Women's Indoor Track and Field Poised for Start of 2007-08 Season
HOBOKEN, N.J. (November 29, 2007) – The Stevens Institute of Technology women’s indoor track and field team is coming off a season where every member during last year’s season set new personal best records, as four went on to break individual school records in the process. As the Ducks move into the Empire 8 conference they will compete against some of the strongest programs in the North East.
Stevens will be led by sophomore captains Melissa Franzese (Brooklyn, N.Y.), Erica Bakelmun (Wayne, N.J.), Sara Amitrani (Middletown, N.J.) and Laura Goodman (Princeton Junction, N.J.).
Amitrani, Bakelmun, Franzese and sophomore Veronica Smith (Matawan, N.J.) broke the 4x800-meter relay record four times and the distance-medley three times over the course of the 2006-07 season. Bakelmun went on to break the 1,500-meter record by eight seconds with her time of 5:40.60. The 3,000-meter school record was improved by 10 seconds when Amitrani clocked a time of 11:33.60. She also established a school best in the mile when she posted 5:50.89 at the West Point Invitational.
Goodman tied the Stevens high jump record of 4’10” at the Seton Hall meet last season and is anticipated to break the record for the 2007-08 season. The original record was set by Lizzie Bakarich (Clifton, N.J.) during the 2002-03 campaign.
At the Collegiate Track Conference Championships Stevens earned a 12-place finish. Amitrani, Bakelmun, Smith and Franzese finished fourth in the distance medley relay and also placed eighth in the 4x800 relay. Coming off impressive cross country finishes in the regional meet, Amitrani and Franzese have established themselves among the top 35 distance runners in the region.
“This season we will work to establish the first-ever women’s team that will be an Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference qualifier in the running events,” said Head Coach John Crawford (Seattle, Wash.).
Freshmen Jamie Brabston (Sparta, N.J.) and Shanna Beairsto (Middletown, N.Y.) will be solid contributors as they join Bakelmun, Amitrani and Franzese to try to improve the relay records on the track this season.
Top new-comer, freshman jumper Caroline Pawaloski (Nutley, N.J.), will bring a high level of jumping experience that Stevens has never had before.
“Caroline is expected to set new school records in the long jump, triple jump and pole vault events this season,” said Crawford. “We are also looking forward to a great season where we expect to see all of the running records at Stevens to be broken by the women.”
Stevens opens its season on Sunday when they travel to New Haven, Conn. to compete in the CTC Relay Carnival at Southern Connecticut State University at 10 a.m.
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