FULLERTON, Calif. -- The Cornell women's track team concluded a successful week of training and competition in Southern California on Friday at the Cal State Fullterton “Titan Twilight.” Competing in cool but sunny conditions, the Big Red women had seven wins and 12 ECAC qualifiers.
The women's 800 was a big highlight early in the meet as senior Kim Standridge led four Cornellians to finishes between 2:07 and 2:11. She finished second, nearly catching Jamaican national team member Korene Hinds, running 2:07.78 while junior Janel Parker had a big personal best to place third in 2:08.78. Sophomore Alyssa O'Connor had yet another PR as well to get fourth in 2:10.19 to better the ECAC standard while junior Molly Glantz had an outdoor personal best of 2:11.08 for fifth. The Big Red was also successful later in the day in the 1500 as sophomore Kelsey Karys had a four second personal best to place first in 4:32.05 while junior Meghan Brown (3rd, 4:35.02) and sophomore Katie Kellner (6th, 4:45.76) also set PRs. Karys and Kellner then came back an hour later to pace their teammates in the 5K and led a very successful showing as senior Kristin Sellers had a 32 second personal best to place first in 17:07.15; Karys (17:07.80) and Kellner (17:07.86) crossed the line together as all three were well under the ECAC standard. Sophomore Kate Rosettie ran very well to set a new personal best of 17:22.74 for fifth. The steeplechase was also very good as sophomore Genna Hartung ran 10:48.6 to improve on her debut showing the week before to place first and also improve on her #8 performance in school history. Senior Maura Carroll looked strong in placing second in 10:58.3.
Junior Melissa Hewitt impressed in the 200, cruising to victory in 24.49, easily an ECAC qualifier; freshman Ebolutalese Airewele set an outdoor personal best of 25.05 for fourth. Junior Dani Silas continued her fine hurdling in placing third in 14.32 in the 100 hurdles (another ECAC qualifier) and junior Taylor Baird was fifth in 14.89 and senior Lauren Tanz was sixth in 15.04. Freshman Ryan Woolley was second in the 400 hurdles in 63.64 and junior Kelsey Reimnitz was just behind in third, running 63.70 in her first attempt at the distance; Silas doubled back for fifth in 65.31. In the 400, Cornell placed third, fourth and fifth as junior Bry Bonavita (58.15), sophomore Libby O'Brien (58.35) and freshman Lauren Lloyd (58.64) ran well despite running into a cold head-wind. In the 100, senior co-captain Mecha Santos was fourth in 12.49. Both relays bettered the ECAC stanard as the 4X100 of Airewele, Hewitt, Santos and Silas were second in 47.12 while the 4X400 of Woolley (57.7), Reimnitz (57.6), Glantz (56.3) and Standridge (57.3) ran 3:49.48 for first.
In the field, sophomore Victoria Imbesi again led the way, placing first in the javelin at 134-3, second in the shot put at 44-10 3/4 (an ECAC qualifier) and fourth in the discus at 128-2. Sophomore Claire Dishong was also busy as she cleared 11-5 3/4 for second in the vault and also placed second in the discus at 135-4. Junior Sam Brady cleared 10-11 3/4 for fifth in the pole vault. Cornell had an event win from sophomore Ailish Hanly, who cleared 5-6 in the high jump; freshman Sarah Udelhofen was second at 5-2 1/4. Junior Erin Rossi threw over 24 feet further than she did a year ago at this meet to place third in the hammer at 166-2. In the long jump, junior Karen Schillinger (4rd, 17-3 1/2) and freshman Becca Parascandola (5th, 16-5 1/4) competed well.
Complete results from the Titan Twilight at Fullerton can be found at:
http://www.flashwest.com/11Meets/11Twilight/
Next up for Cornell is a weekend off and then the Big Red will return to action with the Cornell April Open on April 9 at the Robert J. Kane Sports Complex at Cornell.
