAlbany and 11th overall. Freshman goalkeeper Brady Smith was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. In the championship, Smith made 13 saves to secure the win.

    A victory on Wednesday will set up a showdown with No. 1 Cornell (14-1) on Sunday, May 11, in Ithaca, N.Y.

    UAlbany has been to 12 NCAA Tournaments overall, earning an at-large bid in 2016 to go along with the 11 league titles. The team last advanced past the first round in 2018, a year in which the Great Danes had their first ever Final Four appearance.

    Women's Lacrosse Wins 4th America East Title

    The Great Danes women's lacrosse team secured their fourth America East championship to earn a berth in the NCAA Division I Women's Lacrosse Tournament on Sunday, toppling No. 1 seed Bryant, 14-10 in Smithfield, R.I. The women's team also won championships in 2011, 2012 and 2023. 

    With the victory, the Great Danes move on to face seventh-seeded Yale (14-3) on Friday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The game is set for 1 p.m. at Reese Stadium in New Haven, Connecticut. The winner will face the winner of No. 19 Syracuse and No. 21 Brown on Sunday, May 11, at 2 p.m. in New Haven. 

    Senior Gracie McCauley led the way for UAlbany against Bryant, tallying eight goals to break an America East tournament single-game record. She also added two ground balls and a caused turnover for the Great Danes. Senior Dylana Williams added a hat trick and an assist for UAlbany.

    Women's Track Wins 16th Outdoor Title

    The UAlbany women's track team extended their record-setting accomplishments in the America East by winning their 16th consecutive league championship on Sunday, outpacing second-place New Hampshire by 59 points.

    Sophomore Shantae Pryce from High Gate, Jamaica, swept the 100m and 200m dash. Pryce teamed up with Adaliz Hunt, Shenequa Vassell and Toni Galloway to win the 4x100 as well. Galloway, meanwhile, led a sweep of the 100m hurdles podium, topping the field in front of teammates Kate Del Gandio (second) and Brinesha Derrick-Bain (third).

    The Great Danes also dominated the field events, with Amelia Benjamin (high jump), Leann Nicholas (triple jump), Nattaly Lindo (shot put), Lalenii Grant (discus), Stephanie Green (hammer) and Beatriz Mora Herencia (javelin) all taking first place in their respective events.

    It's the 18th America East title overall for the Great Danes.

    Men's Track Takes America East Title

    After a two-year hiatus, the UAlbany men's track and field team brought home the gold at the America East Championships on Sunday, regaining the title for first time since 2022 and seventh time in the past 10 years.

    Hassan Abidi of Rades, Tunisia broke a 31-year-old meet record to win the 800m in a time of 1:48.30, surpassing the mark set in 1994 by Erik Nedeau of Northeastern (1.48.51).

    Senior Antwone Messado of Mount Vernon, N.Y., once again claimed the 110m hurdle title. It was Messado's seventh crown in eight America East championship meets for either the 60m (indoor) or 110m (outdoor) hurdles.

    Tooni Ogunyeye won the 100m sprint, and then teamed with Shavar Staats Jr., Jose Davis-Whittaker and Rajay Morris to break the record in the 4x100 with a time of 40.22. Their mark was .1 second faster than the mark that Statts, Shakur Williams, Lucas Casab and Morris set in 2024.