ITHACA, N.Y. – The Ithaca College men's outdoor track & field season was halted before it even had the opportunity to get underway. Ithaca was on the verge of competing at the NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field Championships when the NCAA made the call to cancel all winter championships and spring seasons due to COVID-19. The outdoor season was still two weeks away as Ithaca was schedule to go to Navy on March 27-28.
Although senior day was celebrated on February 1 during the annual Bomber Invitational & Multi inside Glazer Arena at the Athletics and Events Center, 15 seniors had their final season cut short. They would not be able to chase another Liberty League and AARTFC title, as well as have the chance to qualify for the NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships, which was to be held at St. John Fisher College in Rochester, N.Y., one last time.
Since the start of the 2016-17 academic year, the Ithaca College men's track & field team has won four indoor conference championships and finished third all three outdoor seasons. The Bombers also posted five top-four finishes in state or regional meets.
Ithaca was set to compete at the NCAA Indoor Championships with three individual qualifiers and all three were in position to earn All-America honors with their qualifying marks, but the Championships were canceled less than a day before getting underway. The Bombers were ranked nationally for a majority of the season and were ranked as high as No. 18 over the course of the winter.
Garrett Bampos – Middletown, Mass. – Televison/Radio
Bampos was a member of the cross country and track & field teams over the past four seasons. In track & field, Bampos was a three-time Liberty League All-Academic performer and was named Liberty League Honorable Mention in 2018. He competed in distance events for the Bombers and posted a PR with a time of 15:11.34 in the 5,000-meter run this season at the Boston Valentine Invitational.
Austin Beaudin – Moravia, N.Y. – Business Administration
Beaudin competed in sprints for the Bombers all four years. He posted a PR of 7.65 seconds in the 60-meter dash this winter, while his times of 12.15 seconds (100-meter dash) and 24.13 seconds (200) were recorded during the outdoor season in 2019. Beaudin also clocked a PR of 39.29 seconds in the 300 on Dec. 1, 2018.
John Blake – Norwood, Mass. – Televison/Radio
Blake competed on the cross country and track & field teams all four years and was a multiple-time all-conference performer. During his first season, Blake was the Empire 8 champion in the distance medley relay and a second-team honoree in the steeplechase. The following year, he garnered all-conference honors in the steeplechase as a member of the Liberty League, and then in 2018-19, Blake qualified for the Outdoor Championships in the steeplechase after he set a school record with a time of 9:09.75.
Harrison Buttrick – New Canaan, Conn. – Philosophy-Religion
Buttrick showed significant improvement throughout his four years and was named a captain in 2019-20. As a junior, Buttrick was named Second-Team Liberty League in the weight throw, and twice landed on the weekly honor roll. This past winter, Buttrick notched four first place finishes in the weight throw and a pair of runner-up showings, including a PR of 17.74 meters at the Liberty League Championships.
Nick Cohen – Wyckoff, N.J. – Physical Therapy
Cohen has competed as a sprinter and hurdler for IC over the past four years. He has been a three-time All-Liberty League Academic honoree and finished eighth at the outdoor championships in the 400-meter hurdles last spring. Cohen competed in 44 meets during his career on South Hill.
Carl Fortna – Fleetwood, Pa. – Mathematics
Fortna competed on the cross country team as well for the Bombers over the past two seasons after he transferred to Ithaca from Sacred Heart. In his first collegiate outdoor race for IC, Fortna won the 10,000-meters at the Coach Pollard Invitational in 2018. He also posted a second place showing in the 3,000-meters this year at the Southern Tier Collegiate Open at Cornell.
Robert Greenwald – Whippany, N.J. – Physical Therapy
Greenwald has been an integral part to the success of the program over the past four seasons as a high jumper, sprinter and relay runner. Greenwald was an eight-time all-conference performer and was the Liberty League indoor champion in the high jump last season, as well as the Empire 8 champion in the 4x400 in 2016-17. This past winter, Greenwald was selected as an all-region performer in the high jump by the USTFCCCA.
Evan Jones – River Vale, N.J. – Psychology
Jones has been a three-time Liberty League All-Academic performer with the Bombers as a sprinter and relay runner. This past winter, he was Second-Team All-Liberty League in the 4x400-meter relay, and an honorable mention selection in the same event at the outdoor championships last spring.
Jacob Lange – Ithaca, N.Y. – Entertainment and Media Management
Lange competed on the cross country team as well over the past four seasons and has been a three-time All-Academic Liberty League honoree. Lange raced in eight different events – from the 800 to the steeplechase – during his career and posted 10 top-10 finishes.
Jeff Montgomery – Collegeville, Pa. – Physical Therapy
Another member of the cross country program for four seasons, Montgomery was a three-time Liberty League All-Academic honoree. Montgomery ran in six different individual events during his career, as well as saw action on the DMR. This past winter, Montgomery was a first place finisher in the DMR at the Conference Challenge Cup and in the 4x400 at Ithaca's home tri-meet in January. He posted 20 top-10 finishes in his career.
Sean Reardon – North Andover, Mass. – Documentary Studies and Production
Reardon has been a sprinter for the Bombers over the past four seasons and has earned three All-Academic Liberty League honors. He owns a personal best time of 7.43 seconds in the 60-meter dash during his career and has posted 10 top-10 placements as a Bomber.
Patrick Robertson – Oradell, N.J. – Environmental Studies
Robertson was another cross country runner for the Bombers during his time on South Hill. He was a time-time All-Academic selection by the Liberty League and garnered USTFCCCA All-Academic honors in 2016-17. This past indoor season, Robertson ran a leg on the winning DMR team at the Liberty League Indoor Championships.
Forest Stewart – Cortland, N.Y. – Politics
Stewart provided a reliable asset to Ithaca as a distance and cross country runner over his four years. On the track, Stewart won four races during his career, and was a top-eight finisher 13 more times. Since joining the Liberty League, Stewart has been an all-academic selection each year and was named to the weekly honor roll twice for his athletic performances.
Christopher Tinti – Medford, N.Y. – Physical Therapy
Tinti was another member of the cross country program and an all-academic honoree. Tinti ran in six different distance events over a four-year span and posted personal best times in the mile and 5,000-meters this past winter. During his career, Tinti compiled 18 top-eight finishes in distance events.
Christopher Yeates – Verona, N.J. – Business Administration
Yeates was a four-year member of the program as a sprinter. In 2018-19, he ran a leg of the Liberty League championship 4x100-meter relay time and was a 4x200-meter relay champion at the 2018 AARTFC Championships hosted inside Glazer Arena. In the 60-meter dash, Yeates has posted six top-eight finishes during his career. In the 200, he compiled four top-eight placements.
