UTICA, NY – University of Rochester women's track & field senior
Madeline O'Connell smashed the outdoor pole vault record by nearly 0.20m, as the Yellowjackets competed on Sunday at the Utica University CNY Fast Chance Meet at the Pioneer Turf and Track and Field Complex, looking to improve their marks ahead to the All-Atlantic Region Outdoor Track & Field Championships this week.
The 'Jackets hit 10 AARTFC marks while setting a new facility record in the 4x100 meter relay and a program record with O'Connell's pole vault.
O'Connell finished second in the pole vault with a new school and personal best 4.01m vault, beating her previous mark and record by 0.16m, a mark that currently ranks third in NCAA Division III.
The senior began the day running the final leg of UR's 4x100 meter relay, which took home first place and set a new facility record with a time of 47.34, hitting the AARTFC mark in the process. O'Connell anchored the relay, with
Kate Isaac,
Susan Bansbach and
Ashley Heffernan running the first three legs.
In the 400m, Isaac, along with
Megan Bell and
Kristin Hardy, finished 1-2-3, with Bell claiming the top spot. All three notched regional-qualifying times, with Bell coming in at 57.47, Isaac finishing second with a new personal best of 57.70, and Hardy clocking in at 58.54, good for third.
Rounding out the track events, Bansbach scored another AARTFC time and a second-place finish in the 200m with a time of 25.06s.
Ashleigh Barrett added another second-place tally in the long jump, hitting the AARTFC mark with a 5.37m mark, while
Zoe Fortin finished sixth in the triple jump, jumping 10.75m.
In the hammer throw,
Gillian Reeder hit another regional qualifying mark with a 44.82m throw, good for seventh, with
Deziree Garrick (10th, 41.82m) and
Livia Ilasz (11th, 41.63) joining the senior in the top 12.
Garrick led UR in the shot put, hitting the AARTFC mark with a 12.08m throw, good for sixth, while
Cora Rose and Reeder both earned Top-6 finishes in the discus. Rose finished second on the day with a 38.37m throw, another AARTFC qualifier, while Reeder's throw of 37.31m came in sixth.
Rochester next heads to Selinsgrove, PA for the 2023 All-Atlantic Region Outdoor Track & Field Championships, beginning on Wednesday, May 17 at 12:00 p.m.
