ITHACA, N.Y. -- The Cornell women's track and field squad had another banner year in 2010. The team won the outdoor Heptagonal/Ivy League Track and Field Championships, their twenty-first conference title in program history. Indoors, the team was third in a hard fought competition claiming three individual event titles. In total, the squad claimed seven individual conference event first-place finishes and set an Ivy League all-time best in the 4 X 100 relay at 45.60. Many new school marks were set and the teams top ten lists were rewritten at a record pace. The Big Red also registered top finishes at the ECAC and NCAA East Regional championships and were headliners at the California-Fullerton Invite, California-Irvine Open and the Penn Relays. Junior Melissa Hewitt was named the MVP at the Outdoor Heptagonal championships, winning three events and finishing second in another. The Big Red had three athletes advance to the NCAA championships in Eugene, Ore. Senior Kim Standridge garnered All-America honors in the 800 meters while sophomore Victoria Imbesi (javelin) and graduate Stephanie Pancoast (3000 steeplechase) were qualifiers.

The squad graduated a fantastic group of seniors who will be sorely missed. Ten NCAA regional qualifiers departed through graduation including four Ivy League champions. Sprint hurdlers Jessica Weyman, Megan Williams, Kate Backel and Krystal Williams all played a huge part in the successes of their event group. Each ran on many of the Reds successful relay teams and were individual Heps scorers many times. Middle distance runner Keri Lyons had a spectacular career as the team's best at 1500 meters, while the dynamic duo at 3000 meter steeplechase, Stephanie Pancoast and Erin Roberts, leave their marks as among the best in program history. In the field, pole vaulter Natalie Gengel graduated after setting the school record and is currently ranked as the top athlete in her event at Cornell.

While the Red suffered these key losses to graduation, the coaching staff is optimistic about the team's fortunes in 2011. An outstanding nucleus of decorated athletes returns along with one of the best recruiting classes in quite some time. The returning squad includes seven Heptagonal champions and many that were close last season. The sprint-hurdle group returns Melissa Hewitt, Mecha Santos, Kelsey Reimnitz and Libby O'Brien. Ivy League scorers and finalists Lauren Tanz, Taylor Baird, Danielle Silas, Molly Glantz and Mari Giurastante return to bolster a deep unit in the hurdles.

The middle distance/distance events are loaded, returning top 800 meter runner and NCAA All-American Kim Standridge. Joining her will be standouts Meghan Brown, Anna Scull, Molly Glantz and Janel Parker. Sophomore Kelsey Karys returns as a qualifier for the first round of the NCAA Championships in the 5K and will be joined by Katie Kellner, Genna Hartung, Maura Carroll, Cara Costich and Kristin Sellers to round out an accomplished longer distance group.

As usual, the field events will be deep. The team's entire group of horizontal jumpers returns in Heps long jump champ Melissa Hewitt and league scorers Kim Lienhoop and Kristen Brandt. Ivy pole vault scorers Samantha Brady, Lindsey Patterson and Claire Dishong are back as are the team's two top high jumpers in Kim Lienhoop and Ailish Hanly. Karen Schillinger and Kelsey Reimnitz were the Red's top multi-eventers last season and they are welcomed back as are a talented group of throwers. Conference champion Victoria Imbesi returns in the javelin, as do league scorers Cassie Schweighofer, Erin Rossi and Claire Dishong. In all, the team's combination of talented returners and a solid year on the recruiting front should translate into another competitive campaign for the Big Red.

SPRINTS
Cornell hopes to repeat the sprint success of the recent past by welcoming back a strong contingent of experienced athletes. The 2010 group recorded scorers in every sprint event at the conference meet and captured the indoor 4 X 400 relay and the 4 x 100 as well, setting an all-time Ivy League mark of 45.60. The short sprints return a bevy of talent, headlined by junior sprint sensation Melissa Hewitt. She was impressive at 60 meters, winning at the indoor Heps, and has recorded the second fastest time ever run in league history at 7.46. Outdoors, Hewitt won two league running titles and recorded personal bests at 100 meters (11.66) and 200 meters (23.86). Her running mate should be senior Mecha Santos. She had a dynamite year, finishing sixth in the league 60 meters at 7.84. Outdoors, her best 100 meters is 12.08 for sixth at Heps and she recorded a personal best 24.78 for 200 meters. Sophomore Mercy Gbenjo showed promise in her initial season as a frosh last spring and hopes ride high on two incoming freshmen who should see action immediately. Newcomers Anjelique Parnell and Etobulese Otwelese are among New York state's top sprint talents and their debuts in the sprints are highly anticipated.

