Plattsburgh State Women's Track & Field

May 12, 2008

Wiszowaty Featured by TrackShark.com

SPENCER, Mass. - Senior All-America distance runner Toni Wiszowaty (Shirley, N.Y./William Floyd High School) was recently profiled on TrackShark.com, the national leader in college track and field coverage since 2002. She discusses her impressive 10,000-meter win at the Penn Relays, the NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships, training regimen and much more. To read Toni's complete interview, please click on this link or go to http://www.trackshark.com .

May 12, 2008

Young has Breakout Meet at Icahn Stadium

RANDALL'S ISLAND, N.Y. - Sophomore Shannon Young had her best performance in the shot put to highlight the Plattsburgh State women's track and field team's outing at the New Balance/NYC Qualifying Challenge over the weekend. COMPLETE MEET RESULTS

Young turned in a heave of 40 feet and 2-1/4 inches, or 12.25 meters, to finish in second place in her event. She bested her previous personal record by more than a half-meter, crossing the 12-meter plateau for the first time in her collegiate career.

"Shannon Young had a breakout meet, and she shattered the barrier of 12 meters," Plattsburgh coach John Lynch said.

The 4x400-meter relay unit of Kathryn O'Leary, Jennifer Risler, Jen Modzel and Mahalia Ewers won in 4 minutes and 0.14 seconds, taking 9 seconds off their indoor time and breaking the school outdoor record by over a second.

"This is an emerging event for our women's track program," Lynch said. "All of the relay members are underclassmen so the record should be broken many more times in the years to come."

Amber Heath had the Cardinals top individual finish on the track in the 100-meter dash with a time of 13.39 seconds for sixth place.

"We are starting to look at our sport from an individual standpoint now as we approach ECAC's and NCAA's," Lynch said, "and would really like to see some big-time performances during the next two weekends."

May 3, 2008

Cardinals Beat Oneonta in Dual May Meet

ONEONTA, N.Y. - The Plattsburgh State women's outdoor track and field took eight first-place events to help the Cardinals defeat host Oneonta by a combined score (with the men), 134-129, in the 7th annual Red Dragons Dual May Meet on Saturday. COMPLETE RESULTS

"(Meet organizers) combined men's and women's teams into one team and scored it that way", said Plattsburgh coach John Lynch. "It was a fun, competitive meet. A good culmination of the season for some of our student-athletes."

Freshman Mahalia Ewers was a three-time winner in the 100- and 200-meter dashes in 13.0 and 26.42 seconds, respectively, as well as in the mixed 4x100 relay squad as the first leg in 47.85.

Kaylan Ostrander also was a multi-winner in high jump at 4 feet, 71/2 inches (or 1.41 meters) and javelin throw at 93-9 (28.57m).

Other Cardinals victories included Krystal Yernye in the 400m hurdles in 1 minute and 15.67 seconds, Leena Peters-Uitto in the triple jump at 34-31/2 (10.45m) and Shannon Young in the shot put at 38-1/4 (11.59m) for a new meet record and Eastern College Athletic Conference Championship qualifier.

Apr. 26, 2008

Plattsburgh Winds Up Sixth at SUNYACs

CORTLAND, N.Y. - The Plattsburgh State women's outdoor track and field team scored 63 points to finish in sixth place at the State University of New York Athletic Conference Championships hosted by Cortland State, which wrapped up on Saturday. Geneseo won the team title with 165 and the host Red Dragons were second with 143. COMPLETE MEET RESULTS

Toni Wiszowaty repeated her 2007 title in the 5,000-meter run with a winning time of 17 minutes and 11.89 seconds. Teammate Alyssa Recny was third in 18:00.71.

Mahalia Ewers also had a Top 3 finish on the track in the 400-meter dash in 59.9 seconds.

Jacquelyn Boyea had the Cardinals top field performance with a third-place showing in the javelin throw at 102 feet, or 31.10 meters. Shannon Young went fourth in the shot put at 37 feet and 6-3/4 inches (11.45m).

