Elon Track and Field Opens Indoor Slate at JDL College Kickoff

ELON, N.C. – The Elon University women’s track and field team kicks off the 2016-17 indoor season this Saturday, Dec. 3, at the JDL College Kickoff inside the JDL Fast Track Complex in Winston-Salem, N.C. Field events begin at 9:30 a.m. followed by running events at 10 a.m.

Follow the Phoenix
Fans can keep up with the action of the Phoenix on Saturday with live results listed on the Elon women’s track and field schedule page. Other updates will be provided on the team’s social media accounts on Twitter and Instagram at the handle, @eu_xctf.

Setting the Stage
The Phoenix is expected to have 24 of its athletes in competition on Saturday in Elon’s first action of the indoor season. The meet will feature a number of athletes from various schools as well as a number performers from the professional ranks. Among the notable Division I schools competing on the women’s side includes Charlotte, Western Carolina, Davidson, UNC Asheville, North Florida, Appalachian State, Winston-Salem State and Gardner-Webb.

Headliners in Action This Weekend
Among the notable names competing for the maroon and gold this Saturday includes seniors Carrie Abraham and Jayna Coyle in the jumps, seniors Shelby Cuddeback and Kimberly Johansen in the one-mile, junior Bryanna Hames in the shot put, fellow junior Lydia Laws in the 60-meter hurdles and part of the 4×400-meter relay team with Desiree Ross, Lauren Brzozowski and Katie Arbogast.

Coyle is the Colonial Athletic Association reigning outdoor champion in the triple jump after setting the second-best mark in school history in the event with a leap of 40’ 6” (12.34m). The Somerset, Pa., native also among the top-five in school history in the indoor triple jump with a mark of 37’ 7.75” (11.47m).

Abraham holds the second-best leaps in school history in both the indoor long and triple jump. She is also one of five Phoenix individuals returning that earned a trip to the Eastern College Athletic Conference Indoor Championships last season in both events.

Hames returns after becoming the first Phoenix thrower to qualify for the NCAA Outdoor East Regional Meet last season in the discus. The Charlotte, N.C., native set a school record in the discus with a heave of 171’ 6” (52.27m) and also qualified for the ECACs last season in the shot put.

Johansen is coming off a stellar 2016 cross country campaign that saw her set the school-record in both the women’s 5K and 6K. She finished third overall at the CAA Cross Country Championships, the highest finish ever for an Elon female at a conference meet. The Chelmsford, England, native then went on to earn All-Region honors for the second straight season at the NCAA Southeast Regional Championships.

Laws wrapped up her sophomore season as the runner-up at the CAA Championships in the 400-meter hurdles. The Elon, N.C., native was also a member of the 4×400-meter relay team that captured the league title along with returners Ross and Brzozowski with a time of 3:43.32. The trio also competed in the 4×400-meter relay at the ECAC Indoor Championships and set a school-record with a time 3:43.91 at that meet.

On Deck
After the holiday break, the Phoenix returns to the track in 2017 as Elon heads to the Virginia Tech Invitational on Jan. 13-14.