March 12, 2012
SUNYAC Athletes Combine for Eight All-American Performances
Results
SUNYAC student-athletes combined for eight All-America honors from the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association for placing in the top eight in their respective events at the NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships at Grinnell College, March 9-10.
Women’s Highlights
Buffalo State's Jazmin Dunham raced to All-America status in the 60-meter hurdles. Dunham blazed to time of 8.83 seconds and placed fifth in the championship race. It is the sophomore's second career All-America certificate and first as an individual. She was part of the runner-up 4x100-meter relay at the 2011 NCAA Outdoor Championships. She matched her school-record time of 8.80 seconds in the prelims.
Cortland junior Jordyn Naylon and senior Alyson Dalton each earned All-America honors. Naylon finished sixth in the mile run in a field of 10 finalists with a time of 4:56.42, just more than a second better than her time in Friday's preliminaries. Dalton finished eighth out of 15 runners in the 5,000 meters in 17:28.54. The top eight finishers in each event are All-Americans. Naylon and Dalton each earned track and field All-America recognition for the first time. Dalton was a cross country All-American in both 2010 and 2011.
Cortland sophomore Sarah Bonnell finished ninth in the long jump finals and missed earning All-America honors by just one centimeter. Her best leap was 5.51 meters (18' 1”), while the eighth-place finisher recorded a distance of 5.52 meters (18' 1.5”).
The 800 meter run featured three SUNYAC runners. Oneonta’s Lauren Brunetto was 11th in 2:15.36 followed by Geneseo junior Cailin Kowalewski who was 13th in 2:16.58. Plattsburgh senior Amy McCasland finished 15th with a time of 2:18.68.
Stefanie Braun of Plattsburgh wrapped up a solid indoor season with a 14th-place finish in the 5,000-meter run. The senior standout crossed the finish line in 18:08.19.
Stefanie Braun of Plattsburgh wrapped up a solid indoor season with a 14th-place finish in the 5,000-meter run. The senior standout crossed the finish line in 18:08.19.
Oneonta’s Sarah Timmons placed 14th in the hammer-throw with 15.96 meters while teammate Kacy Boburka failed to clear a height in the high jump.
Buffalo State’s Erica Johnson was seeded with the top-time in the 60-meter dash, but could not compete due to a nagging injury. Johnson claimed the championship in the 55-meter dash last year. Sasha Henry entered the same event with the third-fastest seed time, but placed 11th in prelims with a time of 7.81 seconds, failing to advance to the finals.
Men’s Highlights
Geneseo senior Lee Berube claimed his seventh overall All-America certificate and third in the indoor 5,000 meters by covering the distance in a fourth place time of 14:26.60. Senior Eddie Novara placed 10th in the event with a time of 14:41.53 for the Blue Knights.
Oneonta State junior Sean Bernstein earned All-American honors in his first national appearance after finishing seventh in the 60 meter dash. Bernstein crossed the line in 6.91 seconds, which was the exact time that he ran to qualify for the meet. In the preliminaries, he ran a personal best time of 6.90 to qualify for the finals.
Cortland's 4x400-meter relay team of junior Eric Banks, senior Phill Wiltshire, freshman Neil Yodice and sophomore Stephan Linton earned All-America honors with a fourth-place finish. The Red Dragon quartet posted a time of 3:19.36 in the first of two five-team heats that were conducted. It first appeared that Cortland finished third in that heat and fifth overall, but Wisconsin-Whitewater, the heat winner, was disqualified, moving Cortland into the fourth spot overall.
Two of the three SUNYAC competitors in the pole vault earned All-America honors. Fredonia State senior Broncho Rollins finished sixth in the nation when he cleared 4.96 meters, which converts to 16' 3 1/4", the first time he has cleared 16 feet in his life. His previous-best was 4.86 meters. Brockport junior Zach Ferrara cleared 4.81 meters (15' 9 1/4 “) on his first attempt and finished eighth overall in the pole vault. Cortland senior Ryan Pericozzi also competed but did not clear a height when he began the competition at 4.81 meters, missing on all three attempts.
Geneseo senior Wenley Louis, who posted the top distance of the season and second best all-time in Division III in the long jump, placed 10th in the event with a leap of 6.87 meters to miss out on the finals by one spot.