Apr. 25, 2008

Schaffhouser Paces Plattsburgh on SUNYACs Day One

CORTLAND, N.Y. - Sophomore Jennifer Schaffhouser placed third in the 10,000-meter run to lead the Plattsburgh State women's outdoor track and field team after the first day of the State University of New York Athletic Conference Championships hosted by Cortland State. The two-day event wraps up on Saturday. Schaffhouser had a time of 39 minutes and 25.02 seconds to score six points for the Cardinals, who are tied for sixth in the team standings with 11. RESULTS

Shannon Young, another sophomore, also scored for Plattsburgh in the shot put with a heave of 37 feet and 6-3/4 inches (or 11.45 meters). Young's fourth-place showing netted five points.

Apr. 24, 2008

Wiszowaty Breezes Past Penn Relays Field

PHILADELPHIA - Plattsburgh State's Toni Wiszowaty took first place in the women's College 10,000-meter run at the Division I-dominated Penn Relays late Thursday evening, recording a time of 33 minutes and 57 seconds to set an Olympic Trials "B" standard, NCAA Championships automatic-qualifying and a State University of New York Athletic Conference record. Wiszowaty demolished a field of NCAA I-II scholarship student-athletes and Olympic Development competitors, recording a time in the event that ranks in the Top 10 all-time in Division III (http://www.cmsathletics.org/ncaa/d3tracklist-w?dec =)

"The Penn Relays went awesome," Cardinals coach John Lynch said.

In addition, Alyssa Recny and Allison Busby both provisionally qualified for the NCAAs in the same event, finishing 12th in 36:21 for a personal best and 18th in 36:49, respectively.

"Toni blew it wide open winning by over 40 seconds, and closing her last 5km in 16:52 that is faster than she has raced a 5km thus far this season," he said. " I am very happy for Toni because this race was the biggest one of her career and she came away with a win. People come from all over the world to compete at this meet, so it is prestigious to be a Penn Relays champion and it is even more impressive to win in the style that she did."

Lynch said that he was proud of the running trio's performance, shifting attention to the SUNYAC Championships that run Friday and Saturday at Cortland State.

Apr. 20, 2008

Distance Runners Shine at Hamilton Invitational

CLINTON, N.Y. - The Plattsburgh State women's outdoor track and field team had some solid performances during the Hamilton Invitational on Saturday at the Pritchard Track Complex. Toni Wiszowaty and Allison Busby went 1-2 in the 1500-meter run with Eastern College Athletic Conference qualifying times and personal bests of 4 minutes and 43.46 seconds and 4:49.40, respectively. Teammate Alyssa Recny also finished fourth in 4:55.38. The trio also returned in the 800m with Wiszowaty in fourth (2:25.33), Busby sixth (2:26.14) and Recny was 11th (2:32.56). COMPLETE MEET RESULTS

"They were competing in shorter races as a tune-up for the Penn Relays and SUNYAC Championships this weekend," Plattsburgh coach John Lynch said.

Jennifer Risler in the 400-meter dash (1:04.03, 5th) and Amber Heath in the 200m (27.86 seconds, 7th) qualified for the State University of New York Athletic Conference meet in their last chance. Kathryn O'Leary qualified for ECAC's with a personal best in the 400m at 1:00.44 for second place.

Leena Peters-Uitto also completed a heptathlon using results from the last Saint Lawrence meet and this event with a score of 3650, placing her in the ECAC's.

"We have been very solid the past three weeks and even while working hard during the week we have been able to put together some great performances," Lynch said. "The team has definitely been calloused by a tough indoor season and I think we are going into the SUNYAC Championships a tougher team than we were in indoor track. The past three weeks have shown me that we have a great shot to score more points than we did in indoor. We have definitely put things together at the right time.

"What was really nice to see was even when we put some of our best athletes in foreign events for them, they were still able to come away with qualifying performances and even some wins."

Apr. 15, 2008

Cardinals Record Seven SUNYAC Qualifiers

CANTON, N.Y. - Leena Peters-Uitto and Jacquelyn Boyea paced the Plattsburgh State women's outdoor track and field team's day at the Saint Lawrence University Tuesday Open held at the Merrick-Pinkard Track and Field Complex, with double-qualifying standards for the State University of New York Athletic Championships. COMPLETE MEET RESULTS

Peters-Uitto qualified in the 100-meter high hurdles with a time of 16.44 seconds for first place and in the high jump at 4 feet and 11-3/4 inches (1.52m) for another winning performance.

