iti v . • • y S;H E ;] 2006 Track & Field Preview Big Red versus Army at the Moakley Course A young women's cross country team enjoyed success that belied their experience, winning three meets that included the season-ending ECAC championships as well as the prestigious Iona Meet of Champions. With four freshmen and three juniors comprising the top seven in the championship part of the year, Cornell enjoyed a season that produced important learning experiences while also maintaining a high level of success that the program has come to expect. The women opened the season with a sweep of Army at Cornell's Moakley Course, winning in a perfect score 15-50. Nyam Kagwima '07 led Cornell to a sweep of the first eight places, including 10 of the first 11. The Big Red's first eightfinisherscrossed the line within a remarkable 16 seconds of one another as the squad ran as a group most of the way. Captain Angela Kudla '06 was the team's fifth and final scorer at only 10 seconds behind Kagwima. Cornell followed up on this auspicious start with a convincing victory at the Iona Meet of Champions at Van Cortlandt Park, N.Y. The team's stellar group of first-year runners stepped up impressively as Aeriel Emig '09, Danielle Schaub '09 and Marie Parks '09 were the teams' first, second, and fourthplace finishers. Toni-Lynn Salucci '07 ran a great race to finish as the team's third runner for the first time in her career, while Christy Planer '06 was only 17 seconds behind Emig. The team scored 67 points to out-distance second place by 48 points. In the next two meets leading up to the Heps, our nationally-ranked women placed fifth at the Paul Short Run at Lehigh, and eighth at the Penn State National Invitational. Cornell's top seven athletes were non-seniors and freshmen. Parks led the way in both competitions. Cornell entered the Heps with a young squad that was exceeding expectations. Although the team had hoped for better than its sixth-place finish ahead of Dartmouth and Harvard, there were a number of tangible highlights. The women were led by Kagwima, who earned second team AllIvy honors with a 21 second PR of 17:55.5, good for 13th overall and a place in Cornell's all-time top 10 at Van Cortlandt. Kagwima's improvement was not unique, as Cornell's first nine runners all set Van Cortlandt Park personal bests. Parks improved 24 seconds from her best time, running 18:13.8 to place 24th, and classmate Emig ran well, placing 28th in 18:22.4. Christy Paul'07 (33rd, 18:31.9, a 41-second Van Cortlandt PR) and Salucci (34th, 18:31.9, a 10-sec- 2005ECAC Cross Country Champions ond course PR) crossed the line together. Freshmen Schaub (40th, 18:39.2) and Katie Roll '09 (42nd, 18:44.4) ran well in their first Heps. Not only were there four freshmen in Cornell's top seven, but the Big Red yearlings were the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh-best novices in the field. WhiLe the team put together good times, other nationally-ranked teams ran even better. No. 7 Columbia, led by NCAA eventual runner-up Caroline Bierbaum's second straight win, impressed with their fourth-consecutive team title, scoring 54 points, while No. 18 Princeton was a close second-place with 65 points. In a fantastic battle, the top three runners in the field all broke the previous Heps record at Van Cortlandt Park. A tight four-team battle for the next team positions ended up with Penn (104), Yale (114), Brown (129) and Cornell (132) finishing in the third through sixth slots. Cornell was able to turn the tables on Brown at the NCAA regional meet, placing seventh and closing the gap on Yale, but the real exclamation point for the season came at the ECACs held at Van Cortlandt Park. The women won their second ECAC championship in four seasons, and placed in the top three for the eighth time in nine years. Kagwima earned her second career All-East award, ending with a good kick down the homestretch to pass Maryland's first two runners. Parks concluded a stellar freshman campaign to place 10th in 18:22.3. Missing All-East honors by one place was Emig, who was 16th. Moving up together and closing extremely well in the last 400 were Paul and Salucci, who pLaced 22nd and 23rd respectively. These good finishes closed out the scoring for the Big Red, with a winning total of 76 points, alLowing them to turn the tables on teams like Maryland, Yale, Iona and James Madison, all of whom had defeated the Big Red earlier in the year. Frosh runners Roll (27th) and Schaub (37th) both ran well as Roll would have been in every other team's top five and Schaub was ahead of every other team's sixth runner. With the entire top seven returning next season, this was a great way to conclude the season and a valuable learning experience for a young team that has a bright future in front of it. Let's Get Connected! The Cornell Track Association has established a list-serve to facilitate conversation and communication among alumni about Cornell track and cross country. If you've already subscribed, tell your teammates to get on line with us or let us know how to get in touch with them! If you haven't yet subscribed, or if you have any questions, contact the list-serve administrator, Artie Smith at (607) 255-9782 or e-mail him at acsl@cornell.edu. ew The 2005 men's cross country season was the second straight year of continued improvement minute personal-best time of 25:27. Newcomer Sam Luff'09 broke 26:00 as the team's seventh man. for the program. The squad of freshmen who dominated two seasons ago is now coming of