2003-04 Women's Track and Field Outlook

01/01/04

- After a season which saw the Tribe capture its third-straight CAA Championship and place a best-ever fourth at the outdoor ECAC Championships, William and Mary women’s track and field is positioned for one of its finest seasons ever. With a strong lineup of returning veterans, seasoned in championship competition, and the addition of talented newcomers, the team aims to repeat its success at conferences and challenge at the ECACs and NCAA Regionals.

Director of Track and Field Dan Stimson and head coach Pat Van Rossum have assembled a complete program with depth in all areas, evidenced by the team’s scoring in every event at the 2003 CAA Championship. This year’s team is no different.

"I'm very excited to have a full track and field team that has the talent and depth to score in every event at the CAAs," Van Rossum beamed. "We have a lot of returning conference scorers, and I fully expect a lot of underclassmen to step up this year as we'll look to four-peat as CAA Champions and score at ECACs and NCAAs."

The distance events continue to be one of the strongest areas of the program. Three-time All-American Ali Henderson leads the contingent, aiming to cap a stellar career. Henderson has already earned one All-America honor this season with her 30th-place finish at the NCAA Cross Country Championship. Last year, Henderson blazed to an All-America accolade in the indoor 5,000m with an eighth place finish, the crowning moment of an incredibly successful campaign. Henderson also claimed 12th in the 10,000m at outdoor NCAAs in addition to winning the 3,000m at indoor ECACs and the 3,000m steeplechase at outdoor ECACs. The CAA Athlete of the Year, Henderson snared two conference titles, the 5,000m and 3,000m steeplechase, and set school records in the 10,000m and 3,000m steeplechase.

A number of seasoned veterans with all-conference credentials will anchor the distance corps along with Henderson. Senior Maura McMahon comes into the season off an All-East performance at outdoor ECACs with a fifth in the 10,000m and an All-CAA selection after her third place at conferences in the 5,000m. Junior Jackie Kosakowski, an All-East and all-conference performer last season, had two great ECAC meets, taking ninth in the 3,000m steeplechase and sixth in the indoor 5,000m. Senior Katrina Menard, an ECAC qualifier, won the 10,000m at the CAAs in addition to notching three other victories throughout the season. Former all-conference runner Emily Halm returns to the squad after redshirting last season and is expected to buoy the distance corps after finishing second at this fall’s CAA Cross Country Championship.

Complementing this formidable front is a strong group full of potential. Sophomore Karen Pulliam just missed All-CAA honors last season with a fourth in the 3,000m steeplechase, while in the same race, sophomore Jessica Allred also scored for the team, claiming seventh. Another conference scorer, Kristyn Shiring, enters her sophomore season aiming to build on a seventh-place showing at CAAs in the 5,000m. Kristin McGough hopes to cap her career in style. After earning her first all-conference honors in cross country this fall, the senior aims to make the same impact on the track. Junior Becca Velarde ran only three races last indoor season but netted three top-10s and aims to continue her steady progression. 2003 CAA Cross Country Co-Rookies of the Year Meghan Bishop and Julia Cathcart lead a strong incoming class in the distance events, which also features Christy Dannenberg, Amy Maier and Jessica Wolfe, all of whom were accomplished high school runners.

The middle distance corps features a versatile group capable of moving up or dropping down in distances with great success. Headlining the returnees is sophomore Lauren Heron, last season’s CAA Champion in the 1,500m and an ECAC and NCAA Regional qualifier. Lara Toscani and Erin Masterson, both seasoned veterans, join Heron in leading the contingent. An All-CAA honoree in the 1,500m, Toscani was part of the All-East 4x800m team at outdoor ECACs in 2003 and was also a member of the indoor ECAC-qualifying DMR team. Masterson is an all-conference threat after scoring in the 1,500m at CAAs last season, taking seventh. Senior Stephanie Blake, winner in the 800m at the Tribe Open, will be another key runner in the mid-distance ranks, hoping to score at CAAs after taking ninth in the 800m last year. Sophomore Lydia Malley looks to improve on a strong rookie season in which she posted a number of impressive relay finishes, including runner-up in the DMR at Colonial Relays and a solid finish in the same event at indoor ECACs. Two more sophomores, Loren Cutright and Shelley Knewstep, aim to contribute after a year of collegiate experience while three juniors, Meredith Holaday, Ruth Loyer and Sarah Wells, also look to make an impact after seeing limited competition last year. After three years of sprinting and hurdling, senior Kristin Monaco will move up to the middle distance events to buoy the squad's effort. Newcomers include Lindsay Ambrecht, Anna Parker, Melle Patrick, Heather Stevenson and Kate Willever, all of whom enter their collegiate careers with championship credentials.