Boyea will be going to SUNYACs after placing third in the javelin (96-5, 29.39m) and sixth in the discus (99-9, 30.40m). Kaylan Ostrander also qualified for the conference javelin at 87-9, or 26.76m, which was good for fifth. Briana Catts improved on her distance in the discus at 106-0 (32.31m) for fourth.

Also qualifying for SUNYACs in their events were Jen Modzel in the 400-meter dash (1:04.22, 9th) and Stephanie Adamczyk in the hammer throw (113-11, 34.72m, 6th).

In addition, Ostrander had a season's best in the high jump (4-73/4, 1.42m, T-3rd), Peters-Uitto in the 200m (28.33, 3rd) and Nicole Prenoveau in the 400m (1:05.09, 12th).

Apr. 14, 2008

Wiszowaty Earns SUNYAC Track-Athlete of the Week

FREDONIA, N.Y. - Plattsburgh State senior Toni Wiszowaty (Shirley, N.Y./William Floyd High School) has been named the female track athlete of the week by the State University of New York Athletic Conference, it was announced on Monday. The period ended Sunday.

Wiszowaty defeated a field of 27 finishers in the 5,000-meter Invitational run at the NCAA Division I-II dominated Bucknell Bison Outdoor Classic over the weekend. She recorded a winning time of 16 minutes and 54.7 seconds, a personal record for the season, NCAA Championships automatic qualifier, and the best mark to date in Division III.

Apr. 12, 2008

Wiszowaty Victorious in 5,000M Invitational Bison Outdoor Classic

LEWISBURG, Pa. - Toni Wiszowaty of Plattsburgh State defeated a field of 27 finishers in the 5,000-meter Invitational run during the opening day of the Bucknell Bison Women's Track and Field Outdoor Classic. She recorded a winning time of 16 minutes and 54.7 seconds, a season's best and NCAA automatic qualifier, in a race that featured mostly NCAA Division I-II student-athletes. In addition, Alyssa Recny came in 12th place (17:33.41) and Allison Busby was 20th (17:44.64) in the same race. COMPLETE RESULTS

"Toni is regaining her old form rapidly now, and her time also gave her the top time in the nation for Division III this season" said Cardinals head coach John Lynch. "Alyssa ran her personal best in the 5K, despite transitioning her training over to 10K in the past month since indoor track ended."

In the 1,500m version, Jen Modzel came in 19th out of 51 runners with a clocking of 4:59.16. And Jennifer Schaffhouser posted a time of 18:51.43 in the 5,000m version for 29th.

The second day, which concluded Saturday evening, featured more Top 20 Cardinals performances by Kathryn O'Leary who was sixth overall and tops among Division III runners in the 400m hurdles at 1:06.59; Mahalia Ewers 14th overall and second among D-III in the 400m-dash in 1:00.69; Shannon Young 16th in the shot put in 37 feet and 10-1/2 inches; and Amber Heath 20th in the 100m in 13.18 seconds.

"Mahalia was another big contributor as she anchored the ECAC-qualifying 4x100m relay, ran an ECAC-qualifying time in the open 400m, a SUNYAC-qualifying time in the open 200m and anchored the 4x400m relay team to a SUNYAC qualifier," Lynch said. "Kathryn also made ECAC's in her individual event, and also teamed on both relays.

"We had great performances across the board. This meet was really a breakthrough competition for us. I am not sure if I have seen us perform this well as a team before," he said. "After Williams, I knew we were getting hot at the right time and it definitely carried over into this meet. We have had a fair share of qualifiers, so now it is time to go back to work and try to get some more big improvements by the time our championship seasons roll around. We will also be looking to carry some of this momentum over into next week as we compete at St. Lawrence and Hamilton for last chance SUNYAC qualifying opportunities," he said.

