Women's Outdoor Track and Field | 5/3/2023 8:17:51 AM
Alfred University, Hartwick College, Houghton University, Nazareth College, Russell Sage College, St. John Fisher University and Utica University will compete at the 2023 Empire 8 Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Championships, Friday, May 5 and Saturday, May 6 at the Pioneer Turf and Track and Field Complex on the campus of Utica. Action begins at 11:30 a.m. Friday and continues at 10 a.m. Saturday. St. John Fisher will look to earn its third straight Empire 8 Championship. Nazareth emerged victorious at the 2023 E8 Indoor Championships in February.
Folliow along all championship long with
live scoring.
2023 Empire 8 Team Capsules (Order Based on 2022 Championship Finish)
St. John Fisher is looking to win its third straight Empire 8 Outdoor Track and Field Championship and enter the meet with excellent depth in nearly all events. Samantha Shea is having a tremendous spring and enters the meet with the top time among all E8 student-athletes in the 200- and 400-meters, which are also among the best in the nation. She is also expected to be a top contender in the 100-meters. Fellow sprinters Ciarra Franz, Zhane Lettsome, Michaela Kurbs and Grace Wright will also look to gain valuable points. Franz is the defending E8 Champion in the 100-meter hurdles, ranked 33rd nationally. St. John Fisher’s 4 x 100-meter relay team is currently ranked in the top-30 nationally as well. Caitlin Voloshen will be Fisher’s top contenders in the middle distance events and 3,000-meter steeplechase, while Lauren DeMichele, Laura Witt and Brigid McGee will vie for points in the distance events. steeplechase. On the field side, Veronica Duell and Kurbs both competed in the long jump at the 2022 NCAA Outdoor Championships and will look to earn that distinction again in 2023. Duell recorded one of the top long jumps in Empire 8 history last weekend and moves into second nationally with that leap. Makenna King is the current E8 leader in the discus and is ranked second in the shot put and fourth in the hammer throw. Claudia Vogel and Sarah Jacques are both tied for second in the high jump. Logan Hendrickson will compete in the heptathlon.
Nazareth is looking for its first outdoor crown after winning the 2023 E8 Indoor Championship for the first time in February. Senior Brenna Johnson, the 2022 E8 Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year and two-time E8 Indoor Field Athlete of the Year, enters the outdoor championship as a strong contender in all three sprint events and will look to secure her second straight long jump title. She also was the 2021 E8 Champion in both the 100- and 200-meter dash. Abbey Szumloz will vie for points in the middle distance and hurdles events as well, while Emily Weaver and Ella Impaglia are strong contenders in the 1,500-meters. Lilianna Hanning and Megan Morin are looking to earn points in the distance events, while Weaver enters the championship meet as the E8 leader in the 3,000-steeplechase. Nazareth enters the meet with the top four E8 heights in the pole vault with Isabel Morse leading the way. Johnson, Hannah Ragule, Isabella Heath and McKenzie Leahey will vie for points in both the long and triple jump events. Lea Richard is one of the top throwers in the conference and enters with the top hammer throw to date. She is the defending E8 champion in the event.
Host
Utica is looking to claim its second E8 title this weekend, having also won in 2018. Sophomore sprinter Mackenzie Mix is the defending E8 Champion in the 100-, 200- and 400-meter dash events. Mix is currently second in the 400-meter hurdles and is 34th nationally in the 100-meter dash. She was the 2022 Empire 8 Outdoor Track Athlete and Rookie of the Year. Classmate Jade Dening is the defending E8 Champion in both the 1,500-meter run and 3,000-meter steeplechase and enters this year’s meet ranked fourth in the 800-meters as well. Laura Meade is ranked first in the heptathlon, third in the javelin, third in the triple jump and is near the top of the leaderboard in both hurdles events. She is the defending E8 Champion in the 400-meter hurdles and was the 2021 E8 triple jump champ. Senior thrower Jane Fahy has the league’s best toss in the shot put (13.77 meters), which is also in the top-15 nationally. She will look to repeat as league champion in the event. Gabrielle DeSanctis, Sarah Florian, Skyler Whorf and Duanena Graves also lead a deep group of Utica throwers.
