La CROSSE, WIS. - Cortland junior
Sarah Bonnell (Norwich) earned All-America honors in the long jump with her national fifth-place finish during the opening day of competition at the NCAA Div. III Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championships. The three-day meet is being hosted by the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.
Bonnell's best jump was 5.81 meters (19' 0.75") for fifth place in a field of 22 competitors. Melissa Norville of Illinois College won the event with a distance of 6.22 meters (20' 5"). The top eight finishers score points at the meet and are All-Americans.
Senior
Amber Stephens (Stony Point/North Rockland) also competed in the long jump and finished 16th at 5.31 meters (17' 5.25").
In the opening day of the heptathlon, sophomore
Taylor Hudson (Victor) currently sits in second place with 2,976 points and senior
Nikki Schafer (Troy/Columbia) is 12th with 2,805 points. Theresa Ford of Emory University is the current leader with 3,040 points.
Hudson had the second-best high jump during the heptathlon at 1.69 meters (5' 6.5"), was fifth in the 200-meter dash (25.92), placed 11th in the shot put (10.12 meters - 33' 2.5") and was 13th in the 100-meter hurdles (15.37). Schafer was fourth in the 100-meter hurdles (14.93), tied for eighth in the high jump (1.57 meters - 5' 1.75"), finished ninth in the 200-meter dash (26.07) and was 20th in the shot put (8.97 meters - 29' 5.25").
The heptathlon concludes on Friday, starting at 3 p.m. (Central), with the long jump, javelin throw and 800-meter run.
Two other Red Dragons competed in prelims in their events Thursday but did not advance to the finals. Senior
Jordyn Naylon (Fairport) finished 19th in the 1,500-meter run (4:44.27) and junior
Africa Harper (Bronx/John F. Kennedy) was 21st in the 200-meter dash (25.24).
On Friday, Bonnell will run in the 100-meter dash prelims at 6:30 p.m., Hudson will compete in the high jump finals at 2:15 p.m. and Harper will run in the 400-meter dash prelims at 5:50 p.m. (all times Central).
Championship Web Page (includes video and results links)
