ITHACA, N.Y. – The Rochester women's indoor track and field team set two meet records, posted 11 All-Atlantic Regional qualifying performances, and won two events outright on the first day of the Liberty League championships at Ithaca College.
 
With eight events complete, Rochester is in second place with 61 points. Host Ithaca is first (125.5 points) and St. Lawrence is third with 46 points. The UR men are third overall with 58.5 points.
 
Susan Bansbach set a meet record in winning the 400 meter run in :57.01. Her time was also an Atlantic Region qualifier. Kristin Hardy finished third in the race (:58.59) and Madeline O'Connell was fourth (:58.78). Both of those times are Atlantic qualifiers, too.
 
Eileen Bequette won the pentathlon for the second time in her career. She was a champion as a first-year, then finished second in her sophomore and junior seasons. This time, she claimed the title with 3,453 points. Her point total is a meet record as well. She won four of the events outright: First in the 60 meter hurdles (:09.49, 810 pts.), first in the high jump (1.59 m., 724 pts.), first in the long jump (5.18 m., 609 pts.), and first in the 800 meter run (2:21.82, 799 pts.). She was fourth in the long jump (5.18 m., 6.09 pts.).

 

In the distance races, Kelley Foley was eighth in the mile run (5:21.84) with an Atlantic Region qualifying time. Rachel Dennis and Sennett Turner both qualified for the Atlantic Region met in the 5,000. Dennis was fifth overall (18:28.86) and Turner crossed the finish line in 18:40.10 (sixth).
 
O'Connell posted her second Atlantic Region qualifying performance of the day when she finished fourth in the pole vault (3.56 m. – 11'8"). Ashley Heffernan was sixth with a jump of 3.26 m. (10'8 ¼"). Alyssa Hoogs was third overall in the long jump (5.19 m. – 17'0 ½").
 
Heffernan qualified to run in the finals of the 60 meter hurdles (:09.25) and the 60 meter dash (:07.98). She will be joined in the hurdles race by Bequette (:09.62). Annabelle Shanks (:08.04) and Kate Isaac (:08.17) qualified for the 60 meters final. Both of Heffernan's trial times are qualifiers as well as the time for Shanks in the 60 meters. Grace Mueller was eighth in the shot put (10.37 m. – 33'6 ¾").
 
The distance medley relay picked up third-place points with a clocking of 13:08.07, which qualified for the Atlantics. The runners were Carissa Minarovich, Madeleine Vogel, Lisa Pink, and Alicia Lawson).