Track and Field News Releases

Sperl, Hawkins, men's 4x800 relay take titles at Hilltop Invitational

Coming up - Saturday, Feb. 14, at Dennis Young Classic, Buena Vista University, Storm Lake, 10 a.m. Competing teams: Cornell, Buena Vista, Grinnell, Simpson, Nebraska Wesleyan.

Ram Review - Cornell's track and field teams claimed three event titles and three runner-up finishes at the 19-team Hilltop Invitational Saturday at the Small Multi-Sport Center Arena in Mount Vernon. No team scores were recorded.

Senior Brittany Sperl (Boyd, Wis./Stanley-Boyd) continued her string of strong indoor performances with a victory in the triple jump. Classmate Rachelle Hawkins (Boise, Idaho/Bishop Kelly) took the title in the 3000-meter run.

The Cornell men raced to victory in the 4x800 relay, which included sophomore Kirkwood Donavin (Salt Lake City, Utah/West), freshman Chase Nowak (Colorado Springs, Colo./Cheyenne Mountain), junior Quin Purkey (Appleton, Wis./Appleton North) and freshman Adam Rooyakkers (Kimberly, Wis./Kimberly).

"I thought the distance kids all ran really well," Cornell head coach Lonnie Speidel said. "Rachelle (Hawkins) was solid in winning the 3K and the men's 4x800 ran a great race with Adam (Rooyakkers) kicking hard down the homestretch to win. Brittany (Sperl) captured another win in the triple jump. It wasn't her farthest jump of the season, but that's what competing is all about, picking up the win."

Three arena records were set during the meet. Iowa Western's Jerrell Hancock established a new mark in the men's 200 (22.16 seconds). Simpson's Lauren Bucklin shattered the women's 55 hurdles mark (8.27). Clarke's Emily Brown broke the record in the women's weight throw (56 feet, 8.75 inches).

Cornell's Sperl remained undefeated this season in the triple jump, recording her third title in 2009. She entered the finals in second place before posting a winning jump of 33-02.50 on her second-to-last attempt. Sperl beat runner-up Natalie Solms of Ashford by four inches. She also qualified for the finals in the long jump, placing ninth out of 27 competitors.

Hawkins ran away from the 28-woman field in the 3000, posting an 11-second victory over runner-up Jess Christensen of Simpson. Hawkins finished in 10:36.95, five seconds off her own school record. Teammates Lindsey Kuhlmann (Fairbank/Wapsie Valley) and Ellie Hutchison (Greeley, Colo./Greeley Central) came in fourth and seventh, respectively.

The Rams had four runners in the top 11 of the mile run, led by a second-place finish from sophomore Allie Jagielo (Almond, Wis./Tri-County), who clocked in at 5:26.33. Amanda Jepson (Wayland/WACO) took sixth, Andrea Aerts (David City, Neb./East Butler) ninth and Allison Newman (Arvada, Colo./Pomona) 11th.

Sophomore Madison Craw (Mason City/Mason City) and senior Julia Hanson (Charles City/Charles City) paced the Rams in the throwing events. Craw placed fourth in the shot put (40-11) and Hanson was fifth in the weight throw (47-7), just one inch off her own school record set earlier this season.

The Cornell men's victorious 4x800 relay finished in 8:18.82, nipping D4 National Champions by .33 seconds. Nowak, who ran the second leg on the relay, also recorded a runner-up finish in the mile run (4:30.46). Donavin and Rooyakkers took sixth and seventh, respectively, in the mile.

Sophomore Andrew Tobben (Washington, Mo./St. Francis Borgia) took second in the 3000 (9:06.26), less than two seconds behind Teddy Clark of Central. Purkey was sixth in the 800 (2:03.75).

"Our team needs to pick it up as we push towards the conference meet," Speidel said. "In some areas we need more effort and in other areas we need more confidence in our abilities. I'm confident everyone will have a great week of practice and compete well at the Dennis Young Classic."   

Hilltop Invitational Results
Saturday, Feb. 7
Small Multi-Sport Center Arena
Mount Vernon, Iowa

Women
Cornell results
200 dash - 52. Allie Nappe 32.0. 400 dash - 14. Leanne Carberry 1:04.82. Mile run - 2. Allie Jagielo 5:26.33, 6. Amanda Jepson 5:35.69, 9. Andrea Aerts 5:45.61, 11. Allison Newman 5:49.62, 15. Laura Lindsay 6:06.92. 3000 run - 1. Rachelle Hawkins 10:36.95, 4. Lindsey Kuhlmann 11:13.76, 7. Ellie Hutchison 11:26.20. 55 hurdles - Anna Guittar 9.90. Long jump - 9. Brittany Sperl 15-06.25, Nappe 13-10.50. Triple jump - 1. Brittany Sperl 33-02.50. Pole Vault - 9. Michelle Hannemann 8-00. Weight throw - 5. Julia Hanson 47-07, Madison Craw 39-09.75, Kirtley Hitt 37-07.75, Kelsey Harper 34-08.25, Kelly Kall 33-02, Jenny South 27-10. Shot put - 4. Craw 40-11.50, Harper 36-04.25, Hitt 33-05.75, Kall 30-04.25, South 28-08.25. 4x400 relay - 10. (Carberry, Hawkins, Nappe, Guittar) 4:30.28. 4x800 relay - 5. (Jagielo, Jepson, Newman, Aerts) 10:14.45. 

Men
Cornell results
200 dash - 63. Khaliph, Green 24.81, 93. Tony Galvez 26:03, 105. Denis Jimenez 27.60, 106. Benedict Beluchukwu 27.98. 400 dash - 17. Reed Skoog 53.58, 38. Mike Jeanmenne 55.21, 39. Nate Schueller 55.39. 800 run - 6. Quin Purkey 2:03.75, 24. Chris Stadler 2:09.47, 27. Jordan Stacey 2:10.89, 40. Andrew Jacobsmeyer 2:19.59. Mile run - 2. Chase Nowak 4:30.46, 6. Kirkwood Donavin 4:36.31, 7. Adam Rooyakkers 4:37.26, 15. Stacey 4:46.40, 21. Matt Evans 4:49.67, 32. David Kuhlmann 5:00.12, 41. Mark Gilarski 5:14.09. 3000 run - 2. Andrew Tobben 9:06.26, 8. Ben Jacobs 9:22.35. 55 hurdles - Dan Netwal 8.76, Tony Galvez 8.93, James Wohrley 8.98. Long jump - Green 19-02.75, Jimenez 16-08.50. Triple jump - Roli Teko-Folly 38-04.25. High jump - 13. Marshall Kraker 5-08.75. Pole Vault - 12. Wohrley 10-11.75. Weight throw - Chase Johnson 41-04.25. 4x400 relay - 10. (Skoog, Jeanmenne, Bobby Boughton, Schueller) 3:39.85. 4x800 - 1. Cornell A (Donavin, Nowak, Purkey, Rooyakkers) 8:18.82, 6. Cornell B (Stadler, Kuhlmann, Evans, Gilarski) 8:33.34.