2020 Senior Day Celebration: Women's Track & Field

The women’s track and field team at the University has been a mainstay in the Division III national rankings for a number of years now, and a lot of that can be attributed to the efforts of the 2020 senior class.

This group of women have accounted for multiple accolades, including All-American, All-Region, All-Conference as well as All-Academic during their careers. Their impact on the program will have a lasting effect and surely will pave the way for future successes within the program.

When this group first emerged as first-years, Rochester started the indoor season strong with three runner-up finishes in its first three scored meets, including the NYSCTC Championships. That was followed by a top-6 at the ECAC Championships and a top-15 at indoor NCAA’s. The strong season continued outdoors with another runner-up finish at the NYSCTC meet and saw UR send multiple athletes to nationals.

As sophomores, Rochester compiled three meet victories and had four other top-3 results as a team. UR was runner-up at both the indoor and outdoor Liberty League meets, finished in the top half of the field twice at regionals, including fourth outdoors, and scored twice at NCAAs. The outdoor NCAA result saw the Yellowjackets end 24th in Division III.

Last season, UR’s women were nationally ranked throughout the season, a recognition that was certainly merited after Rochester’s 9th place finish at the NCAA Division III Indoor Championships. That came on the heels of a runner-up Liberty League result and sixth place finish at the Atlantic Regional meet. Outdoors UR won its own Alumni Invite, were second at Liberty Leagues and fourth at regionals while sending another strong group to NCAA’s.

In the 2019-20 campaign, Rochester had 11 marks inside the top-50 on the NCAA performance list for the indoor season and sent a group of seven to the indoor national championship, only to see the promising group miss the chance to compete after the meet was canceled. The encouraging season did see some tremendous results though, with Rochester winning the Nazareth Conference Challenge, ending second at the Liberty League meet and seventh at the All-Atlantic Regional meet.

Let’s meet the class of 2020:

Michaela Burrell
Hometown: Corning, NY
Event: Sprints
Major: Ecology & Evolutionary Biology

Our first senior has been one of the best sprinters in school history, accumulating a multitude of athletic and academic honors. She took home multiple All-American honors as a junior at the NCAA Indoor Championships, finishing third in the 60 meters and sixth in the 200 meters. Overall, she was a 7-time qualifier for the NCAA Championships, three of which were set to come at this years indoor meet.

Burrell was an 11-time Atlantic Regional participant, earning podium finishes every time, including four wins. She had a whopping 12 career wins at the Liberty League Championships and compiled 17 career All-Liberty League honors. In 2019, she was selected as the Liberty League Indoor Track Performer of the Year.

The 10-time All-Region selection also was terrific in the classroom. She was a UR Garnish Scholar, 3-time Liberty League All-Academic selection and earned USTFCCCA All-Academic accolades. Burrell also was a 1st Team Academic All-District choice following her junior year. Next year, she will be staying at Rochester as a Take 5 student and then plans on pursing a PhD in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology in the fall of 2021.

Director of Track and Field Sam Albert says of the senior, “Michaela has already established herself as one of the greatest athletes in the history of our Women’s Track & Field program, and has set new school records in just about all the sprinting events. She is a fierce competitor and I think the quality that makes her really special is the way she always finds a way to elevate her performances when the stage gets bigger and the pressure is on. Michaela was one of the top sprinters in NCAA Division III this season, and I’m disappointed she didn’t get the chance to test herself against the best at nationals this winter and spring. But I’m thrilled that we get a chance to work with Michaela for one more season, as she’ll be staying with us as a Take 5 Scholar next year.”

Hannah Duttweiler
Hometown: Corfu, NY
Event: Multi Events
Major: Psychology

Duttweiler saw consistent improvement in her skills throughout her collegiate career and eventually blossomed into one of the best multi-event athletes in the country as a senior. This indoor season, she was seeded inside the top-8 heading into the NCAA Championships in the pentathlon, a remarkable accomplishment. She was a 2-time NCAA qualifier, also reaching the 2019 outdoor championships, finishing 12th in the heptathlon. This winter she was named All-Region for her multi-event efforts.