age. The season started off strongly before illness and a quirky injury hampered the team. But the harriers rallied in November to establish themselves as one of the stronger teams in recent school history, showing that the future looks bright for the Big Red. The Big Red varsity competed in the lightning-fast Chile Pepper Invitational in Fayetteville, Ark. Facing perhaps the toughest collegiate field of the year outside of the national championships (with four nationally-ranked teams in attendance), the Cornell harriers were caught on their heels by a sea of Kenyans who blazed a 4:20 first mile. The team struggled to a The season kicked off auspiciously seventh-place showing in the 33-team with a convincing 19-39 victory over field, though the Big Red had hoped Army in the annual dual meet held to finish in the top five. at Cornell's Moakley course. Team captain and 2004 All-American Bruce Hyde '06 controlled the race with ease, breaking away from a tight pack after three miles and establishing a 10-second lead less than a mile later. He was joined at the finish line by Brad Baird '07. Two weeks later, the Big Red came into the Heps Championships at Van Cortlandt Park with a good chance of a top three team finish, but the runners met with disappointment. Defending individual champion Hyde was stricken with a respiratory ailment and was forced to abandon the race The squad again performed well two after two miles. The squad wound up weeks later with a third-place finish in sixth place. Baird, who had pulled out of 25 teams at the Iona Meet of an abdominal muscle leading up the Champions at storied Van Cortlandt race, ran cautiously due to pain from Park, N.Y. The Big Red lost to national his injury, but competed admirably to powerhouses No. 2 Arkansas and No. 8 finish 15th in 25:14. Ricky Lader'07 Iona. In grabbing third, Cornell de- had his best race of the season to feated Ivy foe Brown by 30 points and finish in 23rd place with a 24-second also soundly drubbed La Salle, which VCP personal best of 25:27. Canaday had received votes in the national followed in 31st with 25:35, and se- poll. The meet showcased the vast nior Bryan Jarrett '06 closed out his improvement of Sage Canaday '08, Cornell cross country career with a as he finished 24th place with a two- 10-second VCP best of 25:39 to finish 33rd. Capping Cornell's scoring was 800-meter school record-holder Jimmy Wyner '08 with a time of 25:54 to place 43rd. The top four Cornell runners—even without Hyde—were faster than the team's second man in 2004. Moreover, the season was not yet complete. The Big Red would rebound to have the best showing by a Cornell men's team in over a decade in its next outing. At the NCAA Northeast Regional at Boston's Franklin Park, the Big Red harriers put together the team performance they had hoped for at Heps. The entire top seven athletes ran well, and the team finished a strong fourth place out of 37 teams. In the process of attaining Cornell's best showing at the meet in 13 years, Cornell demonstrated huge improvement from the seventh-place result in this meet a year ago. The Big Red also handily turned the tables on Ivy rivals Brown and Columbia. Baird led the Big Red charge for the third time this season, finishing 14th overall. Hyde, the defending regional champion and NCAA All-American, was still not at full strength, but toughed it out with team spirit to place 15th. Canaday and Wyner got in the thick of things early and stayed there the whole way to finish 20th and 23rd place, respectively. Lader got off to a slow start but rallied with a huge second half to pass nearly 30 runners and finish in 32nd place. Only 40 seconds separated Cornell's first and fifth place finishers, underscoring the team's depth and cohesiveness in the race. Everyone left Boston giddy due to the improvement and the best overall team performance by the squad in 13 years. In the IC4A meet at Van Cortlandt Park the following week, the team ran without Hyde and finished second to Duke University with a score of 98112. Duke was also fourth in their region and ran their full team at IC4As. The performances during the 2005 season, particularly the team showing at the Northeast Regional, clearly indicate that the team can perform close to the national level when healthy and firing on all cylinders. E D I T O R ' S NOTE: A correction from last year's Wastebasket. In going over last year's cross country review in preparation for this issue, we realized we inadvertently omitted mention of Dave Eckel '58. When Bruce Hyde '06 won the 2004 Heps individual title, he joined Eckel, Jon Anderson '71 and Brian Clas '94 as the only men's individual winners in the past 50 years. Eckel remains in Cornell's top 10 all-time at Van Cortlandt Park nearly fifty years after his exploits women's track and field preview The Cornell women's track and field squad had perhaps its best season ever in 2005. The Big Red won both the indoor and outdoor Heptagonal track and field championships, setting a record with its seventh and eighth consecutive titles. At the ECAC championships, Cornell finished third indoors and second outdoors, its highest finish ever. The team captured the title at the Irvine Spring Break Invitational, along with registering top finishes at the Sea-Ray, Long Beach and Penn Relays. Seventeen athletes qualified for the NCAA East regional, while six reached the NCAA Division I national collegiate championships, the most ever for a Cornell team. The squad graduated a talented senior group that included