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University of Massachusets Athletics
1997-98 Women's Track & Field Outlook
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1997-98 Women's Track & Field Outlook
Track and Field is heavily quantified and probably refers to measuring sticks more than any other sport. Feet and meters serve UMass Head Coach Julie LaFreniere just fine, but her favorite measuring stick for her program is the Atlantic 10 Conference. Her Minutewomen have won five of the last seven cross country titles, including an unprecedented three straight, but cross country is merely one event.
While a strong distance running corps is helpful, victory as a team in track and field requires several excellent athletes who can perform in a variety of radically different events. LaFreniere feels she has such a unit.
The 1996 Minutewomen captured the A-10 Championship, but LaFreniere's 1997 indoor and outdoor squads both finished second in the conference to Virginia Tech.
The goal for 1998 is to claim both titles and unite the cross country, indoor track and outdoor track titles in Amherst. With strong performers returning in every area, there's nothing at all implausible about the team's goal to be successful at the conference level, and also in both the annual New England and ECAC Championships.
"Virginia Tech will be real tough but our goal is to make it a clean sweep of the A-10 titles this year," said LaFreniere. "But, I know Virginia Tech won't just let us waltz away with it and there are plenty of other teams that could have a say in the eventual champion. We're going to have to earn it."
Multi
Adding depth in every area are a pair of sophomores in Andrea Comeau and Melissa Ward. The two posted the top two heptathlon scores in school history as freshmen a year ago (4580 and 4516 respectively), both breaking the previous school record of 4313 by over 200 points.
Over the course of the year, Comeau broke the school high jump record, both indoors and outdoors, set the school pentathlon record, and also placed herself second on the school's 100 meter hurdle and 55 meter hurdle charts.
While placing third on the UMass pentathlon chart, Ward also made a name for herself in the UMass record book as a freshman last year. In addition to her heptathlon and pentathlon scores, Ward ranks third on the school's outdoor triple jump chart.
Rosey Bryan rounds out a tremendous group of well-rounded performers. Bryan ranks in the school's all-time top five in five indoor events (triple jump, long jump, 200 meters, 55 meters and 55 meter hurdles), three outdoor events (triple jump, long jump and 100 meter hurdles) and is a member of the school-record holding 4x100 meter relay team.
"Rosey is a scoring factor in three or four events at every meet," said Assistant Coach Jim Giroux. "Comeau is our top high jumper and one of our top hurdlers and Ward also brings a lot to the team. All three of them don't have any glaring weaknesses. They're all good athletes who can do well in all of the events."
Hurdles and Sprints
An already strong group will be strengthen this year with the long-awaited return of Anya Forrest who missed a year and a half due to two fractured vertebrae. Forrest holds the school record in both the 55 meter and 100 meter hurdles.
Along with Bryan, Comeau, freshman Erin Hankard and true freshman Crystal Murphy, Forrest will be in elite company when the Minutewomen take to the track.
"Our 55 and 100 hurdle groups are real deep," said LaFreniere. "We have a lot of people who I expect to do well in that area in particular."
The sprinters are also a formidable group with seven of the eight legs of the outdoor school record 4x100 and 4x440 meter relay teams having been run by active runners. Juniors Shelanda Irish and Melanie Bell had a hand in each, but are only part of the group. While Irish will also be used in the 400, both will run distances of 200 meters and down, along with Forrest, Bryan, redshirt freshman Jamie Hedgecock, junior Raqueil Shelton and senior Emma Gardiner.
Look for senior Silifa Kenku and junior Michelle Cooper to score points for UMass in the 200, 400 and 500 meters, while Irish, Comeau and sophomore Mary Eaton will also help boost the team in the longer sprints.
The Minutewomen will also benefit from senior Yves Amazan, who has one year of indoor track eligibility remaining. Amazan has been a frequent contributor in all sprints, the 200 and 400 meters in particular, and will look to do the same for one final season on the track, competing in everything from the 55 meters up to the 400.
Mid Distance and Distance
Keyed by senior Rebecca Donaghue, the two-time defending A-10 Individual Cross Country Champion and a two-time NCAA Cross Country Qualifier, the distance unit is a formidable one.
