WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. – The Hamilton College Continentals set two women’s team records in the 2025 All-Atlantic Region Track & Field Conference Outdoor Championships at Williams College’s Lee Track at Williamson Field on Wednesday, May 14.
 
Dana Schwartz ’26 continued to improve her own record in the javelin throw and finished in second place out of 30 athletes with a distance of 40.73 meters. Schwartz’s performance is currently ranked 24^th in NCAA Division III.
 
Olivia Waruch ’28, Claire Tratnyek ’26, Mia O’Neill ’28 and Marley Meyers ’28 led the 4×400-meter relay to third place and a team-record time of 3:55.07 that shattered the previous record by more than four seconds.
 
Personal records were posted by Tatiana McCray ’28 (100 meters), Lily Murphy ’27 (third, 10,000 meters) and Sylvie Najarian ’25 (fourth, steeplechase). Keira Rogan ’28 tied Schwartz for the best finish of the day with a runner-up showing in the 5,000-meter run.
 
Hamilton has athletes in the 800- and 1,500-meter run, the 4×800-meter relay and the triple jump on the second and final day of the championships on Thursday, May 15. The Continentals were in second place in the team standings with 33 points after the opening day. University of Rochester led the way with 36 points.

HAMILTON PERFORMANCES

4×100-meter relay prelims (15 teams)

10. Olivia Waruch ’28, Tatiana McCray ’28, Marley Meyers ’28, Michelle Wu ’25 (48.77)

4×400-meter relay (15 teams)

3. Waruch, Claire Tratnyek ’26, Mia O’Neill ’28, Meyers (3:55.07, SR)

100-meter dash prelims (21 runners)

19. McCray, 12.57 (PR)

5,000-meter run (27 runners)

2. Keira Rogan ’28, 17:13.38

21. Claire Pfanstiel ’27, 18:58.63

10,000-meter run (24 runners)

3. Lily Murphy ’27, 38:14.26 (PR)

3,000-meter steeplechase (23 runners)

4. Sylvie Najarian ’25, 11:03.76 (PR)

Javelin throw (30 throwers)

2. Dana Schwartz ’26, 40.73 meters (133 feet, 7 inches; SR)

Girls indoor volleyball has its own season in the fall while boys indoor volleyball shares the spring season with girls beach volleyball. The latter sport is now in its fourth years of existence, though many have yet to see an actual game due to off-campus competition venues.

That should be changing in the near future after Eastlake High School put a focus on the emerging sport after capturing the San Diego Section Division II championship last weekend at San Diego Mesa College.

“To be able to bring a CIF championship back to Eastlake is not only a great achievement but we also wanted to prove that the South Bay can complete,” EHS coach Lizbeth Lau said. “Kudos to my seniors, who is leaving a big legacy behind — two CIF championship, indoor and beach — because they are setting the expectation and standard while helping me build a culture where we will continue to work hard and hold each other accountable to get the result we deserve.”

This year’s CIF tournament included three divisions — Open Division (four teams, double-elimination), Division I (12 teams, single-elimination) and Division II (16 teams, single-elimination) — in four competition rounds from May 1-10.

The competition format includes three pairs on each team. There are five rotations with the object to win three rounds to clinch a victory, though all five rounds are played.
Each pair must win two (of three) sets to win a round.

Top-seeded Eastlake defeated 16th-seeded Sage Creek, 3-2, in the first round before eliminating ninth-seeded Coronado, 4-1, in the second round. The Lady Titans swept fourth-seeded Francis Parker, 5-0, in the semifinals at the Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center, Eastlake’s home venue.

Taking center stage in the section finals, the Lady Titans defeated seventh-seeded Canyon Crest Academy by a score of 4-1.

Top players/pairs on this year’s EHS team included seniors Elizabeth Heath and Leila Reynante, seniors Nichole Corona and Kenidee Wax and freshman Presley Ruperto and junior Kaycee Papa.

Others shared in the spotlight.

Alyssandra Macias and Brooke Hidalgo opened the day with a 21-14, 21-10 win in straight sets while Wax and Noelle Barcas advanced the lead to 2-0 with a 22-24, 22-20, 15-13 win.

Ruperto and Papa made it 3-1 with a 21-17, 21-17 straight sets win while Mellissa Wagenka and Daniella Garcia won 23-21, 16-21, 16-14 to wrap up the match.

Canyon Crest Academy took down second-seeded Rancho Bernardo, 3-2, in the third round.

In other CIF finals, top-seeded Cathedral Catholic edged third-seeded Torrey Pines, 3-2, to claim the Open Division title as well as its fourth consecutive division championship as undisputed queens of the sand court, while top-seeded San Marcos swept second-seeded Carlsbad 5-0.

Among Metro Conference teams:

Otay Ranch received the No. 11 seed in the Division I bracket and bowed out with a 4-1 loss to sixth-seeded La Jolla in South Mission Beach.

Bonita Vista received the No. 5 seed in the Division II bracket and eliminated 12th-seeded Steele Canyon, 4-1, in the first round at the CV Elite Athlete Training Center before tasting defeat (3-2) against Francis Parker in the second round.

Sixth-seeded Olympian lost 3-2 to 11th-seeded Patrick Henry while 14th-seeded Mar Vista ended its season with a 5-0 loss to third-seeded Clairemont.

