University of Massachusets Athletics
Great Dane Invite Up Next For Minutewomen
January 19, 2011 | Women's Track & Field
Jan. 19, 2011
Amherst, Mass. - The UMass women's track and field team will head to New York, N.Y. this Friday, Jan. 21 for the Great Dane Invitational at 12:30 p.m. At last year's Great Dane Invite, the Minutewomen took fifth place out of 25 teams. The squad will certainly be looking to have another successful showing this year in New York.
Last Time Out
The Minutewomen last hit the track a week ago where the squad competed in the Sparks Sorlein Invitational. The Kingston, R.I. meet wasn't scored, but four Minutewomen qualified for championship meets at the end of the season:
Gina Perno: Qualified for the New England and ECAC championships in the 1000 meters, crossing at 2:54.79 and finishing first in the event.
Sarah Bittermann: The freshman set a New England Championship qualifying mark in her first collegiate meet. Bittermann notched a second place finish with her time of 1:19.05.
Karen Roa: Started off the season on a great note, qualifying for the New England Championships in the mile with a time of 5:02.93. Roa placed second in the event.
Stephanie Aguguo: Posted a New England Championship qualifying mark of 38-11.00 in the triple jump, good for first place overall at the meet.
Top Five All-Time
One UMass athlete, Chrissy Silvar, set a school top five all-time mark at the Sparks Sorlein Invitational. Silvar entered the UMass record books in her first meet with the team, setting the fifth highest all-time mark in the pole vault (10-11.75). The mark was also good for second place at the Invite.
Captains Announced
Head coach Julie LaFreniere announced that the captains for the 2010-11 season would be Stephanie Aguguo, Gina Perno, Kristin Darling and Lindsey Pfau. The senior quartet will surely bring a considerable amount of experience and leadership to this year's team.
Senior Studs
Although the Minutewomen lost some quality seniors to graduation after the 2009-10 season, this year's crop of seniors feature a group of athletes who possess some dynamic abilities in their respective events:
Stephanie Aguguo
Coming off an indoor season where she was the New England Champion in the triple jump, Stephanie Aguguo is poised to have another strong season in her final year at UMass. Aguguo's distance of 39-08.75 at last year's New England Championships (2/26) was good for second all-time at UMass in the event.
Gina Perno
Entering her senior season at UMass, Gina Perno has been one of the team's most steady and consistent performers. In addition to being the top 800-runner for the Minutewomen, Perno has helped to anchor the team's top relay squads, including the school record-setting distance medley relay squad and the 4X800 meter relay team that set the second fastest all-time mark at UMass (both feats were accomplished during last indoor season).
Ida Okkonen
Along with Stephanie Aguguo, Ida Okkonen has helped form a dynamic duo in both the long jump and triple jump. Okkonen was a New England Championship qualifier in the two events and set the fourth highest all-time mark in the triple jump last indoor season. During the outdoor season, Okkonen was the team's top long jumper and was once again a New England Championship qualifier in both the long and triple jumps.
Elizabeth Fisk
Although she did not compete during last year's indoor season, Elizabeth Fisk has been performing admirably since the start of the 2009-10 outdoor season. Fisk was a New England Championship qualifier in the 1500 meter run and was a member of the 4X800 meter relay squad that set the second fastest all-time mark at UMass. Fisk also had a very successful 2010 cross country season and will look to ride that success into the new year.
Pompei's Freshman Eruption
Last indoor season Nicole Pompei erupted onto the scene as a freshman, setting a UMass top five all-time mark on three occasions, winning the pole vault at two meets, and qualifying for the New England and ECAC Championships in the event. Her mark of 12-01.50 at the ECAC Championships (3/6) put Pompei second all-time at UMass in the pole vault.
Not only did Pompei have a stellar indoor season, she carried her successes well into the outdoor season. At the ECAC Championships (5/16), Pompei vaulted for sixth place overall with a height of 11-11.75. The mark slotted Pompei at third all-time at UMass in the event. This year, the promising sophomore will be a central cog in the team's success.
Changing of the Guard
When Lisa Wilson graduated from UMass, she had undoubtedly become the greatest track and field thrower in UMass history. While those expectations are extremely hard to live up to, freshman Nalis Mbianda showed signs last season that she could capture some of the greatness that Wilson had at UMass.
Mbianda set the second highest UMass all-time mark in the shot put during the indoor season and the third highest UMass all-time mark in the event during the outdoor season. At the Great Dane Invitational (1/22) where Mbianda set the mark for second all-time (44-08.25), had Lisa Wilson not bettered her toss with a distance of 45-00.25, Mbianda would have claimed the school record in the shot put during the very first meet of her collegiate career.
Superb Sophomores
Last year's freshman class was considerably strong, and the group will look to make significant strides in their sophomore seasons.
Michelle Jenssen
Michelle Jenssen made her presence known quickly as a freshman last season, finishing off the indoor season as a New England Championship qualifier and the team's top 400 meter athlete. Jenssen was also a member of the record setting distance medley relay team, and was a key member of the 4X400 meter relay all season long. During the outdoor season, Jenssen once again qualified for New Englands in the 400 and was a mainstay in the 4X400 meter relay.
Courtney Baldwin
After having one of the greatest rookie cross country campaigns in recent UMass memory, Baldwin extended her high level of competition into the track seasons. Baldwin was an ECAC Championship qualifier in four events (mile, 1000 meter run, 4X800 meter relay, distance medley relay) and set three UMass top five all-time marks (school record in the distance medley relay, fifth all-time in the 1000 meters, second all-time in the 4X800 meter relay).
During the outdoor season, Baldwin helped the 4X800 squad qualify for ECACs once again, and helped the team set the second fastest all-time mark at UMass. She capped off the stellar year with a New England Championship qualifying mark in the 1500 meters.
Roa Returns
Karen Roa will be back at it again in her junior season, and will look to keep up the pace on what was a record filled 2009-10 season. During the indoor campaign, Roa was a member of both the distance medley relay squad who set a school record and the 4X800 meter relay squad that set the second fastest all-time mark at UMass. She was an ECAC qualifier in both those events and a New England Championship qualifier in the mile run.
That 2009-10 season resume was good enough to stand by itself, but Roa added to it in the outdoor season by breaking the school record in the steeplechase on three occasions. The final time that currently stands as the school record is 10:46.19, and Roa earned it at the ECAC Championships on May 16.