A third-place finish for the men and a fourth-place finish for the women at last season’s Cornell Indoor Relays were respectable. But as the 2006-07 track and field season opens tomorrow at the same Cornell event, the Bearcats are looking for more.

For the men’s sprinters, sophomore Jimmy Massar returns after a strong freshman season. He may also participate in the long jump this year, as well as the decathlon when the conference championship rolls around.

“Jimmy has been able to adapt to different types of training and feels much stronger than last season,” head coach Mike Thompson said in a press release. “He has been a workhorse for us and was a big part of both our relays last year [400- and 1,600-meter].”

Also sprinting for the men are sophomores Geoff Campbell and Dan Walker, who will each run the 100- and 200-meter races, while senior Sam DePaola and sophomore Junior Obionwu will both participate in the 200- and 400-meter races.

The women also have a sophomore returning from an impressive freshman year in Kim Williams.

“Kim had a very good freshman year,” Thompson said. “She is looking even better this season, having transitioned to training at the college level.”

Junior Keisha Short will run the 400-meter race.

In the hurdles, graduate student Adam Goldberg and senior Rory Quiller return for their last seasons for the men. Junior Jessica Picha and freshman Caitlin Wright will compete for the women in hurdle events.

Quiller and Goldberg will also be the men’s primary jumpers.

“Rory has a chance to be an All-American,” Thompson said. “He certainly has the potential to jump 18 feet and beyond. If he consistently executes the technical aspects of pole vaulting, this should be his best year.”

Dayna Johnson, also a sprinter, holds the BU record for the long jump.

“Dayna is our best all-around athlete,” Thompson said. “She has done everything for us. It’s her goal this season to get the school record in the triple jump.”

Katie Wilmer and Carly Gross will compete in the pole vault for the women.

In throws, the men are led by senior Kevin Hall, who won the America East indoor shot put title in 2005.

“Kevin has become very solid and consistent in the shot put,” Thompson said. “He should also be a contender for the conference title in the hammer this season.”

Justin Halleck, a sophomore, is the most versatile of the throwers, competing in discus, hammer and shot put. Halleck and Hall will be joined by returning junior Ben Babcock.

The women are led in throws by two freshman, Margaret Tinker and Brooke Nepo.

In distance running, freshman Chris Gaube — a top cross country runner this fall — will lead the men along with returning senior Ben Hebdon, who will run the 800-meter race, and sophomore Adam Hill, who will compete in the 1,500-meter race.

The women also feature a top cross country runner for distance, sophomore Katie Radzik, who captured the ECAC title in the season’s final outdoor meet.

“Katie never has a bad race,” Thompson said. “She is a very tough runner even if she is not feeling 100 percent.”

Radzik will run the 3,000-, 5,000- and 10,000-meter races, while graduate student Stacy Kramer will run the 1,500- and 3,000-meter races.

The America East Conference indoor championships will be held at Boston University Feb. 16 to 17, while the outdoor championships will be held at University of Maryland, Baltimore County, in May.