Women's Indoor Track and Field | 2/23/2022 8:14:39 PM
Alfred University, Hartwick College, Houghton College, Nazareth College, Russell Sage College, St. John Fisher and Utica College will compete at the two-day 2021-22 Empire 8 Women’s Indoor Track and Field Championships starting at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, February 25 from the Todd and Jen Hutton Sports and Recreation Center on the campus of Utica. St. John Fisher will look to earn its third straight Empire 8 Championship. Day two action will begin on Saturday, February 26 at 10:30 a.m.
Live results will be available on Friday and Saturday. For more on this year's championship - including entries, results, and updated information - please head to the Championship Central page.
2022 Empire 8 Team Capsules (Order Based on 2021 Championship Finish)
St. John Fisher will attempt to win its third consecutive Empire 8 Championship this weekend. Junior Riley Corey is the two-time defending Empire 8 Champion in the 5,000-meters and enters the meet with the top current time among all E8 student-athletes in that event and is seeded second in the 3,000-meters. Teammates Morgan Gould and Laura Witt and Lauren DeMichele are right behind Corey in both events. The Cardinals have a strong group of sprinters in Samantha Shea, Ciarra Franz, Michaela Kurbs, Maria Covelli and McKenna Cone, who will look to gain valuable points. Shea has the 22nd second best time nationally in the 400-meters, while Franz is inside the top-50 nationally in the 60-meter hurdles. Cone and Kurbs are also strong contenders in the hurdles and jumps, as Kurbs is the defending E8 Champion in the long jump. Taylor Highers and Alivia Collins are also contenders in the middle distance events. Jordan Lehman, the 2021 E8 Field Athlete of the Year, will be a strong contender in both throwing events. She is seeded second in the weight throw and fourth in the shot put. Makenna King and Elizabeth Izydorczak will also look to score points in the throw. Alondra Arroyo is the defending E8 Champion in the pole vault.
Nazareth, the 2021 E8 runner-up, is looking for its first Empire 8 crown. Junior Brenna Johnson, the 2019 Empire 8 Rookie of the Year and 2021 Indoor Track Athlete of the Year, is attempting to win her fourth straight crown in the 400-meter dash. She enters the 2022 championship ranked in the top-four among all Empire 8 student-athletes in the 60-, 200- and 400-meters this season and is nationally ranked at 20th in the high jump (5.58 meters). Abbey Szumloz and first-year Mackenzie Gilligan will vie for points in the sprint events as well. Seniors Elizabeth Decker, Claire Bargabos, Emily Weaver and Megan Morin will contend in the middle distance events. Weaver, Lilianna Hanning and Morin are looking to earn points in the 3,000- and 5,000-meter events. Sophomore Hannah Ragule, the 2021 Empire 8 Indoor Rookie of the Year is one of the top jumpers in the league, along with Johnson. Anna Ahlquist is ranked 34th nationally in the pole vault, while Gilligan and Sarah Merriwether are among the league leaders in the high jump. Sophomore Lea Richard is the current E8 leader in the weight throw and is ranked 45th nationally.
Utica, the 2022 host, has several standout student-athletes who will vie for individual titles. Junior Jane Fahy is the defending E8 champion in the shot put and has the 23rd best mark in Division III this season (13.08 meters). Laura Meade enters the 2022 championship with the league’s best marks in the triple jump. Meade is also a top sprinter who will contend in the 60-meters. First-year Mackenzie Mix enters the meet with the top time in the 200-meter and is also seeded third in the 400-meters and fifth in the 60-meter dash. Jade Dening, the 2021 Empire 8 Cross Country Rookie of the Year, is ranked second in both the 800-meters and the mile. Utica’s distance medley relay team is first in the conference to date this season. Gabrielle DeSanctis and Skyler Whorf will look to score for Utica in the throws as well. Amina Sinclair and Makiya Donnelly are top contenders in the high jump.