seven Heptagonal champions. While the Big Red suffered key graduation losses, an outstanding nucleus of decorated student-athletes returns for the 2005-06 season, including eight individual Ivy League champions. Another solid recruiting year, coupled with the return of veteran athletes, should mean another competitive campaign for the Big Red. tannin Cornell hopes to repeat the sprint successes of the recent past by welcoming back a strong contingent of experienced athletes. Jan Seale '06 heads an impressive group of short sprinters while the long sprints are loaded again, led by Ivy League 400-meter champions co-captain Linda Trotter '06 and Cameron Washington '07. Both are experienced relay runners, qualifying for the NCAA championships on Cornell's 4x400 team (3:36.04), which also won the ECAC indoor and outdoor races and the indoor Heptagonals. Returners Christina Cossell '07 and Katie Reidel '08 along with talented newcomers Tameka Royal '09 and Erin Payne '09 should aLso contribute. Hurdles This should be a particularly strong set of events for the Big Red again in 2005-06. Cornell has been a dominant force in the Heptagonal short hurdle and returns Stephanie King '07, a two-time league champion. She dominated the indoor and outdoor Heps, winning both the 60 and 100 hurdles. King also qualified for the NCAA East regionals. Joan Casey '08 had a most impressive freshman year, scoring in both conference meets. Multi-eventer Jamie Greubel'06 rounds out a great trio of hurdlers. The Big Red counts two of the league's dominant hurdlers among its performers at 400 meters. Cossell, an All-East selection and Heps scorer, returns for her third collegiate campaign. King recorded the Big Red's third-best effort at the long hurdles with a 1:02.33 best to reach the Heps finals as well. Carey Ambrosetti '09 is a two-time New York state scorer in the 400 hurdles and gives the Cornell a strong trio in this event. Middle Distance Traditionally one of the team's strongest event groups, the middle distance runners had a phenomenal year in 2004-05. The 4x800 finished the 2005 season with the fifth-best time in the nation and lowered the previous Ivy League record by over three seconds, twice running under 8:39. The team's 8:35.70, third-place showing at the Penn Relays was a run for the ages. In addition, the distance medley relay earned All-East honors, and like the 4x800, was the champion at the 2005 Sea Ray Relays. Although an outstanding group graduated in 2005, a talented squad returns in what should continue to be a strong event area for the Big Red. Cornell will be led by Morgan Uceny '07, who earned All-America honors indoors while winning two individual Heps 800 championships and anchoring the outdoor 4x800 title team. Uceny was also Stephanie King '07 the ECAC champion indoors in the 800 and an ECAC qualifier in the 500. Uceny will be joined by Ruth Morgan '06, who has been a consistent performer throughout her career. A three-time All-East selection, Morgan is an indoor and outdoor ECAC qualifier in the 800 and a past Heps scorer as well. Other 800 runners to keep an eye on are Devon Rupley '08, Anjelica Gregory '08, Amanda Wheat '09 and Robin Daniels '09. The mile also boasts some talented athletes for Cornell as Kagwima, a Heps 1500 scorer, returns; she should be joined by Planer, Mary Maleta '08, Emig and Shannon Crane '09. Distance With four individual ECAC qualifiers returning and a talented group of newcomers joining the team, the distance group should be much improved in 2005-06. Emily McCabe '06, who missed the fall campaign with a stress fracture, is a Heps scorer in the 10K, an NCAA regional qualifier at 5K, and an ECAC qualifier at every event over 3,000 meters. Robyn Ellerbrock '07 has proven to be one of the top steeplechasers in the East, scoring at both the Heps and the ECACs as a sophomore. Several standout newcomers will further bolster these events including Parks, Schaub and Roll. Jumps This could be the Big Red's strongest event group for 2005-06. The team returns Ivy League scorers in all four events and features Heps champions, school-record holders and a bevy of talented newcomers. The high jump features two of the East's best in Shawna Rossini '07 and Sarah Wilfred '07. Wilfred was the 2005 Ivy indoor champion and was an ECAC scorer and an NCAA East regional scorer. She set the outdoor school mark at 5-83A and continues to improve. Rossini was the Heps runner-up in 2004 and a Heps scorer in 2005, reaching a personal best of 5-7. She qualified for the ECAC championships and is considered a threat to challenge for school records in the high jump in 2005-06. The pole vault features Katie Regan '06, a Heps scorer who recorded Cornell's best vault of 11-93A. Karen Snyder '07 will again compete in the long jump and triple jump, leading a talented group in these disciplines. She has scored at the Heps on numerous occasions and earned All-East honors with a fifth-place finish in the triple jump at the 2004 ECACs. She owns bests of 19-11% and 39-11% in the long jump and triple jump, respectively. Wilfred was third at the Heps in the triple jump and holds Cornell's ninth-best mark at 38-73A. An exceptional group of newcomers should make a huge impact here. Texas high school state champion Jeomi Maduka '09 enters her college career with marks of 39-6 in the triple jump and 19-3 in the long jump. Newcomers Rebecca Brunner'09, Julie Lundgren '09, Mallory Biblo '09 and Gabrielle Boley '09 will also contribute. Multi-Events Greubel returns for her final