PITTSFORD, NY – Senior Madeline O'Connell led the University of Rochester women's track and field team to a tremendous opening night meet on Friday evening at the Nazareth College Alumni Invitational.
 
O'Connell was a triple-winner for the Yellowjackets, capturing titles in the 400 meters, pole vault and 4x400 meter relay. The senior also is ranked #1 in two of those three events in Division III at this early part of the season, and is ranked #2 in the other event.
 
She started off her night with a win in the 400 meter invitational event, clocking in at 56.41 seconds, an indoor personal-best. That time set a new Golisano Training Center facility record and put her atop the Division III indoor performance list.
 
Later on, O'Connell was a part of Rochester's 4x400 meter relay team which posted a big win, covering the race in 3:54.36, nearly 10 seconds ahead of the second place finisher. That time ranks #1 in Division III by over eight seconds and also featured Kate Isaac, Kristin Hardy and Susan Bansbach.
 
The seniors night ended in the pole vault where she set a new school record, clearing 3.65 meters, and now ranks #2 across Division III. O'Connell broke her own school record from last year and Lindsay Carbone's height of 3.60 meters from 2014.
 
Overall on the night, Rochester piled up four event wins, 11 All-Atlantic Region qualifying marks and six NCAA Division III top-15 performances thus far in 2022-23.
 

Joining O'Connell in the 400 meter invitational event were Bansbach and Hardy who also posted some fast times. Bansbach clocked in at 57.73 seconds, good for #4 in D3 and third in the race, while Hardy is 11th in the country after her fifth place time of 1:00.08. All three were regional qualifiers.
 
Isaac also was a regional qualifier individually in the 60 meters with her time of 7.98 seconds from the prelim heats. She ended third in the finals, running a time of 8.00 seconds. Her, along with Bansbach, Maya Hatch and Jael Ernest Fleurant ended in first place in the 4x200 meter relay with a lightning quick time of 1:50.46.
 
Ashley Heffernan finished 3rd in the 60 meter hurdles with a time of 9.36 seconds, earning a trip to regionals later in the season.
 
Senior Alyssa Hoogs had a great day in the horizontal jumps, finishing second in the triple jump and fourth in the long jump. Hoogs leapt 10.98 meters in the triple jump and was a regional qualifier. Her mark of 5.41 meters in the long jump was another qualifier and is #12 so far this season in Division III.
 
Teammate Ashleigh Barrett cleared 5.32 meters and finished sixth in the long jump, ranking inside the top-25 in the country. Barrett also finished sixth in the triple jump with a distance of 10.61 meters. Cora Rose finished between Barrett and Hoogs in the triple jump, ending fourth with a mark of 10.71 meters.
 
Also in the field, Gillian Reeder ended fifth in the weight throw with a toss of 14.38 meters, a regional qualifying performance and current top-35 NCAA Division III mark.
 
Megan Bell ended as runner-up in the 500 meters with her time of 1:20.02, leading several other top-8 finishers for Rochester.
 
During the 1000 meters, Carissa Minarovich crossed in fifth place in 3:15.23, while teammate Sab Lin ended right behind in sixth (3:15.75). Kyra Sandercock placed seventh in the mile in 5:34.5, and Ernest Fleurant was eighth in the open 60 meter race with a time of 8.50 seconds.
 
Rochester is now off for the holiday break, but returns to action in January at the SUNY Brockport Winter Invitational on January 21, 2023.