Houghton will look to win its first E8 title in 2022. First-year standout Amerrah Horne-Vaden is seeded first in the 60-meter dash and enters third in the 200-meters, while junior Amanda Burrichter is the defending Empire 8 Champion in both the mile and 3,000-meters. Haley DeJager, Mary Shaker and Tabitha Clark will run in the middle distance races. Houghton is always well represented in the relay events and this season should be no different. Hayden Williamson is the defending Empire 8 Champion in the long jump, while Hosana Spronk is a contender in the pole vault. Miah Idzi will look to score points in the jumps, while Kathryn Evans is Houghton’s top thrower.
Alfred enters the 2022 Empire 8 Championship looking to improve off of last season’s fifth place finish. Senior Madison Palmer is a strong contender in both throws events. She is seeded third in the shot put and has the fourth best toss in the weight throw. Bianca Durso is a strong contenders in the jumping events. Second-year standout Olivia Gilbert enters the championship looking to earn points for the Saxons in the 400 and 800-meters, while McKenzie Hall is a strong middle distance runner. Mari Jablonksi will represent the Saxons in both the 3,000- and 5,000-meters.
Russell Sage is in its second season as an indoor track and field program and has several student-athletes who are among the top performers in a handful of events. Natalie Ricci, the reigning E8 Track Athlete of the Week, is among the top contenders in the 60- and 200-meter sprint events. Amelia Geesler and Julia Gerringer will also look to score in the sprint events. Mackenzie Feeley and Emma Cronin, along with Elizabeth Ingelis will contend in the distance events. Alyssa McClurg and Jasmine Zollman are set to compete in the jump events, while Madalynn Walsh will participate in throws events.
Hartwick is set to compete after opting out of the 2021 Championship. Savarrah Sojda will look to earn points in both the long jump and triple jump for the Hawks, while Giovanna Wall is Hartwick’s top thrower and hurdler. Madilynne Smith and Adrianna Sullivan will also look to excel for the Hawks.
Current 2021-22 Empire 8 Top Performances
60-meter dash – Amerrah Horne-Vaden, Houghton – :7.94
200-meter dash – Mackenzie Mix, Utica – :26.27
400-meter dash – Samantha Shea, St. John Fisher – :58.55
800-meter run – Elizabeth Decker, Nazareth – 2:21.40
Mile run – Megan Morin, Nazareth – 5:24.87
3,000-meter run – Amanda Burrichter, Houghton – 10:28.55
5,000-meter run – Riley Corey, St. John Fisher – 18:07.14
60-meter hurdles – Cierra Franz, St. John Fisher – :9.18
4 x 400-meter relay – St. John Fisher – 4:05.36
Distance Medley relay – Utica – 14:04.24
High Jump – Mackenzie Gilligan, Nazareth – 1.56 meters (5’1.25”)
Hayden Williamson, Houghton – 1.56 meters (5’1.25”)
Long Jump – Brenna Johnson, Nazareth – 5.58 meters (18’3.75”)
Triple Jump – Laura Meade, Utica – 10.67 meters (35’0.25”)
Pole Vault – Anna Ahlquist, Nazareth – 3.50 meters (11’5.75”)
Shot Put – Jane Fahy, Utica – 13.08 meters (42’11”)
Weight Throw – Lea Richard, Nazareth – 15.72 meters (51’7”)
For the most up to date information on this year's championship, follow the Empire 8 Conference on Twitter (@Empire8).
ABOUT THE EMPIRE 8 CONFERENCE
The members of the Empire 8 Conference are committed first and foremost to the pursuit of academic excellence and the league is regarded as an outstanding NCAA Division III conference. The membership has distinguished itself among its peer group for its quality institutions, spirited and sportsmanlike competition, outstanding services and highly ethical policies and practices. Its commitment to serve the educational needs of its student-athletes is the hallmark of the E8. For more on the Empire 8 visit
www.empire8.com.
EMPIRE 8 SOCIAL MEDIA
YouTube –
Facebook –
Twitter –
Instagram