campaign after a spectacular junior year. She scored 3,426 points in the pentathlon, good for fourth place at the Heps and qualified for the ECAC championships. In her outdoor year she captured her second Heptagonal heptathlon championship, and followed that up by finishing second at the ECACs with a personal best and school record 5,032, a mark that was good enough to qualify for the NCAA championships. Troy Mullins '09 has the tools to be an excellent multi-event performer. immmmm The Big Red returns three Heps champions to defend their titles. Back in the mix are co-captain Sheeba Ibidunni '06, who won both the indoor 20-pound weight and the outdoor shot, and Danielle Dufresne '07, the 2005 outdoor hammer winner. In the 20-pound weight, Cornell will look to Ibidunni, a returning Heps champion and All-East performer, to lead the way. She won the indoor weight in 2005 with a throw of 59-8V2 and was an ECAC scorer. Dufresne also returns after a fourth-place throw of 52-04. Also reaching the 50-foot mark was Andrea Kavleski '08, who was a Heps finalist as a rookie. Daria Zivanovic '09, an indoor national scorer in both the weight and Continued on next page women's track and field preview continuedfrom previous page shot, will likely make an immediate impact. Dufresne and Ibidunni will provide the one-two punch in the hammer throw as well. Dufresne will attempt to defend her 2005 title and improve her personal record of 177-0. Ibidunni has also reached the 175-0 mark in her career, while Kavleski and Zivanovic, with career bests of 154-0 and 150-0, respectively, will also contribute. Ibidunni, one of the most versatile Big Red field athletes, will also be a presence in the shot put. She was a Heps champion, ECAC scorer and NCAA regional qualifier in 2005. Ibidunni threw 46-3 last year to improve by over three feet from her sophomore year. She will be joined by Maria Telloni '08, a two-time Heps scorer with a personal best of 43-8, and Zivanovic, who has reached 42-6. In the discus, Cornell will look to Crystal Thomas '08, Heps scorer and ECAC qualifier. Maria Matos '09 has a chance to take over as the Big Red's top discus performer after registering a throw of 166-5 in high school last year. She was ranked No. 1 in the nation and was eligiable to compete for the Dominican Republic at the world Pan Am Juniors. INDOOR TRACK & FIELD SCHEDULE December 3 Cornell Relays Ithaca, N.Y. January 6 Cornell Open Ithaca, N.Y. January 14 Penn State Open State College, Pa. January 20 Pentathlon I Ithaca, N.Y. January 21 Upstate Challenge Ithaca, N.Y. January 28 Harvard/Brown Cambridge, Mass. February 4 To be Announced Ithaca, N.Y. February 10 Pentathlon I I Ithaca, N.Y. February 10-11 Penn State Invitational State College, Pa. February 11 Robert J. Kane Invitational Ithaca, N.Y. February 18 Marc Deneault Invitational Ithaca, N.Y. February 25-26 Heptagonal Championships Hanover, N.H. March 4-5 ECAC/IC4A Championships Boston, Mass. March 10-11 NCAA Championships Fayetteville, Ark. OUTDOOR March 18 March 25 April 8 April 14-15 April 14-15 April 22 April 22 April 27-29 April 30 May 6-7 May 12-14 May 26-27 June 7-10 June 13-29 TRACK & FIELD SCHEDULE Long Beach Invitational Long Beach, Calif. Spring Break Invitational Irvine, Calif. Quaker Invite Philadelphia, Pa. Sea-Ray Relays Knoxville, Tenn. Bucknell Invitational Lewisburg, Pa. Lafayette Invitational (M) Easton, Pa. Penn Dual (W) Philadelphia, Pa. Penn Relays Philadelphia, Pa. Big Red Invitational Ithaca, N.Y. Heptagonal Championships Philadelphia, Pa. ECAC/IC4A Championships Princeton, N.J. NCAA Regional Championships Greensboro, N.C. NCAA Championships Sacramento, Calif. United Kingdom Tour Over the last three years, the Cornell track and field team has set the standard of excellence among teams in the Ivy League and the East. The hallmark of this standard has been developing outstanding performers in each and every event. During this time, Cornell has captured the outdoor Heptagonal championships three consecutive times, and had at least one qualifier for the NCAA regional championships in 17 of the 19 events. The team has ranked among the top 25 teams in the country by the USTCA National Power Ranking in each of the last five years, and in 2005 Cornell again swept the indoor and outdoor Heptagonal and Ivy championships. Having won five of the last six titles, the Big Red appears poised to repeat their successes in 2006. Cornell returns 12 All-Ivy and 13 All-East performers along with 30 IC4A qualifiers and 14 NCAA Regional qualifiers. With top athletes in almost every event returning, four All-East performers recovered from injury, and an excellent freshman class, 2006 could prove to be yet another banner year. Cornell is a balanced and deep team with high expectations at both the Ivy League and IC4A levels as well as national aspirations. There are also an incredible 21 athletes who have previously scored at the Heps. Leading the way in 2006 will be cross country All-American Bruce Hyde '06, IC4A Pole Vault champion Evan Whitehall '07, and a sophomore class that won three individual Heps titles. This class was also involved in establishing no Less than six new school records during their inaugural season with the Big Red. Continued on next page men's track and field preview continuedfrom previous page ETTffiTH Since the arrival of head coach Nathan Taylor, the jumping events have been a major area of strength. This year's group will be no different with at least one NCAA Qualifier in each event. The deepest event will