Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Navy Women's Track Aims to Defend Patriot League Crown This Weekend

Women's Track Aims to Defend Patriot League Crown This Weekend
Mids have placed among top-three in all 15 of program's appearances at league meet


Navy looks to extend its impressive streak of consistency at the league meet this weekend at Gills Field House



Feb. 17, 2010


2009-10 Navy Performance Lists
Patriot League Performance Lists

ANNAPOLIS, Md. -The Navy women's track & field team will look to defend its Patriot League title at the 2010 indoor championships this weekend at Gillis Field House in West Point, N.Y. The three-day championship competition begins Friday afternoon at 12:15 pm with the pentathlon and continues through Sunday.

A year ago, the Midshipmen women defied the odds in a thrilling come-from-behind victory on its home turf, claiming the program's second indoor conference title. After being picked to finish fourth in the preseason poll, Navy delivered a spirited all-around effort, crowning three individual champions and earning 13 all-conference certificates on its way to fending off seven-time reigning indoor champion Bucknell in a nine-point victory (151-142).

The Mids have been picked to finish second behind the Bison at this year's league championship according to a vote of conference head coaches. Bucknell, who claimed last spring's outdoor crown and has won seven of the last eight indoor titles, once again was deemed the favorite entering the meet receiving 11 of a possible 14 first-place nods. The Bison enter the weekend with by far the most depth of any conference squad, holding one of the top-two seeds in 14 of the 20 events to be contested over the three days of competition.

Navy heads into the weekend looking to extend an impressive streak of consistency at the indoor conference meet. In its 15 years of league membership, Navy has won a pair of indoor titles (2001 & 2009), while placing among the top-three schools in each of its appearances.

The Mids returned 20 letterwinners from last year's championship squad, including six all-league performers (three of which were freshmen a year ago).
Navy is led by indoor team captain Abby Gesecki (Sr., Nanticoke, Pa.). A year ago, Gesecki, who currently ranks second among conference 500 runners (1:16.41), played a major role in the Mids' indoor championship, finishing as the runner-up in the 500 and contributing on a pair of scoring relay efforts. During the spring, she added her first individual conference title with a win in the 400 (56.81) to cap off a strong junior season.

Fellow seniors Mia Blundetto (Apple Valley, Minn.), Lexa Gass (Crescent, Pa.), Krystina Johnson (Savannah, Ga.), Kayla Sax (Richland, Wash.), Jessica Schlaegel (Nashport, Ohio) and Erica Ziel (Saginaw, Mich.) will also be counted on to provide veteran experience throughout the weekend, as proven point-scorers and valuable contributors from last winter's championship meet.

Ashley Bucholz (Jr., DeBerry, Fla.), who owns the conference's best performance to date in the triple jump (36' 10¼"; 11.23 meters), is another veteran the Mids will rely on. Last spring, Bucholz notched a third-place performance in the triple jump, an effort she will look to build upon in West Point.

Second-year standout Jess Palacio (So., Sun Valley, Nev.) heads Navy's underclassmen contingent as the conference's top seed in the 800 (2:14.41) and No. 2 among the league's milers (4:59.93).

Mansfield Murph (So., Mechanicsville, Va.) and Arian Davis (So., Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) appear poised to build upon strong championship performances as rookies. Murph, who was the runner-up in the 400 last winter, ranks third in both the 400 (58.85) and 500 (1:16.85); while Davis is a legitimate multi-event threat after delivering a third-place pentathlon finish and runner-up effort in the heptathlon a year ago.

In the field events, look for Amanda Phelps (So., Oceanside, Calif.) and newcomer Kristin Smith (Fr., Harleysville, Pa.), both ECAC qualifiers for the Mids, to make solid impacts. Phelps ranks among the conference leaders in both the weight throw (2nd at 53'3"; 16.23 meters) and shot put (tied for third at 41' 0.25"; 12.50 meters).

Meanwhile, Smith has already established herself among Navy's high jumping elite and enters the weekend tied atop the conference ledger with Army freshman McKenzie Majchrzak at 5'7" (1.70 meters). Arabia Littlejohn (Fr., Steubenville, Ohio) is another rookie who provides the Mids with some speed in the 400, where she is fifth entering the weeek (59.20)

Following this weekend's championship action, the Midshipmen will return home to host Army in the annual Star Meet on Friday, Feb. 26 at the Wesley A. Brown Field House.

Navy at the Patriot League Indoor Championships (Year-By-Year)
Year Result
1994 2nd/121.0
1995 2nd/115.0
1996 3rd/125.5
1997 2nd/142.0
1998 3rd/106.0
2000 2nd/176.0
2001 1st/196.0
2002 3rd/112.0
2003 3rd/114.0
2004 2nd/104.0
2005 2nd/130.0
2006 3rd/117.0
2007 2nd/139.75
2008 3rd/87.0
2009 1st/151.0

2010 PATRIOT LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
DAY ONE - Friday, February 19
12:15 p.m. - Pentathlon (60 Hurdles, High Jump, Shot Put, Long Jump, 800)

DAY TWO - Saturday, February 20
Field Events
11:00 a.m. - Long Jump
2:00 p.m. - Weight Throw, High Jump

Running Events
1:15 p.m. - 60m Hurdles (prelims)
1:45 p.m. - 60m Dash (prelims)
2:25 p.m. - 5000m Run(unseeded)
2:55 p.m. - 60m Hurdles (semis)
3:15 p.m. - 60m Dash (semis)
3:50 p.m. - 5000m Run (seeded)
4:20 p.m. - 200m Dash (prelims)
5:10 p.m. - 4 x 800m Relay

DAY THREE - Sunday, February 21
Field Events
1:00 p.m. - Pole Vault, Triple Jump, Shot Put

Running Events
12:15 p.m. - Mile
12:35 p.m. - 60m Hurdles
12:45 p.m. - 60m Dash
1:15 p.m. - 400m Dash
1:40 p.m. - 500m Dash
2:05 p.m. - 800m Run
2:30 p.m. - 1000m Run
2:50 p.m. - 200m Dash
3:25 p.m. - 3000m Run
4:05 p.m. - DMR
4:30 p.m. - 4 x 400m Relay

5:00 p.m. - Awards Ceremony

## GO NAVY! ##

Courtesy Navy

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