University of Massachusets Athletics
Minutewomen Head To New England Championships
May 05, 2010 | Women's Track & Field
May 5, 2010
AMHERST, Mass. - The UMass women's track and field team will head to the New England Championships on Friday, May 7. The team is coming off of a sixth place finish at the Atlantic 10 Championships, and will look to build upon the successes from the meet. Junior Stephanie Aguguo was the New England Champion in the triple jump during the indoor season, and will surely be looking to defend her crown.
The meet will be held in Dedham, Mass. at 10:00 a.m.
Last Year At New Englands
• Last year at the meet, the Minutewomen took fourth place with Lisa Wilson setting school records in the shot put and hammer throw.
• Stephanie Aguguo took fourth in the triple jump and set the second highest mark all-time at UMass.
• Holly Heinricher placed third in the 200 meters.
• Brittany Bakanowski took fourth place in the 400 meter hurdles.
• Karen Roa grabbed seventh place in the steeplechase.
Record Breakers
• Freshman phenom Rachelle Bourque set a school record in the javelin throw at the Atlantic 10 Championships this past weekend. Bourque's toss of 139-08 was good for second place at the conference meet, and showed once again how outstanding the team's freshman athletes have been this season.
• As the track season has entered the end-of-the-season stretch, sophomore Karen Roa has kicked it into full gear. At the Atlantic 10 Championships, Roa set a new school record in the 3000 meter steeplechase by crossing in 10:50.10. This came only two weeks after Roa had set a school record (10:54.97) at the Larry Ellis Invite. Roa took fifth place in the event at the A-10s and will surely look to best her record once again this week at the New England Championships.
• The success of the Minutewomen so far this season has had a lot to do with senior thrower Lisa Wilson. Wilson set school records in both the hammer throw and shot put at the UNH Pre-Conference and was named the Atlantic 10 Performer of the Week and UMass Athlete of the Week after the meet. Wilson's throws of 48-00.75 in the shot put and 176-02 in the hammer throw put her first all-time at UMass.
All-Time Markers
As the Minutewomen head to the New England Championships, five athletes have set UMass top five all-time marks:
• Shiyi Zan ran a giant 37:20.21 in the 10,000 meters at the Atlantic 10 Championships, slotting her at fourth all-time at UMass.
• Nicole Pompei improved upon her standing in the UMass record books at the UNH Pre-Conference Meet as she vaulted for the third highest all-time mark in the pole vault (11-08.50).
• Junior Gina Perno set the fifth fastest all-time mark at UMass in the 800 meters (2:12.15) at the UNH Pre-Conference Meet.
• Freshman Nalis Mbianda set the third highest all-time mark in the shot put (44-04.25) at the Larry Ellis Invitational.
• In the javelin at the UMass Nine-Way Meet, freshman Stefanie Danehy threw for a mark of 131-03, good for fourth all-time at UMass.
New England Qualifiers
Several Minutewomen have set qualifying marks for this week's New England Championships:
At the Atlantic 10 Championships (5/2):
• Shiyi Zan- 10,000 meters (37:20.21)
• Ida Okkonen- long jump (18-04.25), triple jump (37-08.00)
• Katherine Finnegan- long jump (17-10.25), 200 meter dash (25.84)
• Alexandra Haller- 100 meter hurdles (15.87)
At the UNH Pre-Conference Meet (4/24):
• Holly Heinricher- 200 meters (25.36)
• Michelle Jenssen- 400 meters (58.60)
• Emma Riedel- 100 meters (12.57)
• Alexandra Haller- 400 meter hurdles (1:07.20)
At the Larry Ellis Invitational (4/17):
• Karen Roa- 3000 meter steeplechase (10:54.97)
• Shiyi Zan- 5000 meter run (17:48.14)
• Lauren Stocker- 5000 meter run (18:02.30)
• Elizabeth Fisk- 1500 meter run (4:43.37)
At the UMass Nine-Way Meet (4/10):
• Rachelle Bourque- javelin (137-02)
• Stefanie Danehy- javelin (131-03)
• Stephanie Aguguo- triple jump (38-01.25)
At the UConn Invite (4/3):
• Nicole Pompei- pole vault (11-05.75)
• Lisa Wilson- discus (139-03), hammer throw (167-01), shot put (43-02.25)
• Brittany Bakanowski- 400 meter hurdles (1:05.09)
• Courtney Baldwin- 1500 meter run (4:37.43)
• Stephanie Aguguo- triple jump (37-00.25)
• Gina Perno- 800 meters (2:14.05)
• Rachelle Bourque- javelin (128-03)
• Nalis Mbianda- shot put (41-09.75)
ECAC Qualifiers
Currently, eight UMass athletes have qualified to compete at the ECAC Championships that will be held in Princeton, N.J.:
• At the Atlantic 10 Championships (5/2):
• Shiyi Zan- 10,000 meters (37:20.21)
• Karen Roa- 3000 meter steeplechase (10:50.10)
• Baldwin, Perno, Nally, Julian- 4X800 meter relay (9:08.28)
• At the UMass Nine-Way Meet (4/10):
• Lisa Wilson- shot put (45-10.00), discus (152-04)
• Rachelle Bourque- javelin (137-02)
• At the UConn Invite (4/3):
• Lisa Wilson- hammer throw (167-01)
Coaching Changes Bring Success
Coming into the 2010 campaign, UMass track and field added two new faces to the coaching staff in David Jackson and Darcy Wilson. They both had tremendous credentials heading into the season, and their impact has been evident since the season started.
For the field events, Coach Jackson's help can be easily seen. During both the indoor season and outdoor seasons, there have been four UMass top five all-time mark setters, and a New England Championship title winner amongst the jumping and vaulting athletes.
Coach Wilson has certainly helped the throwers immensely as well. A school record, a top five all-time mark, two New England Championship qualifying mark, and an ECAC Championship qualifying mark were set in the javelin during this outdoor season. In addition, Wilson's presence can be felt from the phenomenal years that Lisa Wilson and Nalis Mbianda are having in the shot put, discus, and hammer throw.
While the athletes have been having tremendous seasons in their own right, Coach Jackson and Coach Wilson have definitely been a giant part of the success for the Minutewomen's field athletes.
Players Mentioned