probably be the high jump where David Pell '07 and senior cocaptain Pat McDonough '06 lead the way. Both Pell, a two time NCAA qualifier, and McDonough were All-East in 2005, finishing third and fourth at the IC4As. In the pole vault, Whitehall will try to be the next Cornell vaulter to win a Heps championship and bring that streak to five years in a row. Whitehall was an NCAA qualifier in 2005, and the All-Ivy and All East vaulter looks to make the big show in 2006. In the long jump and triple jumps, the team will be lead by Rayon Taylor '08, 2005's jumper of the year, school record-holder and NCAA qualifier. Taylor had an incredible year. He jumped just over 52 in the triple jump, making him the No. 1 freshman in the country, and nearly 24 in the long jump. Joining him is classmate Muhammad Halim '08, who had an incredible freshman season in his own right as he spanned 24-3 in the long jump and 50-11 in the triple jump, qualifying for the nationals in both events. Not to be outdone, Kofi Ofori-Ansah '08 returns from injury. During his freshmen year he established a freshman record (since broken) in the triple jump with a best of 506, also qualifying for the NCAA meet. Distance and Mid Distance Assistant coach Robert Johnson does a phenomenal job with the middle distance and long distance runners. In three short years, the Cornell squad has moved into national prominence as they posted the No. 4 time in the nation for the distance medley relay outdoors at 9:33.72, the No. 11 time in the 4x800 at 7:26.74 and the No. 5 time in the 4xMile at 16:26. In 2005 they set multiple school records and demonstrated huge improvements from the previous year. Powerhouse Bruce Hyde, third at the USATF Indoor Nationals competition in 2004, was called on to be the anchor of the group throughout his junior year. He responded beautifully, running 4:01 in the mile and 8:03 in the 3K, all the way to the NCAA meet. Hot on his heels will be sophomore sensation Jim Wyner '08, who, as a freshman, established a new Cornell record in the 800 at 1:48.63. He ran 3:46.46 in the 1500, making him one of the top five freshman runners in the country. Excellent depth is also found with Gordon Hall '06, who is the indoor 800 record holder. He anchored the IC4A indoor championship 4x800 along with Heps 1000m runner-up and All-East junior Brian Mongeon '07. Mike Smayda '08, Ian Ward '08, Ross McGowan '06 and James Connolly '06 have all run 1:52 or better on championship relays, garnering either All-Ivy or All East accolades. In the longer races, NCAA qualifier Baird leads the Steeplers with a time of 8:57, and will be hotly pursued by freshman recordholder Aaron Arlinghaus '07, who has run SAVE THE DATE Make your plans to be there!! he men and women's track I and field teams will compete for their outdoor Heps titles again on May 6-7, 2006. Plan to join the Cornell Track Association and your former teammates to cheer the teams on. The weekend in Philadelphia will be filled with good food and drink at a premier restaurant. The event will also include laughs, reminiscing, plenty of fun and of course, outstanding and recordbreaking performances. Join us at Franklin Field to let Penn and the other Ivies know that the Big Red is in the house. The CTA annual spring meeting will be held on May 6, 2006 in Philadelphia. More info to come. If you have not already, send your email address to acsl@cornell.edu. 8:58. Ward has recorded a best time of 9:14 in 2005 after only two races. Ricky Lader '07 is ready for a breakthrough year. Freshmen team MVP in cross country, Lader will lead the team in the 5K and 10K and will be joined by two outstanding freshmen in Sam Luff'09, the Penn Relays runner-up in the 3K, and New England regional champion David Krause '09. Sprints and Hurdles In the past five years, Cornell has returned to the top in the Ivy League in both the sprint and hurdle events. This season will be no exception as Cornell returns Heps champions in the 60M dash, Jordan Lester '08, the 60M high hurdle, Saidu Ezike'08, and in the 400 hurdles. Lester burst onto the scene last year as a freshman by establishing new school records almost every week in a season that culminated in winning the Heps and finishing in second place at the IC4As. The backup for Lester will fall on the shoulders of Oregon state champion Nathan Crabtree '09, who owns a best time of 10.63. He will be a major factor along with indoor school record holder Adam Seabrook '08. As a freshman, Seabrook finished second in the Heps 400 indoors and ran 47.90 before moving on to the 400 hurdles outdoors, where he gained his first Heps championship with a PR of 52.00. Returning from a year abroad is 2004 Heps 400 hurdle champion, Greg Simonds '06. Adding to these two is yet another runner who had an exceptional freshman year in 2005, Aaron Merrill '08. Co-captain Kolby Hoover '07 lowered his PRs in the 400, 500 and 400 hurdles as hefinishedfourth at the Heps. His continued development could give Cornell four runners under 52 seconds in 2006. Nationally- ranked newcomer Marcel vanEeden '09 could knock one of these guys off the relay team as Cornell again chases the elusive school record of 3:07.04. Throws and Multi-Events Five NCAA qualifiers in the throws have graduated. The javelin appears to be the strongest event for the Big Red. Setting their sights on a Heps title are Ryan Kis- kadden '07, 2004 freshman record-holder Derrick Bass '07 and incoming star Jordan Banninga '09, who was second at OFSAA. In the discus, Bryan Holland '08 narrowly