The Jeffs spent spring break in Miami, Fla. running twice a day to train for the outdoor season. It will be difficult for them to replicate the success of last year's team, since several top runners graduated in 2002 and others are unable to run due to injuries, including top performer Lee-Jay Henry '05.

One problem for the team last year was the weather, which created difficulty for training and racing. "Hopefully this year we will have some better and warmer weather to be able to do some of the things necessary to do our best," said Head Coach Erik Nedeau

Leading the team will be Carter Hamill '05, as she vies for a National Championship in the 5000-meter and 10,000-meter events. Joining Hamill in the distance races will be Erinn White '04, Ali Dimon '03 and Aly Venti '04.

In middle distance events, senior tri-captains Kate Hamill and Laurel Kilgour are expected to end their college track careers on winning notes.

These veteran Jeffs will be joined by several talented first-years who already made strides during the indoor season. First-years Jessamyn Conell-Price and Ginger Polich should be standout middle-distance runners, while classmates Lyndsey Scott in the sprints and jumps, Kristine Morin in the hurdles and multi events, Ariel Haney in the sprints and hurdles and Jenny Horowitz in the distance events, should also be top performers.

"We have a really young team. They learned the ropes during indoor track and now have a better understanding of how the sport works," said Kate Hamill.

Nedeau believes that the team will have a number of excellent performances this season, especially in the sprinting, jumping and hurdling portions of the competitions.

"We always have fun with Little III's, as people get to do some different events to try and score points, but ultimately it is the NESCAC meets and the championships that follow that that are the most important," he said. The women begin their season this Saturday, March 29, at Connecticut College's Invitational.