Houghton will look to earn a top-three team finish in 2023. Senior Amanda Burrichter, the 2021 E8 Champion in the 1,500-meters is currently ranked first in both that event and the 5,000-meters. Teammate Rachel Domaracki is the defending E8 Champion in the 5,000-meters and is the current 10,000-meter leader among all E8 student-athletes. Alexandria Wisniewski, Hannah Siewart and Mary Shaker will also represent the Highlanders in the sprint events, while Kyra Binney will run in the middle distance races. Wisniewski enters the meet with the fastest time in the conference in the 400-meter hurdles (1:06.92). Hayden Williamson was the 2021 E8 Champion in the high jump, while Abigail Nuzzo is currently second among all E8 student-athletes in the javelin. Kathryn Evans will also compete in the throwing events.
Alfred enters the 2023 Empire 8 Championship looking to improve off of a fifth place finish in 2022 and has enjoyed a strong spring season to date. Madison Palmer won the 2021 E8 outdoor champion in the shot put and enters the meet with the third best toss in the hammer throw and fourth best in the shot put. Ana Ion was the 2021 Empire 8 Outdoor Track and Field Rookie of the Year and is a contender in several jumps and throwing events. Junior Olivia Gilbert enters the meet with the Empire 8’s fastest time in the 800-meters, while McKenzie Hall will look to score points in the distance events. Anne Spila and Bianca Durso enter the meet with the second and third highest scores, respectively, in the heptathlon and will look to claim a league title in the grueling event. Spila is also ranked fourth in the long jump, while Durso is second in the high jump. Nyah Solly is currently fourth in the triple jump.
Hartwick will look to improve on last season’s sixth place finish. Sprinter Ashley Tricario will look to compete in the 200- and 400-meters, while first-year Brynita Haas and sophomore Madilynne Smith will represent in the long distance events Giovanna Wall is Hartwick’s hurdler in addition to a solid competitor in the throws. Aliyah Williams and Ashley Neier will look to represent in the jumps, while Alyssa Vellekoop is a contender in the pole vault.
Russell Sage will look to continue to make strides as a track and field program. Mackenzie Feeney will contend in the middle distance events. She enters with the fifth best time in the 800-meters. Elizabeth Ingellis is a strong contender in both the 5,000- and 10,000-meter events, as she has posted top-five times in both this spring. Tirzah Spivey and Crystal Ivery will look to score points in the hurdles events, while Ashley Rabbitt will be counted on to compete in the discus and hammer throw. The Gators enter with the fourth best 4 x 400-meter relay time in the league as well.
Current 2023 Empire 8 Outdoor Track and Field Top Performances
100-meter dash – Samantha Shea, St. John Fisher – :12.01
200-meter dash – Samantha Shea, St. John Fisher – :25.45
400-meter dash – Samantha Shea, St. John Fisher – :56.69
800-meter run – Olivia Gilbert, Alfred – 2:22.56
1,500-meter run – Amanda Burrichter, Houghton – 4:42.72
5,000-meter run – Amanda Burrichter, Houghton – 18:01.03
10,000-meter run – Rachel Domaracki, Houghton – 38:37.48
100-meter hurdles – Ciarra Franz, St. John Fisher – :14.49
400-meter hurdles – Alexandria Wisniewski, Houghton – 1:06.92
3,000-meter steeplechase – Emily Weaver, Nazareth – 11:49.97
4 x 100-meter relay – St. John Fisher – :48.01
4 x 400-meter relay – Utica – 4:08.58
4 x 800-meter relay – Alfred – 10:20.24
High Jump – Hayden Williamson, Houghton – 1.57 meters (5’1.75”)
Long Jump – Veronica Duell, St. John Fisher – 5.97 meters (19’7”)
Triple Jump – Hannah Ragule, Nazareth – 11.02 meters (36’2”)
Pole Vault – Isabel Morse, Nazareth – 3.41 meters (11’2.25”)
Shot Put – Jane Fahy, Utica – 13.77 meters (45’2.25”)
Discus Throw – Makenna King, St. John Fisher – 42.62 meters (139’10”)
Hammer Throw – Lea Richard, Nazareth – 50.37 meters (165’3”)
Javelin Throw – Abigail Nuzzo, St. John Fisher – 30.30 meters (99’5”)
Heptathlon – Laura Meade, Utica – 3,823 points
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.
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