missed the IC4As, as did Shane Messner'07. Both should improve dramatically and could score valuable points in Cornell's quest for yet another Heps championship. Holland and Zach Knight '07 return as the top shot putters who must improve to be competitive. In the hammer, Joe Pucci '08 was a Heps finalist and IC4A qualifier, and returns after a year off. The heptathlon/ decathlon squad will be lead by co-captain Vito Spadafino '06. The hardest working guy on the team, Spadafino has scored indoors and out at the Heps and has qualified for the IC4As in both events as well. He is improving rapidly and should be thinking about setting new school records in both events. alumni updates Sarah Herskee '03 has rejoined the Cornell cross country and track program as the team's trainer! The former team captain and Heps champion spent the past two years at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga where she earned her Masters degree in athletic training. She writes that "she couldn't possibly turn down the opportunity of coming back to Ithaca and working with the team." And the team has been lucky to have her this fall! Dave Eckel '58 has an update on a few teammates: "Greetings from Sarasota, Florida. Several old Cornell cross country and trackmen get together in our area. Chuck Hill '59 was a Heptagonal champion and is now a retired plastic surgeon, traveling the world. Glenn Fausset '73, a Heptagonal champion, is the president of the First National Bank in our area. Both are still working out on a regular basis." Charlie Ferrell '71 adds this story from the Jack Warner Reunion of this past spring: "Attendees for the Jack Warner dinner included former middle distance/distance teammates Charlie Ferrell'71, Don Alexander '72, Tom Baker '72, Phil Ritson '72 and Bob Anastasio '74. Charlie suggested they repeat the Varna run one more time. The other four claimed to be out of training but agreed to run. In fact, all four were in racing shape and left Charlie dragging in the back, same as they had done many times before." Editor's Note: Charlie is also likely getting dragged out on training runs by his daughter Cack, who is a senior finishing up a stellar cross country and track career at Princeton, where she is a multiple All-America and Heps champion, and recently placed 10th at the NCAA cross country championships. Writes Jeanne (Arnold) Schwetje '78: " I have unofficially been helping my husband coach the boys' and girls' cross country teams at the high school where he teaches. There are two boys competing in the state meet. One great outcome of my being so into running, as well as my husband running and coaching both track and cross country, is that my daughter got into track, and running in general. She is one of two girls tied for the girls' pole vault record at her high school, which still stands, though she graduated in 2001. She is still running, and we all go on great runs together when she has a chance to be home. David Toung '80 says: " I work as a securities analyst for an independent sellside research firm (Argus Research) in New York. I still run road and cross country races some two decades plus past my graduation date. I recently bought a co-op apartment in upper Manhattan with my fiancee, who is also a Cornellian. One of my best friends is Ed Chai '91, with whom we talk about Cornell track as much as possible." Rich Oldrieve '81 writes: "On May 15, 2005,1 graduated with a doctorate in reading education at Kent State University. The week before, my stepdaughter Libby graduated from Baldwin Wallace College with a bachelor's in speech pathology and has started her Masters degree at the University of Virginia. On May 22, my other step- daughter graduated from Georgetown Law School and has started as a clerk for a state judge in Keyser, W. Va. After a nail-biting interview circuit, I was made three offers and took the position of assistant professorship at Bowling Green State University. My research and teaching relates to helping ensure low SES students never fall behind in the first place so that more will one day be able to matriculate at Cornell to study in any field. If my theories prove true, then there really is a Lake Wobegone effect. My master running career has been on hold after suffering a left calf muscle tear and then a broken bone in my left foot and two bone spurs on my right heel. All four injuries seem to be related to my tendons and ligaments getting stiffer with age. Annual Phonathon Fundraiser he track and field and cross country programs will be participating in the Athletic Department's annual phonathon fundraiser on Jan. 15 and 16, 2006. This is a great opportunity to speak with a Big Red athlete about the season and to support the program. Funds raised at the annual phonathon go toward defraying the costs of such items as team travel and meals, and equipment. We thank you for all you do for Big Red track and cross country! Michael Geller '84 provides an update on himself and former teammates: "Have kept up with Dave Mears '85 via email as we share some mutual friends from his tenure in D.C. as well as his younger sister, Rachel, who still lives in the area. Lunched with Pete McConnell '84 in mid-September. We see each other a couple of times each year. He was in the midst of a job search/move. Lori, Pete's wife (also '84), had recently retired from the Air Force. That turned me green with envy. They along with their two teenage boys still live out in the northern Virginia suburbs. Breakfasted with Grant Whitney '86 on