Helix and Steele Canyon competed as members of the Metro Conference this season. Francis Parker defeated 13th-seeded Helix, 3-2, in the first round in Ocean Beach.

Stadium modernization projects are ongoing at Castle Park, Mar Vista and Chula Vista high schools. Sand courts are being installed at all three sites to further facilitate the sport locally.

Fall back
Eastlake finished the 2024-25 fall schedule with a final 29-12 record as undefeated Metro-Mesa League champions and Division I section indoor champions with a 3-0 sweep over Rancho Bernardo. The Lady Titans advanced four rounds in the Division II regionals playoffs to reach the regional final against Bakersfield Centennial.

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – Seventeen members of the St. Olaf College women’s track and field team were honored for their performances at the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) Outdoor Track & Field Championships in the 2025 MIAC Track & Field Awards, as announced on Thursday.

St. Olaf’s 17 honorees included eight individual All-MIAC (places 1-3) performances, two All-MIAC relays, and seven Honorable Mention All-MIAC (places 4-6) performances, as the Oles finished fourth in the team standings last week. St. Olaf won five events at the meet, marking the highest total for the program since 1999-00.

Senior Alison Bode won both the 5,000-meter run and 10,000-meter run, while junior Isabel Wyatt won the 800-meter run, and senior Sophie Abernethy won the 1,500-meter run. Abernethy was also part of St. Olaf’s first-place 4×800-meter relay, along with sophomore Siri Erickson, senior Jules Fromm, and junior Ella Landis.

Below is a complete list of St. Olaf’s honorees in the 2025 MIAC Track & Field Awards.

 

MVC OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
Where: Lee Hartzog Track and Field Complex – Carbondale, Ill.
When: Saturday, May 17 – Sunday, May 18, 2025
Live Timing: Link to come
Live Video: Saturday | Sunday

RECAPPING THE 2024 MVC OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS

The Braves brought home four MVC individual championships at the 2024 MVC Outdoor Championships in Terre Haute, Ind. Julia Nielsen brought home a pair of conference titles, winning the women’s 800m and 1500m within roughly one hour of each other. Nielsen’s performances garnered the Most Outstanding Female Track Athlete honor. Jack Crull won the men’s 1500m title to complete a 1500m sweep for the Braves. Eli Rieker capped off his senstational collegiate sprinting career with a men’s 200m title. 

LAST TIME OUT

The Braves broke two program records as they competed in Arizona’s Desert Heat Classic and the Gary Wieneke Memorial. At the Desert Heat Classic, Amiyah Davis broke the program record in the women’s 400m with her time of 54.24, and Carolina Martinez finished right behind her to set the second fastest time in school history with a 55.18 finish. Jamie Phillips ran a 1:48.17 to set a new program record in the men’s 800m, and Abigail Hancock and Eilen Brenne set the fifth and seventh-fastest times in the women’s 800m.

In Urbana-Champaign, Hope Rajlich set the 10th-fastest time in program history in the women’s 400m, while Eimear McCarroll took home gold in the women’s 1500m with her time of 4:27.57.

COMING UP…

The top performers from the MVC Championships and throughout the season that qualify for NCAA national events will run at the NCAA West Preliminaries in College Station, Texas, on May 28-31.

Kimberly Bond

Statistics & Psychology
San Diego, Calif.

What was your favorite class and why?  

My favorite and most impactful class was The Psychology of Wisdom with Professor Robert Sternberg. It pushed me to think beyond academics and reflect on my values, priorities and long-term goals. We talked about the kind of intelligence that really matters in life, not just grades, but how to make thoughtful, ethical decisions. This class challenged me to slow down, consider multiple perspectives and build a more intentional future.

What is your main extracurricular activity and why is it important to you? 

My main extracurricular activity is Cornell Women’s Club Water Polo, where I’ve served as president, captain and treasurer. What I value most about the team is the strong sense of community. We’ve built an environment that’s inclusive, supportive, and welcoming to everyone, regardless of experience level. The team has become a space where students can stay active, have fun, and find balance amid the academic pressures at Cornell. Being part of that growth and helping to shape the culture of the team has been one of the most meaningful parts of my college experience.

How have your beliefs or perspectives changed since you first arrived at Cornell? 

When I first arrived, I felt pressure to figure everything out: my major, career path, and long-term goals. But over time, I’ve realized how important it is to stay open and give yourself grace. I’ve changed my major, explored new fields and challenged myself in ways I never expected. I’ve discovered that growth isn’t linear, and success doesn’t come from having a perfect plan but rather from staying resilient, curious and true to what matters most to you.

Who or what influenced your Cornell education the most? 

A number of professors and peers have strongly influenced my education. In statistics, professors like Melissa Smith and David Kent fostered my learning and deepened my understanding of the subject. In psychology, classes with Tom Gilovich and Robert Sternberg pushed me to think critically about human behavior and decision-making and helped me gain real-world applicable skills regarding understanding human behavior. My Cornell experience was also highly impacted by the individuals in communities I participate in on campus; whether they are classmates, peers or close friends, they have supported me incredibly throughout my four years at Cornell. 

Every year, our faculty nominate graduating Arts & Sciences students to be featured as part of our Extraordinary Journeys series.Read more about the Class of 2025.

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