ITHACA, NY – Capping a tremendous two days of competition, the University of Rochester women's track and field team ended in second place at the Liberty League Indoor Championships at Ithaca College on Saturday afternoon.
 
The 16th-ranked Yellowjackets compiled a total of 171 team points through the 17 event competition, ending in second to host and 5th-ranked Ithaca who accumulated 236.5 points to claim the team title. RPI finished a distant third with 94 points, followed by St. Lawrence with 75 points. Rounding out the field was RIT (52), Union (24.5) and Bard (7).
 
On Saturday, the Yellowjackets backed up a strong day one with three additional league titles, one meet record, four NCAA Division III top-40 marks and 15 All-Atlantic Regional qualifying performances. In addition, senior Eileen Bequette was named the Liberty League Women's Field Performer of the Meet for her performance during the competition.
 
Graduate student Lisa Pink was a double-champion on Saturday, claiming an individual title in the 800 meters while also running on Rochester's first place 4x400 meter relay. Pink clocked in with a regional qualifying time of 2:14.43 in the 800, establishing a new meet record while currently ranking in 15th this season in Division III.
 
Joining Pink on the winning 4x400 meter relay were Kristin Hardy, Bequette and Susan Bansbach. The foursome clocked in with a time of 3:59.47 to claim the league title and an AAR qualifying time.
 
Rochester's third event win of the day went to junior Alyssa Hoogs in the triple jump. Hoogs and teammate Zoe Fortin each jumped 11.12 meters, but it was Hoogs' second best jump edging out Fortin by two centimeters which served as the tiebreaker. Both were regional qualifiers, while Cora Rose finished off the podium in that event with a fifth place finish.
 

In addition to her win in the pentathlon on Friday and the relay victory, Bequette earned her Field Performer of the Meet status by placing runner-up in the high jump with a regional height of 1.58 meters and finishing third in the 60 meter hurdles in 9.50 seconds, another regional qualifier.
 
The Yellowjacket sprinters enjoyed an outstanding day, claiming seven podium finishes across the 60 meters and 200 meters.
 
In the 200 meters, Bansbach was second with a personal-best time of 25.70 seconds, ranking #26 in Division III. Madeline O'Connell claimed third in 26.02 seconds. Hardy ended fifth in 26.34 seconds and Ashley Heffernan was sixth just .04 behind Hardy. All four were regional qualifiers and combined to score a whopping 21 points for the team.
 
The 60 meters saw Rochester claim fourth, sixth and eighth place. Annabelle Shanks was fourth with a personal best time of 8.01 seconds, while Heffernan finished just .01 behind in sixth. Kate Isaac rounded out the scorers with her time of 8.15 seconds. Both Shanks and Heffernan were regional qualifiers.
 
Heffernan's busy day also saw her end second in the 60 meter hurdles with a time of 9.10 seconds. That was another AAR qualifier and personal best. Additionally, she now ranks #31 in Division III and has the second-best time in school history in the event.
 
Two other Rochester athletes ended in second place and will earn All-League honors for their efforts.
Grace Iltis was runner-up in the 3000 meters in 10:25.17, while Gillian Reeder was second in the weight throw with a toss of 14.90 meters. Both were regional performances and scored eight points towards UR's team total. Also scoring in the weight throw, was Vanessa Wish who earned eighth place with a 12.84 meter mark.
 
Rochester's regional qualifiers will head to Nazareth College next Friday and Saturday to compete at the All-Atlantic Region Indoor Championships. That meet will serve as the final chance for athletes to qualify for the NCAA Division III Championship set for March 11-12.