October 20 as he was here in DC on a business trip. We couldn't find a convenient time for Pete to join us in some rendezvous. Grant and I had not seen each other in twenty years — most likely at Pete and Lori's wedding. Grant seemed timelessly the same (with the exception of his gray hairs). Of my nineteen years here in DC (yes, only the city), I have spent thirteen years here at the World Bank working for the last six primarily in/on Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. Like Pete, I too am looking for a change but not outside of the Bank, onLy to another region, hopefully Africa. Gave up running years ago and replaced it with leisurely cycling. Commute—almost a whole mile—to work (most days) by bike. Depending on my attire while riding, I pretend that I am either a Dutch banker, or a courier." - » Aileen Blass '90 says: "I've moved from Miami Beach to Hollywood California this spring with my husband Brett and daughters Claire 7, and Julia 3.1 work for Praeos Technologies as a data integration consultant assigned to several clients here in LA. I'm still running and have entered several half marathons for this winter. I'm hoping to reconnect with Jen Ciccarelli and maybe even see the Big Red out here in Calif, this spring." John Wolff '90 tells of an interesting new tradition: "In June I survived my 'Test of Manhood.' This is a wedding tradition started by Cornell track alumni whereby instead of throwing a bachelor party, we gather in Ithaca, or another city, and devise 10 to 15 tests that the groom-to-be must pass as a condition of getting married. Scoring is done like a decathlon and the tests range from physical/running-related challenges (foot races, weight lifting, calisthenics), to more intricately designed tests (e.g., trivia, eating contests). Each event has a unique twist, and each event is personally tailored to test both that individual's strengths and weaknesses. As we say, this is NOT a test of boyhood, but it sure is fun. It ends up being a wonderful excuse to get old friends together and relive our competitive days. I passed, barely (everyone eventually passes) so I was married on Sept. 4, 2005. ( I guess that last bit of news is worth mentioning too!) Among the gathered/invited/and TOM attendees were: David Schleuning '91, James Gray '91, Aaron Pempel '91, Brian Shelden '93, Scott Ordway '93, Barry Logan '90, Mike Giovanniello '90, Loren Mooney '93, Stephanie Best '91, Ed Chai '91, Lori Harris '95, as well as many non-track alumni." Karen Chastain '01 writes, " I got married to Benjamin Hughes (I am now Karen Hughes, instead of Chastain). We proceeded to leave our jobs at Merck and are in the middle of a 10-month trek around the globe before we end up in Australia where we will be living for the near future. We've just finished two months of camping around the U.S. before traveling to South America. We'll also visit Europe and Southern Africa before heading to Australia. If you're interested, you can check out the photos and stories thus far at http://www.karenandben.blogspot.com" Sarah Spain '02 has this update: "I'm working at Fox Sports now in the Highlights Department—I basically watch games live, decide what the highlights are and write the corresponding shotsheets for the anchors of various Fox Sports daily wrap-up Sportscenter-type shows across the country. It's an awesome job and I'm meeting all the right people to get my sportscasting/hosting career going. Besides that, I'm also hosting a comedy show at the famous Improv Comedy club, shooting a comedy pilot to shop to Comedy Central and doing shows with my Second City improv group. Still living with Kim Trout '02 but our workouts tend to be hiking in Malibu, not doing sprints or jumps and pole vault drills!" Zeb Lang '03 writes in: " I am enjoying Denver and have been recently promoted as an accountant for ProLogis, a company that owns distribution warehouses globally. My girlfriend, Leah Scolere '03, and I just Continued on next page alumni updates ontinuedfrom previous page moved next door to Kevin Gallagher, Princeton '02, twin brother of Matt Gallagher '02. Kevin and I often run together along with Mike Selig '00, who is working at the National Renewable Energy Lab in Golden. I also frequently run into Ethan Dusto '04, who is teaching science and coaching distance runners at a Denver-area high school." Adam Sansiveri '05 is making waves in the entertainment industry: " I just finished a month's work of acting in the new film called The Good Shepherd, starring and directed by Robert DeNiro, also starring Matt Damon, Angelina Jolie, Michael Gambon and Alec Baldwin. I play one of Matt Damon's character's fraternity brothers at Yale in Skull and Bones. There is a full film description on the website IMDB.com. I also just finished a trial series for a new musical called The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." There have been a great many new additions to many families in the past year: From Steve Kuntz '86: "My wife Tricia and I had an exciting and scary year. We had a daughter (Dannahe Kennedy Kuntz) born Jan. 10, 13 weeks early weighing one pound 15 ounces. She spent a couple months at the hospital but didn't really have any major problems. She is now 10 months old (or seven months old since she was born three months early!) and is large for her age. Wonder where she got that from? The doctors are amazed and say there are no signs that she was a preemie. I made a web page for her at www.stevekuntz.com/baby if anyone wants to see pictures of her in