Women's Preview: Cornell Big Red

Preview by Kate Murdoch. Photos by Dan Grossman.

After winning six straight Indoor Heps titles from 2002 to 2007, the Big Red’s sensational streak was ended by Princeton in 2008 … Coach Lou Duesing’s squad recaptured the title last year at Harvard, but will be challenged by a number of strong teams, both old and new, to keep the Frank Greenberg Trophy in Ithaca … The Big Red enter Heps after a consistent indoor season that has produced some chart topping performances … The team has demonstrated both depth and improvement, and in particular, the short sprints have been looking strong … According to Coach Lou Duesing, this group has “been consistently good. If you believe the descending order list has any reliability, they are situated very well. As are the pole vaulters.” … The vaulters — freshman Lindsey Patterson (Atkinson, N.H.), senior Natalie Gengel (Princeton, N.J.) and sophomore Samantha Brady (Jackson, N.J.) — all have ECAC qualifiers and make up three of the top five Ivy League performers this season … Heading into the last meet weekend before Heps, the women have an impressive 37 individuals on the Ivy League top 10 list … Sophomore Melissa Hewitt (Brampton, Ont.) tops the 60-meter dash list (7.50) and joins the sub 25-second crowd in the 200 … Last year at Indoor Heps, she broke the meet record in the 60, running 7.49 in the semifinals … But teammate Jeomi Maduka broke Hewitt’s mark in the final … Hewitt did get redemption by winning the 100-meter dash at Outdoor Heps last May … Junior Kim Standridge (Randolph, N.J.), following an injury-plagued sophomore year, is the event leader in the 1,000 and a close second in the 800, where she has run under 2:10 this winter … Meanwhile, senior captain Jessica Weyman (Wolcott, Conn.) holds the second position in the 400 and is expected to be a presence in the 200 … Outdoors she has been a sub-minute 400-meter hurdler … Senior Stephanie Pancoast (Westford, Mass.), a top-10 finisher at Heps Cross Country in the fall, is expected to challenge in the distance races … Lists aside, Coach Duesing maintains that all he can hope from his team at Heps is the same he can hope from them at any meet … “I just want people to appreciate the opportunities provided and do the best that they can on that given day.”

Big Red Among The Heps Top 10

Taylor Baird, Soph., 60mH—3 (8.93)

Lauren Bariexca, Jr., 1k—9 (2:55.73)

Samantha Brady, Soph., PV—5 (11-9 3/4)

Kristin Brandt, Soph., TJ—4 (39-1 3/4)

Natalie Gengel, Sr., PV—2 (12-5 1/2)

Molly Glantz, Soph., 500m—10 (1:15.50); 800m—3 (2:11.56)

Ailish Hanly, Fr., HJ—4 (5-5)

Genna Hartung, Fr., 5k—8 (17:17.67)

Melissa Hewitt, Soph., 60m—1 (7.50); 200m—3 (24.91); LJ—3 (19-4)

Victoria Imbesi, Fr., SP—6 (43-11 3/4)

Kelsey Karys, Fr., 3k—7 (9:41.78)

Katie Kellner, Fr., 5k—9 (17:27.23)

Kim Lienhoop, Jr., TJ—8 (38-0 3/4)

Kerri Lyons, Sr., 1k—5 (2:54.61)

Nnenna Okwara, Fr., WT—4 (53-1 1/2)

Stephanie Pancoast, Sr., 3k—9 (9:47.23); 5k—2 (16:58.49)

Lindsey Patterson, Fr., PV—3 (12-3 1/2)

Kristen Rhinehardt, Sr., WT—9 (49-7)

Mecha Santos, Jr., 60m—7 (7.76); 200m—5 (25.10)

Karen Schillinger, Soph., Pen—4 (3,103)

Cassie Schweighofer, Jr., SP—8 (42-10 3/4); WT—5 (52-4 3/4)

Danielle Silas, Soph., 60mH—8 (8.97)

Kim Standridge, Jr., 800m—2 (2:09.82); 1k—1 (2:51.13)

Jessica Weyman, Sr., 200m—8 (25.38); 400m—2 (55.92); 500m—2 (1:13.31)

Krystal Williams, Sr., 60m—2 (7.65)

Megan Williams, Sr., 200m—10 (25.66); 500m—7 (1:15.09)

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010 at 11:59 pm. It is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.