FIGHTING TIGER WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD TIES FOR 2ND AT NJCAA NATIONALS

Behind 15 NJCAA All-American performances, the SUNY Cobleskill women’s outdoor track & field team posted a score of 93 points to tie for second place in a field of 20 teams at the 2007 NJCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field National Championships hosted by Howard Community College in Columbia, MD over the weekend. It marked the second time in three years and the third time overall the Cobleskill program has finished as the national runners-up previously accomplishing the feat in 2005 and 2002.

Leading the charge for the Fighting Tigers was freshman multi-event athlete Jennifer Villanova, Clifton Park, NY, Shenendehowa High School, and senior multi-event athlete Erinn O’Rourke, South Glens Falls, NY, South Glens Falls High School. Villanova captured the NJCAA National Championship in the Long Jump with an effort of 17’4 ¾” to earning First Team NJCAA All-American honors in the event while placing second in the Triple Jump with a mark of 33’4 ¾”earning Second Team NJCAA All-American honors. Villanova also brought home a third place finish in the Pole Vault clearing a height of 7’11 ¼”. O’Rourke won the national title in the Heptathlon with a score of 3272 points to earn NJCAA First Team All-American honors while scoring individually in the High Jump with a height of 4’6 ¼”, eighth in the Javelin with a mark of 81’ 1 ¾” and fourth in the 100 Meter Hurdles with a time of 18.64 seconds.

Freshman distance runner April Ackermann, South Huntington, NY, Sullivan West High School, was a three-time Second Team NJCAA All-American for the Fighting Tigers placing second in the 10,000 Meters with at time of 42:24.83, second in the 5000 Meters with a time of 19:36.21 and second in the 3000 Meter Steeplechase with a time of 12:39.43. Senior hurdler Teresa Cox, Bellport, NY, Bellport High School, also earned NJCAA Second Team All-American honors in the 400 Meter Hurdles placing second in the event with a time of 1:12.90.

In the relays the Fighting Tigers produced two NJCAA Second Team All-American squads as the team of Jennifer Villanova, Erinn O’Rourke, Teresa Cox and freshman sprinter Regina Morgan, Brooklyn, NY, Prospect Heights High School, placed second in the 4 X 100 Meter Relay with a program record time of 51.49 seconds and second in the 4 X 400 Meter Relay also in a program record time of 4:12.0.

Cobleskill also received scoring performances in the throws from senior Beth Conte, Herkimer, NY, Herkimer High School, who placed seventh in the Hammer Throw with a toss of 107’ 3 ¼” and from freshman Kayla Evers, Oneonta, NY, Lighthouse Academy, who placed eighth in the event with a mark of 107’3”.

“We competed above and beyond what was expected of us with everyone peaking at the right time and with everyone contributing to this finish,” said Fighting Tiger Head Coach Brad Fichthorn. “We had 15 All-American performances, established new program records in the relays, the Long Jump, the Pole Vault and had five additional personal bests. This was a great way for us to conclude the season and we intend to attempt to carry this momentum through to next season with a large, experienced group of returnees and an exciting recruiting class coming in things could be very interesting in 2008.”