The Empire 8 sent 14 student-athletes to the 2016 NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships in Grinnell, Iowa and came away with four national titles, six All-American performances, five school-records, three facility records and one Division III meet record. It was quite the weekend!
Stevens Instiute of Technology senior Amy Regan highlighted the weekend with two record setting national title performances. On Friday, March 11 she led from start to finish and won the 5,000 meter with a facility record time of 16:48.62. The time was nine seconds better than the runner-up, and bested the previous facility mark by 13 seconds.
On Saturday, March 12 she won the 3,000 meter in a time of 9:30.80 which was not only the facility record, but also broke the Division III Indoor Championship meet record. It was the second fastest 3K ever run in DIII history.
Regan's teammate Gladys Njoku successfully defended her high jump title from a year ago and claimed this year's championship title reaching a height of 1.75-meters. The 1.75 meters tied a season-best for Njoku, and was .3 centimeters better than the second place competitor.
Nazareth senior Luis Rivera became the Golden Flyers' first-ever track and field national champion on March 11. He demolished the field in the 35-pound weight throw with a facility and school record toss of 20.45 meters (67 feet, 1 ¼ inches). Rivera's throw was nearly five feet better than second place finisher and is also the sixth-best mark in Division III history.
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
* Ithaca sophomore Taryn Cordani set the school record in the 3,000 meter run (9:42.85).
* Ithaca junior Brandy Smith set a school-record mark of 18.46 meters in the weight throw.
* Utica senior Sarah Wiatr set the school record in the triple jump (12.01 meters).
* Utica junior Nicodemus Gambill school-record of 6.90 in the 60 meter dash.
ALL-AMERICANS
* Andrew Brandt (Ithaca), high jump - 4th
* Taryn Cordani (Ithaca), 3000 meter - 8th
* Katherine Pitman (Ithaca), pole vault - 2nd
* Brandy Smith (Ithaca), weight throw - 4th
* Kyle Koehler (St. John Fisher), shot put - 7th
* Sarah Wiatr (Utica), triple jump - 4th