Ithaca, N.Y. — After rewriting the Cornell record book and ascending to the top of the Ivy League leaderboard, junior sprinter Francine Stevens has been named Ivy League Athlete of the Week for Women's Indoor Track & Field, the conference announced.
Stevens earned the honor following a historic performance in the 400-meter dash at the Sykes & Sabock Challenge at Penn State on Saturday, Feb. 7. The Westport, Conn., native clocked a school-record time of 53.69, breaking Cornell's previous mark while moving to No. 1 in the Ivy League this season and No. 9 all-time in league history.
The performance came one meet after Stevens opened her season with a personal-best 55.12 at The Armory — a race she viewed as a starting point rather than a ceiling.
"All of the sprinters brought a high level of intensity to practice throughout preseason, so I knew this season would be special," Stevens said. "At the Armory in my opener I ran a PR of 55.12, which I was excited about, but knew it wasn't my best performance. During practice I told Coach Durant I wanted to run a 53.8 at Penn State, which was definitely ambitious. When I crossed the line and saw that time next to my name, it took me a minute to process."
Stevens credited her recent success to improved speed endurance and a refined race model developed alongside the Cornell coaching staff.
"My strength right now is my speed endurance, so when practicing race modeling Coach emphasized focusing on feeling rather than trying to hit a specific 200m split," Stevens said. "My goal was to go out aggressively while staying comfortable, so I had plenty left to kick with."
Though now one of the conference's premier 400-meter runners, Stevens is still relatively new to the event.
"The 400 wasn't my event in high school, so I have lots of room to grow, and I'm still learning every day from my teammates and Coach in practice," she said. "I've dealt with injuries in the past, so every practice and race I get to run I am truly grateful and excited for the opportunity."
Cornell's Alan B. '53 and Elizabeth Heekin Harris Head Coach of Women's Track & Field, Mike Henderson, praised Stevens' commitment and competitive drive.
"This honor is a reflection of Francine's incredible work ethic and competitive spirit," Henderson said. "Francine sets a tremendous example with her work ethic and commitment to improvement. That performance, and this award, are a nice recognition for her efforts. They are a reflection of the incredible work she has been putting in during her career here at Cornell. We are certainly excited for her accomplishments so far this year and look forward to seeing what she does as her junior year continues."
While the weekly award marks the first of Stevens' career, her focus remains firmly on the postseason.
"This past weekend was exciting, but it only raises the standard moving forward," Stevens said. "The focus is building on that performance and preparing for Heps in a few weeks."
With championship season approaching, Stevens' record-breaking run signals both a breakthrough moment and the promise of more to come for the Big Red.
