Day Two Results

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Cornell track and field teams had another challenging day at the NCAA East Regionals, and Friday brought the group one more qualifier for the NCAA Championships in Des Moines, Iowa in two weeks.

The women's 3K steeplechase was terrific for Cornell.  After sophomore Rachel Sorna ran a gutty race in the first heat, finishing eighth (and 22nd overall) to close out a breakthrough sophomore year in which she hit the US Olympic Trials "B" standard, junior Genna Hartung followed with a great race over own in the second heat to advance to the NCAA Finals.  In the back of the pack for the first 800, Hartung methodically moved her way up the field, finishing fourth in 10:10.55.  Hartung's time broke the three-year-old school record of two-time NCAA qualifier Stephanie Pancoast '10, bettered the US Olympic Trials "B" standard by five seconds, and is fifth best in Ivy League history.  After the three heats were completed, Hartung finished 11th overall to earn a ticket to Iowa.

That event was hardly the only action of the day for the Big Red.

Claire Dishong was the first Big Red athlete to compete on Friday, taking part in the pole vault which began at 11 a.m. The event's initial height was 11' 11 3/4”, a number Dishong has cleared multiple times in her career. Though she faltered on her first two attempts, she sailed over the bar on her third try to advance to the second stage. It was the second stage, though, that Dishong could not pass. With the bar raised nearly half a foot to 12' 5 1/2”, Dishong misfired on all three jumps to end the competition in 41st place.

Junior Ailish Hanly was in the running for an NCAA Championships berth in the high jump, and she cleared the first height of the day at 5' 5 3/4”. However, after that, Hanly was unable to top the 5' 7 3/4” mark in the next round and finished the day in 44th place.

Sophomore Dan Scott also had his chance at a trip to Des Moines, but he fell short of the top 12. After fouling on his first triple jump attempt, Scott made his second leap count by going 46' 6 1/4”. A foul on his final attempt did not allow him to improve, and he ended the NCAA East Regional in 42nd.

On Thursday, Rutger Admirand advance to Friday's finals in the men's 800 meters with a great finish in his heat. But Friday's race was not as successful, as he placed eighth out of nine in his heat and missed qualifying for the NCAA Championship by eight places. He took 20th with a time of 1:50.00, and only the top 12 made it to Iowa. In the lead in his heat through 500 meters, he gamely raced through to the finish.

Kenny McClain, who advanced Thursday with a great  heat in the 400 hurdles preliminaries, also failed to make it to the NCAA Championships in Friday's quarterfinals. Taking sixth in his heat with a run of 51.85, McClain was little more than one second away from the final qualifying time. He took 17th place overall in a time that was his second best ever.

Senior co-captain Molly Glantz closed out her stellar Cornell career with a personal best (and No. 2 all-time) performance of 58.90 in the 400 hurdles, which is 10th-best in Ivy League history.  She placed fifth in her heat, and after three heats were finished, ended up 13th overall, just one place and half a second removed from a trip to Des Moines. Her races on both days of the meet were terrific and she closed her career in style with a clutch personal record performance.

Cornell athletes will be taking part in four more events on Saturday's final day. The men's pole vault kicks the day off at 11 a.m., and Peter Roach will be looking for his shot at the NCAA Championships. Montez Blair – who made the NCAA Indoor Championships in March – will be joined by teammate Tommy Butler in the high jump competition. Stephen Mozia and Bob Belden, who missed qualifying in the discus on Thursday, will try again with the shot put Sautrday. Finally, the women's 4x400 relay team of Zena Kolliesuah, Kelsey Reimnitz, Katie Woodford and Ebolutalese Airewele will finish the day at 9:45 p.m.