Fifth-year seniors Molly Dunlap and Katie Greenia will boost UMass outdoors only, as both have expired their indoor eligibility. Greenia is expected to be the top UMass runner in the 5,000 meters, while Dunlap is a former New England Champion in the 10,000 meters and an ECAC Qualifier in the event.
Also, senior Christy Martin and junior Nicole Way come off of the best cross country seasons of their respective careers to boost the distance runners. The versatile Way also has two years of varsity experience in both the long and triple jumps.
UMass expects to have a strong showing in the 3,000 meters where Donaghue's abilities will be augmented by sophomore Sally Hirsch and junior Tracy Meagher, both of whom LaFreniere feels could possibly dominate in the event at some point. Expect freshman Melissa Henderson to run the 3,000 in big events, and also run the mile this year too.
At a shorter distance, sophomore Lisa Flood mastered the 800 meters as a freshman last year. The 1997 indoor Atlantic 10 Champion in the 800 meters will shoot to repeat in 1998.
"We have a nice range of people with good speed from the 800 on up through the 3,000 and beyond," said LaFreniere. "Donaghue, Way, Martin and others are all capable and willing to double and triple up on events at the big meets so the team can win."
Jumps
The long jumpers are led by a foursome that can all consistently jump over 18 feet in Bell, Bryan, Irish and Ward. Irish holds the school outdoor record while Bell and Bryan are both on the all-time top five chart both indoors and outdoors.
The high jump is another strong area for the Minutewomen, who return a talented trio in multi-purpose performers Bryan, Comeau and Ward. Comeau holds the school record both indoors and outdoors, clearing identical 5' 8" bars.
The triple jump will be handled by Bryan and Ward. Bryan had a high school personal-best of over 39 feet and is just now becoming comfortable in the event again after some time off. Ward, the Outdoor A-10 Champion in the triple jump, has a solid chance of repeating as champion this season as a sophomore.
Throws
While Shana Mitchell returns as one of the region's elite throwers, the unit must rely on contributions from several promising freshmen to take its place as a whole amongst the conference and regional elite.
"Shana is the top returning thrower in the A-10," said Giroux. "She will be a scoring factor in all events and several freshmen will also be right there to score points right away for us this season."
Entering her senior year, Mitchell holds the school 20 lb. weight throw record and is fourth on the school hammer and discus throw charts.
While the plethora of freshman throwers is young, the group collectively comes to Amherst on the heels of successful high school careers.
Redshirt freshman Alison Tostevin was the Maine high school discus and shot put champion, while fellow Mainer Carole LaPlante was named the state's Female Track & Field Athlete of the Year. Also expect to see sophomore Giselle Nicholas and freshmen Courtney Hall of Amherst and Shannon Hamilton compete in throwing events as freshmen.
While UMass returns almost its entire team from 1996-97, the lone serious void is in the javelin throw following the graduation loss of NCAA Qualifier Heather Brown. Expect freshmen Megan Gauruder and Sharyn Harrison to comprise the UMass javelin corps this season. Harrison will join the team on a full-time basis in March as she also competes in the butterfly for the women's swimming team.
Schedule
The schedule UMass will face in preparation for the season-ending Championships (New Englands, Atlantic 10s, ECACs) will suit the Minutewomen well as they gear up for what they hope will be a successful final month of both the indoor and outdoor track seasons.
The Indoor squad will get a taste of what New England has to offer in a championship-style format at both the annual New England Challenge Cup and Valentine Invitational. UMass will also get an up-close look at some of the region's stronger teams in meets at Northeastern and Atlantic 10 rival Rhode Island at Mackal Field House, site of the Indoor A-10 Championships.
Outdoors, the team will discover just how it stands up nationally with a pair of meets at schools in the traditionally strong Southeastern Conference. Heptathletes will travel to Gainesville, Fla. for a competition at Florida, while the full team will partake in a meet at Georgia that also includes Alabama, Auburn, Kentucky and Western Carolina. These, and a few New England regional meets, are all designed to make sure UMass is at its best when it counts - its drive for its third A-10 crown of the school year.