Apr. 5, 2008

Women Impress at Williams Quadrangular

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. - The Plattsburgh State women's track and field team excelled in its second meet of the outdoor season at Williams College on Saturday, a four-school event featuring the host Ephs, NCAA Division II College of Saint Rose and Division I Siena College. COMPLETE MEET RESULTS

Cardinal throwers dominated as they won three of four events including Stephanie Adamczyk in the hammer (33.81 meters); Briana Catts in the discus (34.19) by almost 4 meters over teammates Emily McLaughlin and Jacquelyn Boyea, who finished second and third; and Shannon Young in the shot put with an Eastern College Athletic Conference-qualifying mark of 11.51m. Adamczyk's heave put her in the State University of New York Athletic Conference Championships.

On the track, Toni Wiszowaty took first place in the 1500-meter run with an ECAC-qualifying time of 4 minutes and 44.8 seconds, which was a personal record. She won by 4 seconds over Sara Wild of host Williams. Plattsburgh also claimed the third, fifth and sixth spots by Allison Busby, Alyssa Recny and Jen Modzel. Busby's 4:50.67 clocking is also an ECAC-qualifying standard, and Recny (5:06.94) and Modzel (5:09.7) are SUNYAC qualifiers.

Mahalia Ewers was the runner-up in the 400-meter dash in 1:01.84 for another SUNYAC qualifier.

"This early in the outdoor season, we try to use a meet as a rust buster and put people in certain events they haven't done in a while, or just try to compete with newly learned methods or strategies. This weekend we did just that and had some great success," said Cardinals head coach John Lynch.

"Despite chilly weather and soggy throwing areas, our team was able to put it together today," Lynch said. "There is definitely room for improvement performance-wise, but I am very proud of how competitive we were today. For us to come out in our second outdoor event and compete in every event across the board really impressed me."

Mar. 31, 2008

Cardinals Win Two Events in Season Opener

GLENDALE, Ariz. - The Plattsburgh State women's track and field team recently competed in its first outdoor meet of the season at the Glendale Community College Invitational.

Toni Wiszowaty won the 5,000-meter run with a NCAA provisional time of 17 minutes and 25.77 seconds, and Jen Modzel took first place in the 1500m with a SUNYAC-time of 5:16.16.

Plattsburgh also received strong performances from Nicole Prenoveau (2nd, 1500m, 5:37.26, Personal Record), Krystal Yernye (2nd, steeplechase, 14:18.09) and the 4x400 relay squad of Prenoveau, Modzel, Yernye, and Lauren Nescio (2nd place).

"We found it hard to compete at Sea Level after being up at 7,000 feet of altitude for a week. I think our bodies were put through a lot in the seven days prior to the competition both in training and adapting to a new environment," said Cardinals head coach John Lynch. "Jen Modzel had a great tactical race, but she can definitely run a faster time. She sat on the leader for three laps and won by 3 seconds over the last half of a lap."

Mar. 8, 2008

Cardinals End Up in Upper Half at ECAC Championships

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - Plattsburgh State scored 12 points to finish in 25th-place out of 51 scoring teams at the 2008 Eastern College Athletic Conference Women's Indoor Track&Field Championships hosted by Harvard University. COMPLETE MEET RESULTS

In the 5,000-meter run, Toni Wiszowaty and Alyssa Recny placed fourth and seventh with times of 17 minutes and 27.31 seconds and 17:40.45, respectively. Leena Peters-Uitto also scored team points in the pentathlon with a fourth-place showing (2837 points), going third in both the shot put and 800m-dash.

"Toni hit the provisional standard despite her shoe being knocked off by a competitor with a mile to go," said head coach John Lynch. "She ended up missing the NCAA cut this morning though by one spot as the NCAA took the smallest field in recent history for the women's 5-kilometer--three fewer competitors than the previous two years."

Mar. 2, 2008

Cardinals have Season-High ECAC Qualifiers at NYU Fastrack

NEW YORK CITY - The Plattsburgh State women's track and field team had its best meet so far this season for qualifying to the Eastern College Athletic Conference Indoor Championships, recording some solid performances at the NYU Fastrack Invitational over the weekend. COMPLETE MEET RESULTS

Alyssa Recny won the 5,000-meter run in 17 minutes and 36.95 seconds, defeating several competitors from NCAA Division I and II levels. Teammate Toni Wiszowaty was third in 17:46.98 in her first outing.

