RESULTS

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Ithaca College women's track & field national qualifiers traveled to the Crossplex in Birmingham, Ala. to compete in the first day of the NCAA Division III Indoor Championships on March 13. Ithaca earned four points on the day with a podium finish in the pole vault and head into the final day of competition in a tie for 16th.

Talia Hutchinson secured her first career All-America honor as she placed fifth in the pole vault to earn four points for Ithaca with a career-best performance of 4.00 meters. Hutchinson entered the competition at the opening height of 3.60 meters and cleared the bar on her first try. She then cleared 3.75 meters on the first attempt and stayed in the running by surpassing 3.85 meters on her third chance. As the bar moved up to, Hutchinson once again needed her final attempt at 3.95 meters to secure her spot on the podium. She moved up to third by clearing 4.00 meters on her first run and ended up placing fifth after three unsuccessful tries at 4.05 meters.

Lily Seyfert snagged Second Team All-American in the weight throw as she finished ninth overall out of 20 entries with a mark of 17.11 meters. Seyfert was in the first flight of the event and got off to a slow start with marks of 15.04 and 15.22 meters, which put her last in the flight heading into her final throw. On that third attempt, Seyfert measured out 17.11 meters to move up to fourth, and that mark held on through the second flight to qualify for the final. Seyfert remained in ninth over the final three throws with marks of 16.58, 16.94 and 15.68 meters to finish just off the podium.

Rachel Larson won her heat to qualify for tomorrow's final with a preliminary time of 8.49 seconds, which set a new personal best and was the third-fastest time in the prelim. Larson will return to the track for the final at 11:30 a.m. tomorrow.

Erin Eastwood finished 17th in the pole vault by clearing 3.60 meters, but her championship came to an end at 3.75 meters.

Seyfert is also back in action tomorrow in the shot put, which begins at 3 p.m., and Madeleine Wright competes in the high jump at 1:30 p.m.