Women
The women, who finished third in both the Div. III New Englands and the NCAA Indoor Championships to cap off last year's campaign, have two big pairs of spikes to fill. Distance runner Carter Hamill, an 18-time All-American and five-time NCAA Champion, as well as All-American jumper Lee-Jay Henry were lost to graduation.
Shauneen Garrahan '07, however, looks to lead the way for the Jeffs this year, returning from a sophomore campaign that included a NCAA steeplechase championship and a runner-up finish in the mile run. Fellow All-Americans senior co-captain Ginger Polich in middle distance and junior Hannah Campbell in sprints, expect to assist Garrahan in racking up valuable points. Look for Polich to come back with a vengeance after spending most of last year's outdoor season nursing an injury.
The Jeffs will be deepest in the distance department this year, with Margaret Davis '06 hoping to make it back to the NCAA Championships. Sophomores Heather Wilson, who qualified for the NCAA's in the 10,000-meter run, Kate Moravec and Laura Mortimer will team with first-years Nicole Anderson and Liz Dalton to dominate their opponents in the distance races.
The sprinters, both individually and in relays, will help the squad immensely. Look for big contributions from Campbell, senior co-captain Julia Rucker and junior Keyonte Sutherland. The Jeffs also welcome old and new faces, with senior hurdler Ariel Haney returning from a year abroad and first-years Carly Levenson and Lia Tsarnas aiming to make their mark.
Joining Polich, mostly newcomers will compete in the middle-distance events. First-years Tovah Ackerman, Caitlin McDermott-Murphy and Zandra Walton will look to make an impact, along with sophomore Lauren Benson. Jumpers first-year Jenny Mancino and junior Maria Millard will look to replace Henry.
Men
The men too lost some All-Americans, but their impressive middle-distance athletes should make up for the losses. Juniors John Babbott and co-captain Sam Hayman will lead the way, coming back from impressive sophomore years culminating in All-America performances in the distance medley relay in last year's Indoor Championships. Sophomore Rom Cabeza will also bring some experience to the mid-distance events, and newcomers sophomore Basile Beaty, a transfer from Connecticut College, and first-years Jack Kiley and Stephan Stewart, should also produce.
In the distance department, high expectations surround sophomore Tomas Morrissey, who will build off of a 19th-place finish at the Div. III Cross Country Championships earlier this fall. Returning seniors Evan Guiney and Dave Schreiner will provide some leadership on the team. In addition, the Jeffs boast a strong junior class, headed by co-captain Cooper Knowlton, Rob Boley, Nate Freese and Rich Wilson. The Jeffs also return sophomore Mike Harbus, and are excited about the addition of first-year Harrison Lakehomer, fresh off of an impressive rookie season in cross country.
Senior co-captain Tim Porter, along with juniors Jon Ettinger, Geoff Stricsek and Steve Miller, will give the Jeffs a boost in the 200- and 400-meter runs.
Junior co-captain Nick Canevari, who last year hit the Div. III New England mark in the discus, will also throw the javelin. Canevari and junior thrower Ryan Smith hope to pick up precious points.
Both teams kick off the new season this Saturday at the Northeastern Invitational. After practicing during Interterm, the team will travel to NESCAC rivals Tufts and Wesleyan Universities where they will attempt to make championship-qualifying marks and secure a spot in the post season meets.
Some key meets include Div. III New Englands, Open New Englands and the Trinity Last Chance meet. At the end of this winter slate, the Jeffs hope to send many track and field athletes to the 21st annual Div. III NCAA Championship, on March 10-11. With any luck, the optimism by that time will be as strong as ever.