The 4x800m relay squad of Jen Modzel, Nicole Prenoveau, Lauren Nescio and Lisa Perez were ECAC qualifiers with a time of 10:07.01, which was good for fourth place as the top non-Division I entry. Modzel also made ECAC's in the 1000m with a 3:09.08 time.

Freshman Mahalia Ewers missed the ECAC cut in the 400-m dash by .11 seconds, but she recorded a season's best in the event.

"We had a better weekend than our previous effort at SUNYACs," Cardinals head coach John Lynch said. "We had valiant efforts by Toni and Alyssa in their attempts for NCAA qualification, but came up just short. They will give it another go next weekend at ECAC's.

"Alyssa ran a strong race in the 5k, but she faded a little bit in the last 400 meters. (But) she should come on strong next weekend," he said. "Toni had a tough time in her first race since the cross country national meet in the fall, but I think she should bounce back strong in the 5km at ECAC's against a good field."

Feb. 23, 2008

Cardinals have 8th-Place SUNYAC Showing

GENEVA, N.Y. - The Plattsburgh State women's indoor track and field team notched 20-1/2 points for an eighth-place finish at Saturday's State University of New York Athletic Conference Championships hosted by Hobart and William Smith College in Bristol Field House. Cortland won the team title with 155 points. COMPLETE MEET RESULTS

The Cardinals were paced by senior Alyssa Recny who had an Eastern College Athletic Conference qualifying time in the 3,000-meter run of 10 minutes and 33.16 seconds, which was good for runner-up honors.

Feb. 12, 2008

Runners Shine at Boston University Meet

BOSTON - Runners from the Plattsburgh State women's indoor track and field team put together solid performances at the NCAA Division I-dominated Boston University Valentine Invitational over the weekend. All told, the Cardinals had one Eastern College Athletic Conference Championships qualifier and 13 for the State University of New York Athletic Conference meet. COMPLETE RESULTS

Senior Alyssa Recny led the way in the 5K run with a time of 17 minutes and 38.27 seconds, bettering her previous personal best by 16 seconds. She barely missed the NCAA Division III provisional standard, but improved her ECAC qualifying standing.

Another big personal best came from Lisa Perez in the 800m with a time of 2:26.59. Plattsburgh coach John Lynch said: "Lisa ran a 2:44 two years ago and did not run as a sophomore, but has worked hard this fall to get to where she is now. She is a totally different athlete now and should continue to improve."

The Cardinals produced four SUNYAC qualifiers in the 400m, including Kathryn O'Leary (1:01.21), Mahalia Ewers (1:02.75), Melonie Capen (1:04.27) and Jennifer Risler (1:05.07). The foursome also got together to better their 1600-relay time with a 4:15.75.

Another big improvement came from junior Jen Modzel who lowered her time from last weekend in the 1-mile by 12 seconds with a clocking of 5:33.43.

Shannon Young, in the shot put, had the team's best showing in the field with a heave of 35 feet and 8 inches for 34th place.

Feb. 5, 2008

Recny, Ewers Pace Cardinals at Dartmouth

HANOVER, N.H. - Mahalia Ewers and Alyssa Recny qualified for the Eastern College Athletic Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships in their respective events after competing at the Dartmouth Classic in Leverone Field House over the weekend. COMPLETE MEET RESULTS

Ewers, a freshman, finished eighth overall in the 500-meter dash in which she won her heat in a time of 1 minute and 22.16 seconds, which qualified her by over a second and two seconds more than her previous personal record.

"Mahalia is a very driven athlete internally and when she sets her mind to something she will accomplish it," Plattsburgh State coach John Lynch said. "At our first meet of the season, she barely missed qualifying and she has wanted it real bad since. I am happy she accomplished her goal."

Rency, a senior, finished third in the 3,000-meter run with a personal-best 10:33.91, which was enough to qualify for the ECACs.

Lisa Perez (5:44.24) and Jen Modzel (5:44.44) also qualified for the State University of New York Athletic Conference Championships in the 1-mile run, Kathryn O'Leary with a season's best in the 400m of 1:02.96 and Melonie Capen in the same event at 1:06.26. Stephanie Adamczyck qualified in the weight throw (35 feet, 21/2 inches) and Kaylan Ostrander in the triple jump (31-21/2).

