EUGENE, Ore. — Cornell junior standouts Pierre Attiogbe and Avery Hilliard will represent the Big Red on the national stage this week as they compete at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.
The four-day championship meet runs Wednesday, June 10 through Saturday, June 13, with Hilliard set to compete in the women's pole vault on Thursday at 8:35 p.m. ET and Attiogbe scheduled for the men's 5,000-meter final on Friday at 9:55 p.m. ET. The championships will be streamed live on ESPN+, while both events featuring the Cornell juniors will also air on ESPN2.
Hilliard enters the national championship as one of the most accomplished pole vaulters in program history. The junior becomes the first Cornell women's pole vaulter to qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Championships after a remarkable outdoor campaign that saw her finish first or second in every competition leading up to the NCAA East First Round.
Hilliard cleared more than four meters in all but one outdoor meet this season and advanced to Eugene after a standout performance in Lexington, Ky. At the NCAA East First Round, she cleared 4.27 meters to earn one of the coveted qualifying spots to nationals. The junior was flawless through her opening heights, making first-attempt clearances through 4.22 meters before successfully navigating the decisive 4.27-meter bar. Entering the championship meet seeded 17th nationally, Hilliard owns a season-best mark of 4.28 meters, which she earned at Outdoor Ivy Heps.
Hilliard enters the NCAA Championships seeded 17th in the women's pole vault.
Attiogbe arrives in Eugene following a breakthrough year that has elevated him among the nation's top distance runners. The junior built momentum during the indoor season, posting a personal-best mile, helping Cornell capture the distance medley relay title at the Ivy League Indoor Track & Field Championships, and earning his first NCAA Championship appearance in the mile, where he advanced to the national final. Carrying that success into the outdoor campaign, Attiogbe continued to lower his times and establish himself among the nation's elite distance runners.
His outdoor season opened with another personal best, clocking 3:36.69 in the 1,500 meters at the Wake Forest Invitational. Attiogbe continued his ascent at the Penn Relays, where he delivered one of the top performances in program history by winning the championship section of the 5,000 meters in a personal-best 13:37.70. The victory made him the first Cornell runner to win the event at Penn Relays since Grant Whitney in 1986 and moved him to third on Cornell's all-time performance list.
At the Ivy League Outdoor Track & Field Heptagonal Championships, Attiogbe added another title to his résumé, capturing the 1,500-meter crown in meet-record fashion. He then punched his ticket to Eugene at the NCAA East First Round, placing 10th overall in the men's 5,000-meter quarterfinal with a time of 13:50.81. His third-place finish in the heat automatically advanced him to the national championship field.
Attiogbe enters the NCAA Championships seeded 22nd in the men's 5,000 meters.
Cornell's pair of national qualifiers will look to cap standout seasons against the nation's best competition at historic Hayward Field.