The long sprints are again solid for the Red, a trademark of the past eight years. The team returns two athletes that have been part of 4 X 400 Heptagonal championship teams in the relays. Junior Kelsey Reimnitz and Libby O'Brien both have recorded 55-second splits on relays and should be the leaders here. Junior intermediate hurdler Molly Glantz should join in the fun, as should newcomer Ryan Woolley, who has a best of 56.02 at 400 meters. Another rookie joining the Red is Dorehn Coleman, who is a former Maryland state sprint champion at 300 meters and has excelled at 400 meters as well.

HURDLES
An outstanding veteran group returns for the Red in 2010. In the shorter events, senior Lauren Tanz and juniors Dani Silas and Taylor Baird all have been scorers in past Heps. Tanz has scored in four of the last six Heps and has a best of 14.26 outdoors. Silas had the Red's best efforts last season running 14.25 for fourth outside. Baird was the team's fastest indoors and finished fifth in the league tilt last spring, holding a personal best of 14.36. The coaches feel the best is yet to come with these three. Joining this trio will be two talented freshmen. Becca Parascandola recorded state records in New Hampshire and is an indoor and outdoor champion, hitting 14.46 outdoors. Zaakirah Daniels was a state qualifier in California with a personal best of 14.53.  

The long hurdles return NCAA Regional qualifier, All-East and Heptagonal scorer Molly Glantz.. She reached the No. 3 all-time effort at Cornell last spring, running 59.80. Sophomore Mari Giurastante returns after a fantastic frosh year that saw her run a personal best 61.78, finishing seventh at the Ivy League championships and qualifying for the outdoor ECAC meet. Newcomer Ryan Woolley is a New York state hurdle scorer and has a personal high school best of 61.39. This should give the Red a tough trio of long hurdlers in 2010.

The middle distance/distance events are loaded, returning top 800 meter runner and NCAA All-American Kim Standridge. Joining her will be standouts Meghan Brown, Anna Scull, Molly Glantz and Janel Parker. Sophomore Kelsey Karys returns as a qualifier for the first round of the NCAA Championships in the 5K and will be joined by Katie Kellner, Genna Hartung, Maura Carroll, Cara Costich and Kristin Sellers to round out an accomplished longer distance group.

MIDDLE DISTANCE
Long a main-stay of the Cornell women's program, the Big Red will have a remarkably deep and accomplished group of middle distance runners once again in 2011. Leading the way will be All-American Kim Standridge, who is one of the best 800 runners in the nation and the third Cornell women to run 2:05 or better since 2005. She will be joined by an outstanding group of half-milers, including Heps scorers Molly Glantz and Anna Scull as well as All-East performers Lauren Bariexca, Alana Levy and Janel Parker. Meghan Brown, an indoor Heps scorer in the mile and Emma Clarke, who anchored the DMR to a scoring performance at the ECAC Championships, lead a versatile group of milers. There are a bevy of outstanding young runners in this group who could emerge: Alyssa O'Connor and Lauren Lloyd account for the past three Oregon state titles in the 800, Emmy Shearer was among California's best in the mile, Meaghan Werle is a Connecticut state champion and Leanne Fernandes, Andrea Sielicki and Tori Kiss all bring outstanding personal bests to Cornell.

DISTANCE
Despite the graduation of two-time NCAA qualifier and Penn Relays champion Stephanie Pancoast and four-time Heps scorer and Regional qualifier Erin Roberts, the distance group should be particularly strong this year and, despite their relative youth, is already an accomplished group. The distance runners will be led by a trio of sophomores: Kelsey Karys set school freshman records in the 3000 indoors and outdoors and qualified for the first round of the NCAAs in the 5k, Katie Kellner set the school freshmen record in the 10K en route to a scoring performance at the Heps and Genna Hartung, after setting the school freshmen record at Van Cortlandt Park in her debut cross country season also placed in the top 10 in the Penn Relays 3K and joined Karys and Kellner in setting impressive 5K personal bests. Also keep an eye on their classmates Cara Costich and Kate Rosettie who are poised for very good sophomore years. Seniors Maura Carroll (one of the top steeplechasers in the League and in the East) and Kristin Sellers (a top 10K runner) are both ECAC qualifiers and juniors Shelby Herman and Christine Smith have also demonstrated the ability to contribute. The group will be bolstered by Devin McMahon of Washington, Elizabeth Simpson of Pennsylvania, steeplechaser Rachel Sorna of New York, and Florida's Lauren Lapointe.

