RESULTS

BETHLEHEM, Pa. - The Ithaca College women's track and field team traveled to Moravian College to compete in the two-day Coach Pollard Invitational this weekend. The Bombers took advantage of the large meet and took home plenty of personal bests and top five finishes as they got ready for postseason action in just a couple of weeks. 

The Bombers took home two individual victories on Friday to get the action started. Senior Lily Seyfert won the Shot Put in 13.53 meters and sophomore distance runner Hannah Pawlowski won the 10,000 meter run in 37:43.70. This was Pawlowski's first time running the distance and had a dominant debut, winning the race by 34 seconds. The Bombers also had two top five finishes in the Hammer Throw on Friday, with Seyfert finishing third in 47.90 meters and junior Enya Green in fourth in 47.52.

On Saturday, it was their two returning First-Team All-Americans from the indoor season who led the charge, as senior Rachel Larson and junior Talia Hutchinson both took home victories and have solidified themselves towards the top of the national rankings again this season. Larson ran 13.76 seconds in the 100 meter hurdles, nearly a half second better than her season best and a .08 second personal best, which was the previous school record of 13.84. Hutchinson jumped 3.95 meters for an outdoors personal best and was joined by her teammate, senior Erin Eastwood who also jumped an outdoor best of 3.80 meters for second. Eastwood is looking poised to return back to the national meet along with her teammate at the conclusion of this season.

Larson also made the finals in the 100 meter dash, running 12.57 seconds in the prelims and 12.62 in the finals. She was joined in the final by sophomore Aynisha McQuillar, who ran 12.15 seconds to finish second overall after running 12.12 seconds in the prelims. In the 200 meter dash, the Bombers were led by first-year Simone Eidex who ran a personal best of 26.43 to finish 9th out of 44 finishers. 

As the distances got longer, the Bombers continued to see more top ten finishes. In the 400 meter dash, it was another first-year, Valentina Wallin who clocked a 59.09 to finish 5th overall. In the 800 meters, senior Joy Petersen ran 2:21.75 to finish 5th and junior Lyla Powers ran 2:23.85 to finish 8th. This is a two second season best for Petersen and a huge nine second improvement from just last week for Powers, her first time back under 2:30 this year. 

Senior Kayleigh Milligan and junior Lola Gitlin were 10th and 11th respectively in the 1500 meters. Milligan ran 4:49.39, consistently getting under the 4:50 barrier for the second straight week. Gitlin, who normally competes in the longer events ran 4:54.57 to win her heat in her debut in the event. Sophomore Nicole Tellechea also competed in the event and had a huge milestone in distance running, breaking the five-minute barrier for the first time, running 4:57.30. Tellechea opened her season in a 5:08, which was a personal best at the time and has been able to consistently shave seconds off her time to qualify for the Liberty League Championships for the first time of her career. 

The Bombers saw more top performances in the field events on Saturday. In the high jump, junior Celia Ryan jumped 1.58 meters for third and sophomore Cameron Ting was sixth in 1.48 meters. Junior Alexis Brown was fourth in the triple jump in 11.24 meters, a .41 meter season best. Brown was also sixth in the long jump in 5.33 meters, which was a personal best. 

The Bombers concluded the meet by running three different 4x400 meter relay teams. The top team of Wallin, junior Julia Ryba, first-year Violet Sloan and junior Ava Butler ran 4:06.59 for fourth overall. 

The Bombers will be back in action on Tuesday, as they have their first home meet of the season at the brand new Egan Family Track & Field Complex as they host the Ithaca College Tuesday Meet starting at 1 p.m.