"Things are really starting to come together for both squads; we have a solid core group that have qualified for SUNYACs," Lynch said. "Now, we are just trying to get more individuals into ECACs and NCAAs.

"That will be one of our main goals going into the highly competitive meet at Boston University next weekend. We hope to come home with some great performances. Today was a great stepping stone for us to do so."

Jan. 29, 2008

Recny Honored by SUNYAC

FREDONIA, N.Y. - The State University of New York Athletic Conference has named Plattsburgh State senior Alyssa Recny its indoor track female athlete of the week, for the period ending Sunday. It's her first SUNYAC weekly honor of her career.

The Keeseville AuSable Valley High School product ran a personal-best time in the 5,000-meter run at the Division I Boston University Terrier Invitational, winning her heat and placing 14th out of 29 athletes in 17 minutes and 54.24 seconds.

Jan. 26, 2008

Seven Qualifiers for SUNYAC Championships Highlight Weekend

CANTON, N.Y. - The Plattsburgh State women's track and field team sent limited split squads to the Saints Indoor Invitational hosted by Saint Lawrence University and the Terrier Invitational hosted by Boston University. SLU MEET RESULTS and BU MEET RESULTS

At SLU, seven Cardinals qualified for the State University of New York Athletic Conference Championships. Mahalia Ewers placed fourth in the 400-meter dash in 62.66 seconds; Krystal Yernye came in seventh in the mile run in 5 minutes and 42.55 seconds; Kathryn O'Leary ran a 1:03.8 in the 400m; and Lisa Perez, a 2:31.75 in the 800.

Three Cardinals reached in the field events: Stephani Adamczyk, 10th at 36 feet and 93/4 inches, and Briana Catts, 11th at 36-71/2, in the weight throw; and Kaylan Ostrander was 14-3 in the long jump.

Noel Womack ran a personal-best of 4:41.47 in the mile, but just missed qualifying for SUNYACs.

In Boston, against a field dominated by NCAA Division I and II programs and unattached competitors, Alyssa Recny was 14th in the 5000m with a clocking of 17:54.24 and Shannon Young was 19th in the shot put at 34-101/2.

Jan. 19, 2008

Cardinals Make 2008 Debut at Saints Indoor Classic

CANTON, N.Y. - The Plattsburgh State women's track and field squad opened the 2008 calendar year on Saturday with a third-place finish at the Saints Indoor Classic hosted by Saint Lawrence University. The Cardinals posted 60 points. COMPLETE MEET RESULTS

Stephanie Adamczyk had a breakthrough performance in the weight throw with a heave of 38 feet and 73/4 inches (11.78 meters), which bested her season's best by 11/2 meters. Senior Toni Wiszowaty qualified for the Eastern College Athletic Conference Championships with a win in the mile, clocking in 5 minutes and 12.67 seconds. Other top Cardinal performers included Mahalia Ewers in the 500-meter dash (1:24.24; 3rd place), Kathryn O'Leary in the 400m (1:04.32; 1st place) and Amber Heath in the 55m (7.96; 3rd place)--all qualifiers for the State University of New York Athletic Conference Championships.

"I am quite impressed with our newcomers (so far)," Plattsburgh head coach John Lynch said after the meet. "We don't have a huge squad this year and lack some numbers in certain areas, but the people who did come in this year have done a fantastic job stepping up to the plate. They spent five weeks at home for the semester break and have come back in phenomenal shape. I am confident things will get better as the season continues."

Dec. 8, 2007

Cardinals Make Season Debut at Saint Lawrence

CANTON, N.Y. - The Plattsburgh State women's track and field squad kicked off the 2007-08 season under new head coach John Lynch at Saturday's SLU Holiday Relays in the Newell Fieldhouse. This was a non-team scoring meet. Click here for complete meet results.

Leena Peters-Uitto competed in three events and qualified for the State University of New York Athletic Conference championships in the high jump and 55-meter hurdles.

"She is much improved from a year ago and is going to be one of our stronger performers throughout the season," Lynch said.

