Berardo and Cantine Advance after Day 1 of NCAA East Regional

Results

Princeton senior Jackie Berardo and sophomore Sophie Cantine both advanced out of the first round at the NCAA East Regional.

The three-day event began today at the University of North Florida with four Tigers competing.

Cantine was the first Tiger to move on as she qualified in the 1500 on time. She was sixth in heat 2 and was 16th overall with a personal best of 4:21.02 (51.24, 1:09.45, 1:09.24, 1:11.11). With the top five in each heat advancing, it was a wait-and-see experience for Cantine as she had to watch the next two heats and hope she would be one of the four individuals that would advance to the quarterfinals on time. After all 48 student-athletes had completed the race, Cantine had the fastest time of the four outside of the top five and the 16th best time of the 24 moving on.

The quarterfinal will be on Saturday at 6:30 p.m., with the top 5 from each heat plus the next two fastest will be the 12 to advance to Austin, Texas for the NCAA Championships.

Cantine's 4:21.02 is seventh on Princeton's top-10 list as she switches places with All-America Liz Costello who posted a 4:21.65 in the 2009 NCAA Regional.

One of the competitors Cantine was hoping to do well in the 1500 was teammate Madison Offstein who ran in heat 3. The senior finished eighth in her heat and 31st overall with a 4:27.23 (53.75, 1:15.34, 1:10.41, 1:07.74).

Three hours later Berardo found herself advancing in the 800 meters with a PR of 2:05.73. She clocked the 13th fastest time of the 48 competitors and was third in heat 5 with the fastest split time on the last lap at 1:04.93. Berardo posted a 1:00.80 in the first 400 meters and was in sixth place after the first lap before she made room on the outside and pushed ahead in the final 200 meters for what is the fourth on Princeton's top-10 list.

The quarterfinal of the 800 is Thursday at 6:30 p.m., with the top three from each heat plus the next six fastest times – a total of 12 – advancing to Austin.

In the first event on the track senior Carly Bonnet took on the 400 hurdles. She finished fourth in heat 2 and was 26th overall with a 59.28. It was the fastest time of any of the five Ivy League athletes in the event, as she beat the Ivy champion by more than four seconds. Bonnet qualified for the Regional for the first time when she posted a PR of 59.12 at the prelims of Ivy Heps and later took fourth place in the finals. Bonnet's 59.12 ranks second on Princeton's top-10 list behind Sally Anderson's 58.19 from the 1983 AIAW national championship.

Sophomore Rylie Pease showed tremendous improvement between last year's NCAA East Regional and this years. The Princeton record holder in the javelin with a 48.01 finished 27th overall, throwing 13th in flight 2. With her first throw landing at 42.48 (139-4), her second at 42.39 (19-1) before her best on her final attempt, a 44.62 (146-5).

On tap tomorrow is sophomore Obiageri Amaechi looking to make her return to Championship weekend. She will throw in flight 3 of the discus, beginning at noon. Senior Allie Klimkiewicz races in heat 2 of the steeplechase at 8:20 p.m., and Berardo's 800 quarterfinal is at 6:30 p.m.

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