Women's Indoor Track and Field | 5/20/2020 10:21:32 AM
First-year standouts Eshone Cofield-Jackson and Kelsey Wands of Utica College were named 2019-20 United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Indoor Track and Field All-Americans on May 19.
Cofield-Jackson earned the award in the 200 meter dash, while Wands received the accolades for her work in the long jump. Both athletes previously received All-Region honors from the coaches' association this Spring.
Wands and Cofield-Jackson become the second and third women in program history to receive All-America honors. They join multiple time All-American
Sarah Wiatr (Poland, NY/West Canada Valley) on that exclusive list. Wiatr received the All-America nod twice in the triple jump during her decorated career that wrapped up in 2016. Additionally, Wands and Cofield-Jackson are the only women in the history of the program to receive All-America honors as freshmen.
The USTFCCCA All-American teams are considered to be the most prestigious awards of their kind in Division III Track and Field. The honors customarily recognize any athlete to score team points at an NCAA Championships event, but were expanded for this year to include any athlete who was a declared and initially accepted entry into the NCAA Indoor Championships in March. Just 20 athletes qualify for the national championships in each individual event.
Cofield-Jackson advanced to nationals in the 200-meters with the 12th best time in all of Division III, set in a winning effort at the All-Atlantic Region Indoor Track & Field Championships from Nazareth College. She also earned All-Atlantic Region honors in both the 60- and 200-meter dash events. On March 19, Cofield-Jackson was named the 2019-20 Empire 8 Indoor Track Athlete and Rookie of the Year.
Cofield-Jackson was named Empire 8 Championship Indoor Track Athlete of the Meet on Feb. 29 after winning the 60-meter (7.97 seconds) and 200-meter dash (25.55 seconds) events, in addition to leading the Pioneers to a speedy time of 4:06.42 in the 4 x 400-meter relay. Cofield-Jackson was also runner-up in the 400-meter dash (1:00.44), as Utica placed second as a team at the league championship. She was a two-time Empire 8 Track Athlete of the Week.
Wands recorded the fifth best long jump in the region and 19th best mark in the country at 5.59 meters, set in a winning effort at the 2020 Empire 8 Indoor Track and Field Championships on Feb. 29 to qualify for the national championship meet. She also placed fourth in the long jump at the All-Atlantic Region Indoor Championship at Nazareth.
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