ELON, N.C. – The Elon University women’s track and field team is set to host the 2016 Colonial Athletic Association Outdoor Track and Field Championships Friday through Saturday, May 6-7, at the Jerry and Jeanne Robertson Track and Field Complex. The Phoenix will look to defend its league title that it claimed last season in its inaugural season in the CAA.
SCHEDULE | ELON ENTRIES | MEET CENTRAL
Follow the Phoenix
Keep up with the action of the Phoenix on throughout the weekend at the meet with live results accessible through the program’s schedule page at elonphoenix.com. Updates will also be provided on Twitter at the handle @elonscores and @EU_XCTF.
CAA Prelims
• The Phoenix is scheduled to have 31 athletes compete at this year’s CAA meet. Among those performers includes each of the Phoenix’s five conference winners of a year ago in Emily Dixon (heptathlon), Jen Esposito (400-meter hurdles), Bryanna Hames (discus), Kimberly Johansen (800 and 1,500-meter run) and Tereza Novotna (3,000-meter steeplechase).
• Elon enters the meet with four performances sitting atop the CAA Outdoor Performance list: Esposito (400-meter hurdles, 58.01), Sydney Griffin (100-meter hurdles, 13.62), Novotna (3,000-meter steeplechase, 10:28.05) and the 4×400-meter relay team (3:45.53).
• Eight current Phoenix athletes have combined for 11 outdoor track and field conference championships: Esposito (two), Johansen (two), Novotna (two), Dixon (one), Hames (one), Griffin (one), Megan Kirschling (one) and Bre’anna Warren (one).
• Regionally, Elon has four athletes currently in the top 50 on the NCAA East Outdoor Qualifying list for the NCAA East Preliminaries with Esposito sitting in the top-20 in the 400-meter hurdles. Hames (discus, 25th), Novotna (3,000-meter steeplechase, 33rd) and Griffin (100-meter hurdles, 44th) are also among Elon’s top-50 qualifiers.
• During the 2016 outdoor season, the Phoenix has made 20 marks or times on Elon’s top-five all-time outdoor performance lists including four new school records.
• Hames heads into the championship meet on a tear as the Charlotte, N.C., native has won four straight individual titles in her last four meets in the discus throw. She broke her own school-record in the event with her toss of 164’ 11” (50.27m) at the VertKlasse Meeting on April 2.
• Esposito has also been on a similar tear with the Mansfield, Mass., native winning five of her last six races in the 400-meter hurdles.
Last Time Out
Elon last competed at its annual home meet, the Phoenix Invitational on April 23. The maroon and gold had 13 event titles on the day to close out the outdoor track regular-season.
The Phoenix 4×100-meter relay team of Simone Jackson, Jen Esposito, Desiree Ross and Sydney Griffin clocked a new school-record time of 46.52 in the race while taking medalist honors. Later, the Phoenix’s 4×400-meter relay team also won its event as the quartet of Ross, Lauren Brzozowski, Lydia Laws and Esposito clocked a 3:50.45 in its race.
In the triple jump, Carrie Abraham and Jayna Coyle were first and second, respectively, in the event. Abraham set a new personal-record with her leap of 12.26m while Coyle also established a new career-best with her leap of 12.08m. Abraham also took medalist honors in the long jump with her mark of 5.82m.
New personal-records were also set in the 3,000-meter steeplechase as Corey Weiss clocked an 11:10.49 to take first. She also moved into the program’s top-five list all-time in school history in the event. Carolyn Hopkins was the runner-up with her time of 11:14.93 – a new personal-record for the Buffalo, N.Y., native.
Shelby Cuddeback was the first runner overall to cross the finish line in the 1,500-meter run with her time of 4:40.23, a new personal-best for the Attleboro, Mass., native. Senior Kaitlin Snapp was fourth overall in the race with her time of 4:46.35 – also a new personal-best.
CAA Recap
Elon earned the program’s first ever conference championship with its victory at the CAA Championships last season at William & Mary. The win was also Elon University’s first ever league team championship in its first year in its new league.
The Phoenix posted a school-record 150 points at the meet and edged out host William & Mary, who was the runner-up with 134.50. The Phoenix saw five individuals capture six event titles Johansen standing out above the rest with wins in the 800 and 1,500-meters. Johansen set a new CAA outdoor record in the 1,500-meters with a time of 4:22.82 in the race, five seconds faster than the runner-up. She then edged out the competition in the 800-meters with her school-record time of 2:10.42. For her efforts, Johansen was named the CAA Most Outstanding Track Athlete of the Meet.
On Deck
Elon will has one final meet on its schedule, the Aggie Last Chance meet, on May 15, prior to the NCAA East Preliminaries on May 26 for individuals that qualify.