Elon Women Track & Field Phoenix Set for 2018 ECAC Indoor Championships in Boston

ELON, N.C. – Members of the Elon University women’s track and field team heads to Boston for the 2018 Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Indoor Championship meet this weekend beginning on Friday, March 2, through Sunday, March 4, at the Boston University Track and Tennis Center.

Schedule | Live Results

The Phoenix is set to have six individuals and its 4×800 and distance medley relay teams compete at the meet this weekend. Among the athletes scheduled to represent the maroon and gold in individual events include Melissa Anastasakis (one-mile), Katie Arbogast (500-meters), Brigid Brennan (one-mile), Emily Dixon (pentathlon), Bryanna Hames (shot put and weight throw) and Coralea Geraniotis (5,000-meters).

Follow the Phoenix
Follow the Phoenix during the meet and throughout the season on the program’s Twitter page at @EU_XCTF. Live results of the meet will be available on the program’s schedule page.

About the ECAC Indoor Championships
This is the fourth season that the Elon indoor track and field squad will compete at the ECAC Championships. The Phoenix competes in the ECAC meet only due to the Colonial Athletic Association not sponsoring indoor track and field. Seven of the eight teams from the CAA will compete at the ECACs this weekend as an early preview prior to the outdoor season.

Last season, Elon had its best finish so far at the ECAC Indoor Championships. The Phoenix was ninth overall with 23 points. Among some of the standouts from last year’s championship included Dixon with a top-three finish in the pentathlon and Anastasakis clocking the second-fastest time in program history in the one-mile run with a 4:51.26.

Relay Teams Impressing in 2018
The Phoenix’s 4×800-meter and distance medley relay teams have been impressive for the Phoenix this season. Both groups have set new school records during the indoor season with the Elon DMR qualifying for the ECACs for the second straight season. The Phoenix will have the quartet of Emily Smith, Natacha Savioz, Chelsea Smith and Gabriela Varisco de Oliveira represent Elon in the 4×800 this weekend. The 4×800-meter relay team set the new school-record in the event at the VMI Keydet Invitational with its time of 9:17.87 in race, taking medalist honors. The time edged the previous program-best time of 9:19.02 from last season.

The Phoenix’s DMR team also set a new program-record this season with a 12:03.27 at the Darius Dixon Invitational. That time was good for fourth overall in the event, just a second off from a top-three finish.

Hames Owns Indoor Throwing Marks
Coming off becoming the first Elon athlete to compete at the NCAA Outdoor Championships last season, Hames continued that momentum through her final indoor campaign. The Charlotte, N.C., native became the program’s indoor record holder in both the shot put and weight throw this season. She tossed a 49′ 7.75″ (15.13m) in the shot put at the Camel City Invitational and broke Charlise Morgan’s four-year record of 48′ 6″ (14.78m). She later claimed Morgan’s weight throw mark at the UCS Invite with a heave of 54′ 6.75″ (16.63m). Heading into the ECACs, Hames ranks 10th overall in the shot put on the ECAC qualifying list.

Record Breaker
Hames was not the only Phoenix individual athlete that set new school standards during the indoor season. Arbogast set a new school-record in the 500-meters this season as the Media, Pa., broke Jen Esposito’s previous school mark. Arbogast clocked a time of 1:14.82 at the Liberty Elite Invitational and edged Esposito’s previous time of 1:15.63 from 2015.

On Deck
Elon opens the 2018 outdoor season at the Charlotte Classic on March 16-17.