Track & Field Teams Ready For Landmark Championships
MADISON, N.J. – The 2011-12 indoor track and field season will come to a crescendo this weekend with six Landmark Conference indoor track & field teams getting their chances at a conference title at the 2012 Landmark Indoor Track & and Field Championships Saturday Feb. 25 at the Garrett Sports Complex on the campus of Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, Pa.
Moravian College looks continue its success at the event as the women have claimed all four Landmark titles and the men capturing three of four championships. Challenging the Greyhounds will be The Catholic University of America, Goucher College, Juniata College, the United States Merchant Marine Academy and host Susquehanna as each team tries to earn team championships. Champions will also be crowned in 13 individual events and four relays for both the men and women.
The Greyhound men are led by a talented core of long sprinters led by Steve Ambrosi and the distance duo of Donald Noble and Matthew Lutcza. Pole vaulter Timothy Layng has also had a stellar indoor season with a new Landmark record. Their most likely challenger is likely host Susquehanna which won the 2009 championship. Thrower Ken Schetroma is a threat to win multiple events, while the track pair of Joe Zamadics and Ian Quinlan is also a formidable pair in the long sprints and distance events.
USMMA jumped to a third-place finish last year and has been piling up school records this winter. Freshman Chris Cook has excelled in the jumps and the Mariners are traditionally strong in the relays. Nicholas Bauer of Juniata will also be a key figure in the jumps for the Eagles who have consistently produced top-3 finishes at the Landmark meet. Goucher College has former Indoor Rookie of the Year Will Evans III in the sprints and distance standout Joey Negreann to lead the team as it tries to break into the top half of the standings. Catholic thrower Sean Brubaker is highly ranked in both the shot put and the weight throw and will join with mid-distance performer Joe Quigley to lead the Cardinals.
Moravian's women's squad has relied on tremendous depth in its sprint and jumps corps to previous titles and that formula is still in place this season. Brianna Wright and Lisa Williamson lead the sprinters while Micah Leonard and Abigail Schaffer will be major factors in the jumps and pole vault respectively.
Susquehanna and Juniata have been the primary challengers to Moravian over the past few years and both have numerous talented performers that could help the team challenge for the team title this year. Kristin Stam holds several highly-ranked performances in the jumps and hurdles, while Shannon Galvin and Laura Alleva both have performed well in the long sprints and mid-distance. Juniata's standout Angela Shaffer will be matched up against Stam in a variety of events and is capable of several wins and Katrina Woods is a threat in the mile and 5,000-meter runs. Goucher freshman Destiny Phillips has burst onto the scene with numerous school records this year and joins with previous event winner Jaclyn Kellon to help try and push the Gophers into the top half of the standings. Also producing records is Kelly Carioto of Catholic who has shattered her own Landmark shot put record several times during the year and Laura Kinley gives the team a threat in the 800 and mile races. USMMA's Lauren Rattan is also a contender in those events and has the versatility to score in other areas to help the team move up the standings.
After competing on Saturday Landmark competitors will compete in several meets in an effort to qualify for the NCAA Division III Indoor Championships which will take place March 9-10 at the Charles Benson Bear '30 Recreation and Athletic Center in Grinell, Iowa.
