Liberty League Release | RPI Athletics on Twitter

TROY, N.Y. - Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) student-athlete Matt Vitagliano has been selected as the Men's Field Performer of the Week by the Liberty League, it has been announced. 

In the UMass Boston Season Opener on Saturday, Vitagliano (Clear Brook, VA / James Woods) competed in the triple jump and won the event, defeating 17 others with a distance of 14.38 meters. The senior reached the winning mark, which was nearly a full meter ahead of the runner-up (13.44), in his fourth attempt. The meet, which included schools from various NCAA divisions as well as unattached individuals, was non team scoring.

Last season during the indoor season, Vitagliano won the triple jump at three meets, including the New York State Championship, and was second twice. He was the runner-up at the conference meet to help the Engineers win the title. RPI also earned victory at the state meet. 

An electrical engineering major, Vitagliano was a CoSIDA National Academic All-America Second Team honoree in 2017 after capturing Third Team as a sophomore.

Three others from RPI earned Liberty League Weekly Honor Roll recognition for their efforts at UMass Boston. They include Dale Kelly (Manorville, NY / Bishop McGann-Mercy Diocesan), Renee Nuzzi (East Brunswick, NJ / East Brunswick) and Vera Titze (Erlangen, Germany / Gymnasium Fridericianum Erlangen).

Kelly, a sophomore, was part of the first place 4x400 relay team (3:23.78), while finishing fifth in the 200 meter dash (22.75) and eighth in the 60 meters (7.16). Nuzzi, a senior, finished second in the weight throw with a distance of 15.04 meters, and Titze won the 400 meters (58.99), placed 10th in the 200 meters (27.01) and fourth in the 4x400 relay (4:15.55).

Rensselaer is now idle until January 13 when both the women's and men's teams travel to Tufts University for an invitational.