JUMPS
The jumps group could again be pivotal in the Reds success in 2010. Traditionally strong, this group will count on its success from returning veterans and exciting newcomers. The horizontal jumps should be led by junior Heptagonal champion Melissa Hewitt. She took both the indoor and outdoor titles in the long jump and was an NCAA regional qualifier jumping a personal best of 20-6. Senior “jumping jack” Kim Lienhoop returns and should cover both the long and triple jump events, having been a consistent scorer in both events at past Ivy championship meet. Junior Kristen Brandt had a spectacular past season and returns among the best in the conference, fresh off her third place finish at the outdoor Heps in the triple jump. Her 40-4 personal best in the triple jump combined with excellent long jump efforts makes her a threat to claim her first individual Heps title in 2011. Junior Jessica Wilson has jumped 18-10, sophomore Rebecca DeLong returns with a best of 18-9 and newcomer Anjelique Parnell has a high school best of 19-1 to make the long jump a deep event for the Red. Brandt and Leinhoop should have triple jump support from sophomore Savannah Johnson, who has a best collegiate mark of 37-5, and freshman Jennifer Bush, who enters Cornell via Texas with a best mark of 38-6. Other contributors should be senior Liz Walker and frosh long jump state champion Dominique Corley of Michigan, who has a best of 18-6.

The pole vault returns a talented trio of athletes. Junior Samantha Brady is a two-time Heps scorer with a best of 12-3. Sophomore Lindsey Patterson established a new freshman mark for the Red and was an outdoor placer at the Ivy League championships. Her best of 12-5 is the squad's top returning mark. Sophomore Claire Dishong made huge improvements and ended her frosh campaign at 11-9 and was a Heps scorer as well outdoors.

The high jump should see the most changes of perhaps any event for the Red this coming season. The best mark of the group is held by promising freshman Sarah Udelhofen. The state runner-up in Illinois high schools, Udelhofen enters her college career with a best of 5-8. Four other athletes have recorded 5-6 bests, including senior Kim Lienhoop, who dazzled in her recent tour of Europe for the Big Red, freshmen Dominique Corley, Sarah Sherman and Jennifer Bush. Sophomores Ailish Hanly and Renee Mercedes have done 5-5 and are among the Reds most experienced performers returning.

MULTI-EVENTS
Junior Karen Schillinger returns as the leader in the multi-events. She was third at the outdoor Heps in the heptathlon, recording a personal best 4531. Team-mate Kelsey Reimnitz switched to the multis halfway through the season and had some eye-opening performances, finishing seventh outdoors, winning the 200 and 800 meter events in the league heptathlon with a best 4294. Freshman Becca Parascandola is her state's heptathlon champ with a best of 4498, while newcomers Dominique Corley and Shannon Daniels are accomplished in many of the multi's individual events and should see development here. Samantha Olyha is her New York state section champ in the outdoor pentathlon and will also play a part in the group's successes.

WEIGHT EVENTS
Four talented individuals will headline the throwing events for the Red this season. Each has the experience and talent to be among the best in East this coming year. Sophomore Victoria Imbesi returns after capturing the Heptagonal conference javelin last spring. She had a spectacular season, gaining All-East honors, finishing fourth at the ECAC's and qualifying for the NCAA championships in Eugene, Ore. Imbesi set a new school record of 149-0 in the javelin. She also excels in the shot-put, where she was the Red's top performer at 44-3. Senior Cassie Schweighofer has had a fantastic career and is among the team's top discus throwers in program history. An NCAA regional qualifier in the discus at 160-0 and a 45-0 shot putter, she has been a consistent league scorer finishing fourth in the outdoor conference meet at disc and sixth indoors at weight. Junior Erin Rossi has been among the team's top hammer/weight throwers in the past year and her development should continue to advance under the tutelage of new throws coach Megan Johnson. Freshman Claire Dishong was a Heps scorer in the discus last spring finishing fifth and has all the tools to develop into one of the Red's best ever here. Providing additional support will be sophomore javelin specialist Brittany Dombrowski at 128-0, shot and discus thrower Emily Koppleman and hammer thrower Andrea Faldermeyer.