The team has placed greater emphasis on the sprints the past few years and this season may feature one of the most talented lineups in that category as Naomi Mattos, ECAC qualifier in the 400m and 500m, leads the group. Mattos scored at conferences last season, with a fourth in the 400m and eighth in the 200m. Erica Johnson is another top returner, coming off a number of strong finishes in the indoor season and an eighth at CAAs in the 100m. Along with Mattos, Johnson was integral to the relay teams that set school records in the 4x100m and 4x200m last season. Katie Andres and Rachel Sigsbury look to build on several solid performances for 2004 while senior Jen Monk returns to the lineup. A strong incoming class which includes Brenna Blevins, Lauren Kloss, Michaela McElroy, Mary Whitehead and Kathleen Woody will further bolster the Tribe's growing sprint corps.

The College returns two strong runners in the hurdles. Junior Kara Snyder fronts the trio after winning the 100m hurdles at conferences in 2003. Also scoring with a fourth in the 400m hurdles, Snyder qualified for outdoor ECACs and the NCAA Regionals last season. Another conference scorer, sophomore Kelly Knight, will add depth in the events after an impressive freshman season that included fourth in the 100m hurdles at CAAs. Kloss figures to be a key newcomer specializing in the 400m hurdles in addition to her sprinting.

The throwing events will prove to be one of the Tribe’s strongest areas with a powerful duo leading the way. Juniors Cassidy Harris and Ayanna Jones, both All-East performers, each had superb sophomore seasons and have developed a true one-two punch for the team in the events. Harris claimed the CAA title in the shot and took sixth at outdoor ECACs in the event. Jones captured fourth in the shot at outdoor ECACs in addition to netting All-CAA honors in the shot and discus .

Complementing these two dynamos are Liz Hager and Lindsay Pearson. Hager impressed as a freshman last season when she won the javelin at the Tribe Open and racked up a number of strong finishes in all the throwing events. Pearson, another sophomore, also impressed in her rookie campaign by winning the weight throw at the CNU Lid-Lifter and finished eighth in the shot at conferences. Freshmen Kate Ham and Jen Showker, both state champions, will provide further depth with Ham specializing in the javelin and Showker competing in a variety of events.

Charlotte LaRoche, a former conference champion and All-East performer, will anchor the pole vault. Qualifying for the NCAA Regionals and ECACs last season, she scored at conferences with a fourth-place result and won the pole vault at the CNU Invitational. Freshman Liz Arnold, a district champion in high school, should make an immediate impact in the event.

Sophomore Sarah McHale will anchor the horizontal jumps after a stout rookie campaign where she was a double conference scorer, claiming fifth in the triple jump and sixth in the long jump. Mattos will also provide strength in the long jump after snaring fourth in the event at conferences, while sophomore Bonnie Meekins and Rebecca Pucheu will also see action in the events. Woody leads a talented freshman class that aims to make a strong debut.

Meekins will lead the Tribe’s effort in the high jump after winning the event at Virginia in her freshman campaign. Joining her in the event will be veterans Amanda Gomaa and Cari Tusing, both of whom recorded several top-ten performances last season, and newcomers Blevins and Michelle Wolf.

Meekins will also anchor the multi-event contingent for the squad, where she excelled as a freshman. Meekins earned All-CAA honors with her runner-up finish in the heptathlon at conferences, one of three second-place finishes she had on the year.

With depth across all events, the squad presents a formidable assault capable of challenging at the highest levels. With coaches Stimson and Van Rossum at the helm of this elite collection of proven veterans and accomplished newcomers, the Tribe is poised to power its way to another stellar season.