ROCHESTER, NY (May 25, 2023) – Three Jumbos earned All-American honors Thursday on the first day of the 2023 NCAA Division III Women's Outdoor Track & Field Championships hosted by St. John Fisher University.
Senior
Jaidyn Appel was third in the high jump, senior
Lia Rotti took fourth in the long jump and graduate student
Kelsie Hao placed sixth in the long jump. The 14 team points scored by the Tufts trio had the Jumbos in first place with four events scored so far at the meet.
In the high jump, Appel was one of three individuals who advanced to the 1.75m (5'8 ¾") height. All three missed and Appel took third based on her misses at previous heights. She had twice stayed alive in the competition by making her third attempt at 1.69m (5'6 1'2") and then her final make at 1.72m (5'7 ¾"). A two-time NCAA indoor high jump national champion, she is now a five-time All-American who also been second in the event outdoors in 2021 and sixth last year. Kira Porzio from US Merchant Marine Academy won the high jump title due to making her second attempt at 1.72m.
Rotti's 5.80m (19'0 ½") in her second attempt in the long jump flights stood up for fourth place overall. It's her second long jump All-American effort and sixth overall.
Hao had a PR distance of 5.73m (18'9 ¾") in her first long jump today, then improved upon it with a 5.77m (18'11 ¼") in her second try of the finals. The sixth-place is her best long jump finish at the NCAA meet, and it's her fourth All-American performance.
On Friday Hao will be in action again as she and sophomore
Sarah Firth compete in the pole vault beginning at 6:00 PM. Graduate student
Hannah Neilon will run in the 800 heats at 6:45 PM Friday.
--JUMBOS--
