Women's Track and Field 11/29/2012 7:00:00 AM SJU Athletic Communications

Women's Track to Open Season at Jack Pyrah Invitational

Nov. 29, 2012

2012-13 Schedule

PHILADELPHIA - Highlighted by four school-record breakers, six ECAC qualifiers, and six individual meet champions, the 2012-13 women's indoor and outdoor track and field team returns 26 letterwinners from last season. With the addition of 19 newcomers to the already experienced and talented squad, head coach Kevin Quinn has a high expectation for success this season. Led by senior captains Hannah Boyce, Shannon Geddes, Maureen O'Donnell, Genevieve Ruppel, and Sara Walker, Saint Joseph's has an exceptional chance at unprecedented success during its 2012-13 indoor and outdoor track and field campaigns.

The Hawks will open the season at the Jack Pyrah Invitational on Saturday, December 1. Start time for all field and throwing events is scheduled for 11:00 am at Haverford College in Haverford, Pa. Running events are slated for noon.

HURDLES
Led by last season's standout Georgia Mason, the Hawks return four hurdlers from the 2011-12 squad while welcoming two freshman into the mix.

Mason is back for the Hawks after an impressive freshman campaign in which she won the 60H at Giegengack with a school-record-breaking time of 8.98. Mason ran two one-hundredths of a second faster than the original record holder, Stefani Zabilowicz, whose 2010-11 record previously stood at 8.99. The sophomore led Saint Joseph's with team bests in the 55H (8.41) and the 100H (14.71) and recorded a second-place finish in the 60H (9.14) at the Princeton 4-Way.

Francesca D'Angelo, described by Coach Quinn as a "good, hard-working competitor," ran in five events last season and notched season bests in the 60H (9.42) and 100H (15.16) at the Delaware Open.

Sophomore Kayla Charles, who placed second in the 100H at the Lafayette 7-Way with a time of 14.96, and junior Mia Greer round out the returning hurdlers.

Freshmen Dannah Hayward, Carly McGowan, and Tiana Pole will be a welcome addition to the group of hurdlers this season. Hayward is a 2012 District 2 and AAA Pennsylvania State Champion in the 300H and McGowan placed second in the 100H at the 2012 Delaware State Championships.

SPRINTS
The junior duo of Katie Pratt and Mercedes Yanora return to pace the Hawks in sprinting this season along with an additional wealth of experienced speed.

Pratt led the team in the outdoor 400m (57.83) and indoor 500m (1:17.87) and 600m (1:41.82) last season while Yanora took over the short sprints, leading all SJU runners in the 200m (25.99) and 300m (41.49).

Four additional sprinters return to compete in the short and long sprints. D'Angelo, Geddes, Greer, and Mason return having set personal best records last season.

Junior Jaclyn Kogut is another threat in all sprinting events for the Hawks, from the 200m to the 600m.

"Jaclyn is an all-around performer and tenacious competitor, while Mia takes full advantage of her gifts, works really hard, and gives what she has," said Quinn.

Boyce, Ruppel, and sophomores Gabriella Becatini and Charles each posted season bests last season and could be called upon once again for their speed in both the short and long sprint races this season.

Hayward, McGowan, and Pole, who will also sprint for the squad this season, are joined by fellow rookie Jazmin Dunlap, a New Jersey First Team All-Star in the 200m, and are expected to add young talent to the already experienced group of sprinters.

DISTANCE
Three different medley teams made phenomenal strides in 2011-12, highlighted by the incredible successes of the Distance Medley Relay (DMR), 4x800 medley, and 4x400 medley teams.

The DMR team of Walker, Pratt and junior Emma Slattery broke the 13-year-old school record in the event by 3.11 seconds, setting a new record of 11:45.91 at the ECAC Indoor Championships. The time was also 22.73 seconds faster than the ECAC qualifying time in the event.

Walker, Slattery, and junior Elizabeth Barrett were also part of the 4x800 relay team that smashed the ECAC qualifying time in the event by 13.31 seconds, crossing the tape at 9:02.93.

Pratt, Kogut, and Geddes would be essentially unbeatable last season as they comprised three-fourths of the 4x400 team that won the Lafayette 7-Way in a time of 4:02.02 and three-fourths of the 4x400 relay team that clocked in at a season best time of 3:54:15 at the Atlantic 10 Championship.

"Katie Pratt is extremely hard-working, dedicated, and gifted," said Quinn of a junior that ran on three of those four teams.

Experience met youth as D'Angelo and Mason made up half of the 4x100 relay team that took second place at the Delaware Open.

A trio of current juniors highlighted the team best times in middle and long distance last season. Slattery led the squad in the 1500m (4:37.88), 3000m (10:02.40), and mile (5:05.02) while classmate Erin James qualified for the ECACs with a personal and team best time of 10:44.68 in the 3000m steeplechase and led the team in the 5000m (17:30.49). Junior Emily Chappell finished out the team leaders in distance as she led all runners in the 10,000m with a time of 38:35.63.

This season's senior captains have quite the resume as well. Walker won the 1500m in 4:44.25 at the Lafayette 7-Way outdoor meet while O'Donnell qualified for the ECACs with her season-best, first-place finish in the 5000 meters (17:31.16) at Giegengack.

Rounding out the returners will be senior Lena Finucane, who, if healthy, is described by Coach Quinn as "a major competitive force in middle distance," juniors Hannah Brown, Lisa Chen, Hannah Fuller, Darcy O'Connor, Paige O'Neill, and sophomore Taylor Oskowiak.

Newcomers including senior Erin Giampietro, sophomores Chelsea Mercurio and Marina Rufo, and 10 freshmen round out the distance runners for the Hawks.

JUMPS
The jumps section of the squad enjoys a solid amount of depth and experience as six of seven jumpers return for the 2012-13 season.

Boyce dominated the high jump last year, winning the New Year's Eve indoor meet and the Lafayette 7-Way and Delaware Open outdoor meets. Boyce's jump of 5' 7'' at Lafayette was a team best and qualified her for the ECACs. The senior standout also came through in a big way for the Hawks at the Atlantic 10 Outdoor Championships by placing third overall.

"Hannah has developed into a very accomplished high jumper," said Quinn. "She has become serious about her sport and could become a force among Eastern high jumping."

Sophomore Brianna Hunt had a standout freshman campaign in the high jump, posting a personal best of 5' 3'' at the Delaware Open.

Talent runs deep for the long jump and triple jump categories as well. In her freshman debut as a Hawk, current sophomore Kati Polaski led the team in both categories, with personal bests in the long jump (18' 4 ¼'') at the Princeton 4-Way and the triple jump (37' 1'') at the PSU Relays. Charles competed in six meets for the Hawks in the indoor season and notched her own personal bests in the long jump (17' 3 ½'') at the Princeton 4-Way and triple jump (33' 8 ½'') at New Year's.

Ruppel, Boyce, Becattini, and Hunt will return to the long-jump, while Becattini will return as the team's second best triple-jumper.

"We are expecting very good things out of Genevieve [Ruppel] this season once another year of training is under her belt," said Quinn.

Freshman Bridget Neslund, who placed third in the long jump at the Pennsylvania State tournament and fifth in the triple jump at the District tournament, will look to add a young spark to the talented jumps section of the squad.

OVERALL
Led by Hawks of all different levels of experience and talent, the 2012-13 season is already expected to be one for the record books for the women's track and field program.

Print Friendly Version