Kayla Kass won the 800 Saturday at the AARTFC Championships, appears to have broken Stockton’s school record, definitely broke the meet record and may have punched herself a ticket to the NCAA Division 3 Championships.
Kass, a sophomore from Bayonne, ran what is likely a school-record 2:12.32 at the All-Atlantic Region Track and Field Conference Championships at the Golisano Training Center in Nazareth, Pa
Stockton’s web site lists 2:18.37 by Manchester Township’s Cassandra Hrusko in 2016 as the school record – according to TFRRS Hrusko ran that on Feb. 6 at Ursinus. But also according to TFRRS Cierra Granger of Ocean City ran 2:18.08 at Ocean Breeze on Feb. 27, 2016.
How could 2:18.37 be the school record when a different runner ran faster three weeks later? Good question! Apparently the Stockton web site was last updated since some point between Feb. 6, 2016, and Feb. 27, 2016.
That was eight years ago. Time to update the web site, Stockton sports information department!
But wait … Hrusko actually ran faster than that 2:18.37 in 2014. She had a 2:18.20 on March 1, 2014, so maybe that was the school record until Granger ran her 2:18.08.
But I went through all Stockton results as far back as TFRRS goes – which is the 2009-2010 season – and the actual Stockton school record didn’t belong to Hrusko or Granger but to Kass herself with her 2:14.71 two weeks ago, when she won the NJAC title at Ocean Breeze.
I’m sure Stockton will get around to updating that in 2032 or so.
Anyway, heck of a race by Kass, who closed in 31.33 for her final 200 and 64.65 for her final 400 and finished eight meters ahead of 2nd-place Megan Bell of Rochester, who ran 2:13.53.
Now here’s the interesting part. Coming into this weekend, Kass ranked 28th in NCAA Division 3 with that 2:14.71, and the top 20 runners in D-3 through tonight qualify for next weekend’s nationals in Virginia Beach.
But depending on what else happens today around the country, Kass could be in the top 20. Only eight women in Division 3 had run as fast as 2:12.32 coming into the weekend. We’ll see what else happens and the official fields for D-3 nationals will be announced Sunday, but it looks like Kass has a pretty good shot.
The previous meet record was 2:12.51 set by Windsor Ardner of SUNY Geneseo last year. Kass also broke the Golisano Center record of 2:13.55 set by Ardner last year at the Nazareth Conference Tune-Up.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 