For her career, she accumulated three podium finishes in five attempts at the All-Atlantic Regional Championships and was a 4-time All-Liberty League honoree, earning 1st Team accolades in the pentathlon as a senior indoors. In six conference championship meets, she was a 9-time medalist (top-8 finisher). Off the track, she was a 3-time All-Academic selection within the Liberty League and garnered academic honors from the USTFCCCA as well. She plans to utilize her degree in Psychology and is currently applying for psychology research assistant positions.

“Hannah’s growth and development as an athlete over the past four years has been nothing short of amazing. She went from being 9th in the pentathlon at the NYSCTC Meet as a first-year to arriving at this year’s Indoor NCAA meet ranked 8th in the country. Hannah was so committed to improving herself as an athlete and trusted the guidance of Coach Petsch as she steadily improved each season, and eventually transformed into a national-caliber athlete and a fantastic team leader. We will miss her dearly!”

Lonnie Garrett
Hometown: Columbia, MD
Event: Jumps
Major: Chemical Engineering

Our next senior had a knack for coming up big in important spots during her career. After her first-year season got cut short due to an injury, Garrett quickly became one of the best jumpers in school history and finishes out her time as a UR record holder in the long and triple jump both indoors and outdoors. She was a 3-time qualifier for the NCAA Championships, with her best result being 13th indoors in the 2019 championship. In addition, the Maryland native competed at five regional meets and had six podium finishes.

Within the Liberty League, Garrett was the 2020 Liberty League Field Performer of the Year and was named Performer of the Meet at the conference championship twice. In three years, she had eight Liberty League victories, earned 10 All-League awards and finished in the top-8 on 12 occasions. She also was a USTFCCCA All-Region choice multiple times. Next year, she is going to be attending graduate school at the University of Michigan and will be pursuing her PhD in Nuclear Engineering.

“Lonnie graduates from Rochester as the best jumper in school history. She holds our school records in both the long jump and triple jump and won every Liberty League Triple Jump competition she competed in during her career. I know Lonnie was an inspiration to many of her teammates, after recovering from a season-ending ACL injury during her first year and coming back even better and stronger as a sophomore. She was also a phenomenal leader for us as a team captain this year, and her positive outlook and calm and steady demeanor have made her a pleasure to work with over the past four years.”

Jordan Hurlbut
Hometown: Palmyra, NY
Event: Middle Distance
Major: Microbiology

Hurlbut showed excellent progression and versatility over her career spanning both cross country and track and field. She was a 4-time NCAA qualifier, two each in XC and track and helped Rochester to solid team finishes in each appearance. Her top nationals track result came indoors in 2019, finishing 13th in the 3K. She also earned All-Region honors in each sport from the USTFCCCA and earned three podium finishes in four races in Atlantic Region Track & Field competition.

In the Liberty League, she excelled, producing nine point-scoring performances and five All-Liberty League awards in five championship appearances. As a first-year, she was on a NYSCTC winning 4x800 meter relay indoors. Academically, she was named All-Academic for three straight years from both the UAA (XC) and Liberty League (track and field) as well as being a 2-time All-Academic choice by the USTFCCCA. Her future plans include attending graduate school in Microbiology either at George Washington University or Rochester.

“After arriving at Rochester with a modest high school running resume, Jordan was probably more surprised than anyone to find herself at four NCAA championship meets. Our coaches could tell right away that she had a chance to be a special athlete, but it took Jordan a little while to realize how good she could be. Fortunately, she really came into her own as a junior and senior, started to develop a lot more maturity and confidence as a runner, and showed that she could compete with the top athletes in our conference, region, and the nation. Jordan’s performances these past two years were so critical to our women’s cross country team earning back-to-back NCAA appearances, and it has been so much fun to watch her grow and improve so much since arriving four years ago,” says Albert.

Brenna James
Hometown: Sault Sainte Marie, MI
Event: Sprints/Hurdles
Major: Brain & Cognitive Sciences

James was a two-sport athlete at Rochester her first three years, competing in basketball in addition to track and field. She saw plenty of success in both sports as well. As a junior she qualified for the All-Atlantic Region Championship in the 400 hurdles, finishing 16th. James also was a consistent point scorer for the Yellowjackets in conference championships, earning top-8 finishes five times in three Liberty League meet appearances.

A two-time All-Liberty League honoree in relays, James finished her career with 32 top-8 finishes overall and had one event win, coming at the UR Alumni Invitational in 2019. Next year she will be working at the War Memorial Hospital in her hometown and plans to pursue a career as a nurse or physician’s assistant.

