Lester Sprints to Championship Finish at SUNY Cortland

CORTLAND, N.Y. - The Finger Lakes Community College track and field team has been off to a red-hot start this 2024 season, and their impressive streak continued in the challenging weather conditions at SUNY Cortland Friday and Saturday afternoon. Despite two long days of cold, wind, and rain, the Lakers prevailed to put together another string of outstanding performances as they continue to build their resume in a dominant showing this season.

In the 10K NJCAA Region III Championship, which SUNY Cortland played host to, freshman Zachary Lester would highlight the day, standing tall as he claimed the 2024 NJCAA Region III 10K title with a time of 37:02.73, setting a personal record and securing a National qualification for the NJCAA Division III National Championships at Mohawk Valley Community College. Teammate Juliette Ventura followed with an impressive second-place finish in the heptathlon, earning a total of 2827 points. Ventura shone in the javelin, throwing an impressive 27.92m, marking a personal best and a qualifying mark for the NJCAA Division III National Championships.

In the regular portion of the meet, freshman Jason Hunt-McLean achieved a personal record in the javelin, reaching a distance of 34.09m. Teammates Aren Weigert and Grace Holmes both had strong performances in the pole vault, with Weigert clearing 2.60m and Holmes achieving a mark of 2.20m, Weigert would earn a qualifying mark for regionals with his performance. Sophomore Morgan Cheney showcased her versatility, excelling in multiple events; Cheney threw 12.01m in the javelin, completed the 1500m in 5:59.61, and set a personal record in the 800m with a time of 2:57.17. Teammate Megan Calder followed with a solid 1500m time of 5:48.94. Freshman Phallon Rivera had a strong showing in the field events with throws of 8.46m in the shot put and 22.41m in the discus. Freshman Terreque Davis would round out the day for the men's squad, qualifying for nationals with a high jump of 1.78m. Freshman Trinity Ortiz continued her dominance in the long jump, as she broke her school record with a leap of 5.51m, finishing second in the NCAA competition while running the 100m in 12.89 seconds.

With another strong showing, the Lakers are primed and prepared for the upcoming NJCAA Region III Championships hosted at Mohawk Valley Community College on Saturday, May 4th. The Lakers will look to build on their successes as they head into the postseason with several student-athletes on the men's and women's teams looking to make their mark in the history books.