the hospital and then how she looks now. High jump training will start as soon as she can walk." Joel Hollenbeck '94 says: "My wife, Maria, and I welcomed our second child Aidan into the world this past summer. We've also moved recently to the Charlotte, N.C. area. I am still a sales manager with Houghton Mifflin Publishing Company in the College Division. I guess I could never get away from college campuses after all." Pam Hunt '94 and husband Scott Cloyd welcomed Oliver Hunt Cloyd into the world on Halloween. He weighed in at 8 pounds, 10 ounces. Pam, Scott and Oliver currently reside in Philadelphia. Mike Padilla '96 and Colleen Costello '98 became proud parents this fall. Mackenzie Kay Padilla was born on Oct. 21. She weighed in at six pounds and was 20 inches long. Mike and Colleen have also founded a business that fellow runners will definitely find interesting. Their new venture is Runner Art, which makes digital watercolor prints of runners. Runner's World picked them as a top gift for their Dec. 2005 issue in their Holiday Survival Guide, www.runnersworld. com/article3/l,6164,s6-51-216-0-9079,00. html. You can also see more by going to www.runnerart.com/. Jeff '97 and Kristin '97 Nason now have two daughters. Avery Autumn Nason was born on Aug. 28 and weighed eight pounds, four ounces. Jay Friedman '97 and wife Jodi welcomed Alexa ("Lexi") Lee Friedman, (8 lbs 5 oz, 20.75 inches) into the world on Nov. 17. Also, some weddings to report: Aravind Swaminathan '97 married Sarah Johnson in Seattle, Wash., on July 4 in a ceremony attended by Larry Gosse '97 and Ellen White '98, Greg Cipolaro '99, MBA '05, Jim Wolfe '99 and Doug Krisch '99. •4 Becky Dennison '97 wed Matthew Lupes on Sept. 24 in Boston. In attendance were Aruna Boppana '97, Kate Walker '97 and Jessica Shaw '99. Heather Haupt '99 and Alan Enos '99 were married in Letchworth State park in Upstate NY on August 13th 2005. Cornell Track alumni in attendance include Becky Avrin-Zifchok '00, Clare (Ryan) Saxton '99, Tracy (Allman) Atlas '99, Beth (Taylor) Parker'00, Liz (Hill) Ruder'00, Scotty Miner '00, Mike (McGurk) Selig '00, Jason Moore '99, Artie Smith '96, Ron Paryl '00, Kate Walker'97, Dan Dombroski (Best man) ('03, Chris Ryan '98, and Becky (Orfinger) Wexler'OO. In keeping with the spirit of of a true Cornell Track wedding, the couple held a cross country race in the park the day before the ceremony. Participating were 23 people, including several former members of the Columbia, Brown, Haverford and Colorado cross country teams in addition to the seven former members of the Cornell cross county team. The 4K cross country course was designed by McGurk. The winners of the men's and women's combined races were Dan Dombroski and Liz Ruder. The Wastebasket is produced by Cornell Athletics. Editor: Kathleen Bolton. Writers: Artie Smith '96 and Robert Johnson. Photos: Tim McKinney, Patrick Shanahan and DarlZehr. Designer: Julie Manners. A 12/05 2350 H A L L OF F A M E R S Two members of the Cornell track and field and cross country family were inducted into the Cornell Athletic Hall of Fame. Adley Raboy '80 and Laura Woeller (Baker) '95 were enshrined with nine others accomplished athletes on Oct. 7, 2005. I Adley Rayboy was a two-time indoor Heptagonal track champion in the 60-yard/55meter dash, winning that event in 1978 and 1980 to earn All-Ivy honors both years, while placing second in 1979. Raboy also won AllIvy honors in running the leadoff leg of the 400-meter relay that won outdoor Heps titles in 1977, 1978 and 1979, setting the meet record in both 1977 and 1978. He ran the leadoff leg of the nationally ranked 400meter relay that placed fourth at the USTFF championships to earn All-America honors in 1977. He led off the 400-meter relay to the existing Cornell record with a time of 39.83 in the semifinal heat of the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in 1978. Raboy also set existing team records in the 55 meters indoors in 1979 and as a member of the 800-meter relay outdoors, as well as the outdoor record in the 100 meters in 1978. He also earned All-East status with his third-place finish in the 60-yard dash at the indoor IC4A championships in 1979. He was captain of the team in 1979-80 and was the recipient of the Gatling Award as the senior who has done the most for Cornell track. • Laura Woeller Baker was a four-time AllAmerican, earning the honor on the basis of her performances at the NCAA championships. She placed 26th at the NCAA cross country championships in 1993; finished fourth and eighth, respectively, in the 3,000 meters at the 1994 and 1995 NCAA indoor track and field championships; and was eighth in the 3,000 at the 1995 outdoor NCAAs to earn All-America honors. Woeller was also an eight-time Heptagonal champion, winning the individual Heps cross country championship in 1993 and 1994; the indoor Heps 3,000 in 1993 and again in 1995 while also capturing the 5,000 title to earn the meet's MVP award. She won the 3,000 at the outdoor Heps in '93 and '94 and the 1500-meter crown in '94. She won the 3,000 meters at the indoor ECAC championships to earn All-East honors. As a freshman, she represented the U.S. at the World Junior Cross Country Championships, where she placed 62nd. Captain of the 1994 women's cross country team, she was named the Cornell Daily Sun Senior Athlete of the Year in 1995. In 1999, she was one of Cornell's cross country selections to the Women's Ivy League Silver Anniversary Honor Roll. 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