“Brenna made an immediate and positive impact on our team as soon as she joined us. She brought a sunny and infectious energy to our practices every day, and always had the ability to make people smile and keep the mood light, even when facing a really challenging workout or going through a particularly difficult day. Brenna has a really warm and genuine personality that helps put others at ease, and has always been one of the first people to welcome new athletes to the team, and offer encouragement or advice when she could sense that a teammate was struggling or just having a tough day. She has also been a tough competitor and a dedicated athlete, always looking for ways to help make herself and our team more successful.”

Cassidy Leight
Hometown: Breinigsville, PA
Event: Multi Events
Major: Chemistry

Our next senior competed in the tough multi-event competitions throughout her career. She was a 5-time conference qualifier and finished in the top-10 in each of her Liberty League appearances. That record included an eighth place result in 2019 indoors, helping the Yellowjackets to a runner-up finish in the team standings.

In her career, she had 20 top-10 results, earning three of them at the 2018 Rochester Twilight Classic. She also was honored as Liberty League All-Academic twice. Her plans beyond UR include attending Law School at Northeastern University.

Her coach says, “Our coaches will always remember Cassidy for her incredible work ethic. Although she struggled with some injuries over the past few years, Cassidy always managed to stay positive in the face of adversity and was constantly looking for ways to become a better athlete and a supportive and encouraging teammate. Seeing her earn a spot on the podium last year at the Liberty League Championships is a fantastic memory that I know her teammates and coaches will never forget.”

Julia Myers
Hometown: Westfield, NJ
Event: Middle Distance
Major: Digital Media Studies

Myers experienced a terrific career at Rochester, both on and off the track. She is a 3-time NCAA participant, running twice at cross country nationals and once individually at indoor track nationals in 2019, placing 15th in the mile run. At the All-Atlantic Regional track championships, she was a scorer for UR three times and also reached the podium in five out of six events in her Liberty League conference career. As a first-year she was a double-champion at the NYSCTC Championships during the indoor season.

Her exploits in the classroom are equally as impressive. She was elected Phi Beta Kappa, named a Provost Circle Scholar and served on the board of VSAAC. She was also a 3-time UAA All-Academic choice, 3-time Liberty League All-Academic choice and was honored as USTFCCCA All-Academic in both cross country and track and field. Next year she will be looking for jobs in the business world, hoping to work in marketing and branding.

“Julia has been one of our team’s most steady and reliable performers over the past four years, regularly scoring key points at our championship meets, and always rising to the occasion when the team needs her the most. She has been a really valuable leader for our cross country and track & field programs, even before she probably realized she was a leader, and has shown the rest of our student-athletes what it means to be a true Rochester scholar-athlete. Our coaches and athletes will miss Julia greatly, and I look forward to seeing what she will continue to accomplish as she leaves Rochester and begins her professional life.”

Kelly Reese
Hometown: Seneca Falls, NY
Event: Distance
Major: Biology

UR’s final senior in the 2020 class was also a member of the cross country and track programs, being a key member of both squads. Reese was named All-Region in cross country twice, helping the Yellowjackets to back-to-back NCAA Division III Championship appearances. On the track, she qualified for the regional meet three times, finishing in the top-10 every time, including a runner-up finish in the 10k in 2018.

She amassed six appearances at the Liberty League Championships, was a 5-time scorer and named 2nd Team All-Conference in 2020 following a runner-up finish in the 5K. On the track, she had two career wins and 17 top-8 finishes. In the classroom, she was honored as All-Academic by the UAA and Liberty League in three straight years and was also a USTFCCCA All-Academic selection. She plans on attending medical school at SUNY Upstate Medical University after graduation from UR.

“We have all been inspired by Kelly’s work ethic and total commitment to be the best runner she could be. Kelly improved by leaps and bounds over the past four years, and did so through plenty of hard work, toughness and grit. She was key in helping our cross country earn back-to-back trips to nationals and has been a consistent contributor for us in the 5K and 10K during the past few track seasons. I am confident that the same dedication to excellence that has helped Kelly grow so much as a runner over the past four years will also serve her very well in medical school and her future career as a doctor.”