Cardinal throwers comprised four of the team's 10 SUNYAC qualifiers today, including Shannon Young who finished in second place in the shot put with a throw of 36 feet and 9 inches. The women also showed strength in the 400m as freshman Mahalia Ewers and senior Lauren Nescio both qualified for SUNYACs.

"We did what we wanted to do today, which was to see what our freshman could do and get some rust off because it was our first indoor meet," Lynch said. "The team worked great together. They supported each other throughout the meet, which is something we are working on improving.

"Now we go into a five-week training cycle before returning to St. Lawrence on January 12th. We will look to start to see how we stack up as a team then."

Lynch held out most of the team's middle- and long-distance runners to get some rest after a long cross country season this fall.

Nov. 29, 2007

Lynch Takes Coaching Reins, Santaniello Added to Staff

PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. - Plattsburgh State athletics director Bruce Delventhal has formally announced that John Lynch will serve as the director of cross country and track&field and Ted Santaniello will be an assistant coach for the Cardinals track and field teams.

"Ted brings a lot to the table. He is a former captain of this program and a former school record holder. He also has experience working with some of the best speed coaches in the country and will bring some new ideas to the program. So he has some top-level experience," Lynch said. "Ted is also a championship athlete and has always performed at the highest level under difficult circumstances. That ability will show through in his coaching."

Santaniello, of Ticonderoga High School, is a 2006 Plattsburgh graduate with a degree in psychology and a minor in personal training. A two-time NCAA qualifier, he helped set four indoor and outdoor school records during his four-year men's track career with the Cardinals. He was a three-time State University of New York Athletic Conference gold medalist in the 400-meter dash, 2005 outdoor 1600m relay and 2006 outdoor 1600m relay--breaking facility records for the last two events and setting a 25-year-old SUNYAC championship benchmark of 3 minutes and 17.69 seconds in the 2006 outdoor 1600 relay.

Lynch just completed his third season as head cross country coach in style, leading the Cardinals to a national runner-up trophy at the NCAA Division III Women's Cross Country Championships in Northfield, Minn. The program this season set school records for best NCAA finish (2nd), highest national ranking (No. 5), consecutive weeks in the coaches' Top 35 poll (eight) and three All-Americans in the same year (Allison Busby, Alyssa Recny, Toni Wiszowaty). He was named the Atlantic Regional Coach of the Year after the school won its second women's regional title (Plattsburgh won the New York crown in 1998.).

Lynch replaces Brett Willmott, who accepted an assistant track coaching position at the University of Vermont in September.

Coach's Corner

The Plattsburgh State coaching staff creates a family atmosphere for the track and field student-athlete. The environment that we create as coaches (which includes a diverse group of individuals) allows for a learning experience to happen inside and outside the classroom.

While enduring three seasons which span the entire school year it is important to establish a discipline with the student-athletes. This discipline becomes reflective in their overall academic and competitive outcomes. We expect high standards to be met by the student-athletes. These standards are based on consistent evaluation on the track, field, and in the classroom. Within this framework we also promote the overall enjoyment of the collegiate athletics experience.

Outstanding Performances

The Plattsburgh State women's track and field team has a rich history of All-Americans and a National Championship performance.

Eight Cardinals have reached All-America status and Plattsburgh State boasts a National Champion in Kathy Kane, who claimed first place at nationals in the 1500m in 1989.

Plattsburgh's All-American performances have come in a variety of events including:

the 1500 and 800
Long jump
Triple jump.

The women's track & field team, like all intercollegiate athletics teams at Plattsburgh State, focuses on a commitment to competitive excellence, academic achievement, and community service.

Contact Information

For more information about Track & Field at Plattsburgh State, please contact:

John Lynch, Director (Distances)
Phone: (518) 564-4145
E-mail: lynchjp@plattsburgh.edu

Greg Wisser, Assistant Director (Throws/Jumps)
Phone: (518) 564-4145
E-mail: wissergc@plattsburgh.edu

Ted Santaniello, Interim Assistant Coach (Sprints)
Phone: (518) 564-4145
E-mail: sant2718@plattsburgh.edu

Plattsburgh State Women's Track & Field

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