ITHACA, N.Y. -- The Fredonia State track and field teams will be sending over a number athletes to compete in various events at the NCAA Regional Meet on Friday and Saturday, hosted by Ithaca College. The men's team is coming off a third-place finish in the SUNYAC, and the women came in eighth.

The teams will continue to compete with the thoughts of teammate Jacob Winn in their hearts and on their minds. Earlier this season, Winn collapsed before the start on the team's meet at Nazareth and was taken to the hospital, ending his season. At the SUNYAC Championship meet last weekend, all the conference teams competing wore blue ribbons in support of Winn. The Fredonia State athletes also wore shirts with the hashtag #Winnstrong in honor of their teammate. Coaches Tom Wilson, Nick Abdo, and several teammates have kept in touch daily and visited the junior from Niagara Falls.

Abdo, who two years ago was a teammate of Winn's and now is the sprints coach, has been in Winn's corner. "Jake is making great strides as of now in some great medical care. As far as SUNYACs, we knew that we had to put it all out there for Jake out of respect for him because he would've done the exact same, as he does every time he touches the track. At the end of the day, this is not only a teammate, this is our brother. SUNYACs going as well as it did meant more than just performance for the team, it was all for Jake. When I got to talk to him on the phone the other day, his first question was about the team and how everyone did at SUNYACs. He was pumped to hear how it went for us. We are keeping Jake in our thoughts and will continue to leave everything on the track for him."

As far as the weekend's competition, coach Wilson is looking forward to the continued improvement of the team. "Competing at regionals is a gift. The pressure of the conference meet is off and now it's time to take a bigger risk and execute faster, higher performances to end the season. We have four athletes sitting in the Top 40 in the country looking to punch their ticket to the NCAA's. This indoor season has been one for the books!"

SUNYAC Champions Cara Pellechia and Cameron Sample will be competing in the pole vault and long jump, respectively. Pellechia will also run the 60m dash, and Sample is part of two relays -- the 4x400 and 4x200.

Freshman Raphael Baez will compete in both the long jump and high jump. Camiren Collins will run the 60m dash and is also part of the two relays along with Sample. Jordan Lockett will also compete in two events -- the 200m in which he set a school record last week -- and the 4x200 relay.
 

Here's a look at those competing in the two-day event along with their season bests:
WOMEN
Cara Pellechia - pole vault - 3.60m
Cara Pellechia - 60m dash - 8.03
Calie Hudson - mile run - 5:36.18
Brayton Tripi - high jump - 1.59m

MEN
Camiren Collins - 60m dash - 6.87
Cameron Sample - long jump - 7.16m
Raphael Baez - high jump - 1.95m
Raphael Baez - long jump - 6.81m
Evan Thayer - long jump - 6.51m
Jordan Lockett - 200m run - 22.06
Nick Marsowicz, Lucas Lawrie, Camiren Collins, Cameron Sample, Aiden VanAmburg (alternate) - 4x400 relay - 3:22.76
Camiren Collins, Jordan Lockett, Cameron Sample, Nick Marsowicz (Lucas Lawrie, Aiden VanAmburg - alternates) - 4x200 relay - 1:38.53