Track and Field News Releases
Wohrley seven points shy of national berth in decathlon
MOUNT VERNON - As it turned out, school-record performances from junior James Wohrley (Dixon, Ill./Dixon) and senior Rachelle Hawkins (Boise, Idaho/Bishop Kelly) were not quite good enough to get the Cornell College athletes into this weekend's NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
Wohrley came agonizingly close to qualifying in the decathlon. He established an NCAA provisional mark and a school record with 6,335 points at the Iowa Conference Multi-Events May 1-2 in Pella. Wohrley finished a mere seven points behind the 17th and final entrant accepted into the national meet. He was 18th on the Division III outdoor performance list.
"In years past, there are one or two guys on the performance list who don't declare in the decathlon and that bumps everybody up," Cornell head coach Lonnie Speidel said. "That's all we needed, but that wasn't the case this year. Everybody declared. James had a score that would have gotten him in the last few years. Hopefully, this will serve as motivation for him next year."
Hawkins topped her own school record by nearly six seconds in the 1500 run at North Central College's Gregory Invitational Friday in Naperville, Ill. She placed sixth with a quick clocking of 4 minutes, 39.51 seconds. Hawkins missed qualifying for nationals by 2.59 seconds.
Hawkins will graduate as one of the most decorated runners in Cornell history, leaving with seven track and field records in her name. She set school standards in the 800 (2:16.94), 1000 (3:05.82), 1500 (4:39.51), mile (4:58.08), 3000 (10:31.93), distance medley relay (12:33.63) and 4x800 relay (9:55.90). Hawkins became Cornell's third female All-American in indoor track and field in March, placing eighth in the mile run. She also qualified for nationals in cross country last fall, the first Ram to do so since 1993.
Hawkins is a four-time all-conference performance in indoor track and field. In cross country, she earned all-conference honors three years and all-region status twice.
"Rachelle battled through an Achilles injury during the outdoor season, but she still ran a great time at North Central," Speidel said. "She has had an outstanding career and will certainly be missed."
Cornell senior Julia Hanson (Charles City/Charles City) and freshman Marshall Kraker (Parshall, Colo./West Grand) competed at the Augustana Twilight meet Friday in Rock Island, Ill. Hanson placed eighth in the discus with a mark of 131 feet, 2 inches. Her season-best throw of 136-10 was less than three feet of meeting the provisional mark. Kraker took 10th in the javelin with a toss of 134-05.
