BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- The Moravian College men's and women's indoor track & field teams are scheduled to begin their 2016-17 campaign on Friday, December 2 at the Lehigh University at Rauch Fieldhouse with the meet starting at 5:30 p.m.
Sixth-year Head Coach Jesse Baumann has led both programs to the Landmark Conference Indoor Championship during each of his first five seasons. While the Greyhounds had a number of student-athletes graduate from the championship squad, Baumann has a number of returning All-Conference competitors.
The women's squad, winners of all nine Landmark Conference titles since the conference began competition in 2007-08, has 29 returnees including junior Melissa Cheong, who was the 2016 Landmark Conference Indoor Co-Field Athlete of the Year. Cheong won the long jump a year ago and was the runner-up in the high jump.
Moravian returns eight other Landmark Champions from a year ago including senior Meg Brockett, who won both the 3,000 and 5,000-meter races last February and was an All-American on the cross country course this past fall. Senior Kiara Bright returns to defend her title in the triple jump while senior Jackie Finnegan won the weight throw in 2016. Juniors Casie Cronk in the high jump and Beth Ann Davies in the pole vault look to win titles again this season along with sophomore Amari Schooler in the 60-meter hurdles and sophomores Anna Osman and Tamara Suchan in the 4x400-meter relay. Senior Rebecca Flitcroft returns after making the Landmark All-Conference Second Team with a runner-up finish in the 60-meter hurdles.
The men's team, which has won seven straight and eight overall Landmark Conference titles, is also returning 29 student-athletes this winter led by senior Greg Cahill, who was the 2016 Landmark Conference Indoor Field Athlete of the Year after winning the weight throw and finishing as the runner-up in the shot put. The Greyhounds have three other Landmark Conference Champions back including senior Cory Taggert in the 800-meter run, senior Kahron Walker in the high jump and sophomore John Spirk in the 60 meter hurdles. Walker was also the runner-up in the long jump while Taggert had second place finishes in the mile run and 4x400-meter relay.
Senior Austin Gardener is back for his last season after making the Landmark All-Conference Second Team with runner-up finishes in the 200-meter dash and 4x200-meter relay along with sophomore Chris Antoine.
Moravian will compete twice in meets at Lehigh before the semester break, and the Greyhounds will return to action in January to prepare to defend their Landmark Conference titles on February 25 at Susquehanna University.
Check out a season preview below.