Track & Field Squads Look to Defend Landmark Conference Titles

TOWSON, Md. - Goucher College will host the 2013 Landmark Conference Outdoor Track Championships April 27-28. Moravian College has won the previous ten outdoor championships (five men, five women) since the conference began competition in 2007-08.

The Moravian men are coming off of their fourth straight indoor championship and enter the weekend with solid performances all season. Freshmen Albert Myers and Gavin Bailey and senior Justin Taylor are the top sprinters for the Greyhounds while senior Donald Noble and sophomore Dillon Farrell return as experienced distance runners. Noble has been the Indoor Track Athlete of the Year the last two years while Farrell was the Outdoor Rookie of the Year in 2012.

Senior Jonathan Heberling is back to defend his high jump title while junior transfer David Cariello will look to win the 110 meter hurdles after winning the 60 meter hurdles during the indoor season. He is also the indoor pole vault champion. The top five long jumpers this season are all Greyhounds including last year's runner-up junior Kristopher Joint, the Indoor Field Athlete of the Year in February. Senior Travis King has won the triple jump the last three years and will look to complete the sweep.

Junior Timothy Lorah will anchor Moravian's throwers as he enters the meet ranked third in the nation in the javelin after competing in the National Championship meet a year ago.

Perennial runner-up, Susquehanna University, will look to challenge Moravian. The Crusaders feature freshman Kwane Hayle who was named Indoor Track Co-Athlete of the Year and Co-Rookie of the Year in February. He has already turned in top times in both the 100 and 200 meters this season. Brendon Albaugh, Sal D'Angelo and Paul Crowe are expected to lead the middle and long distance events.

Ken Schetroma will wrap up his track career this weekend with Susquehanna. The senior has already won three shot put titles and two hammer throw championships after being named the Landmark Field Athlete of the Year the last two seasons. Sophomore Jared Minori comes into the meet with one of the top javelin throws in NCAA Division III, just six inches ahead of Moravian's Lorah. Minori will look to defend his conference title on Saturday.

Juniata College has finished third in the five previous outdoor championship meets, but the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy has been clipping at its heels. Juniata has a host of 800 meter runners to go along with senior distance runner Nate Alter. Senior thrower Justin Clapper hopes to claim his fourth straight title in the discus throw.

The USMMA roster fluctuates the most from indoor to outdoor season as student-athletes both return, and head out to sea. Tomas Sanchez returns as the defending champion in the 400 meters and has posted the fastest time in the 800 meters heading into the final weekend. Freshman Kenneth Pressey will look to battle Moravian's Heberling in the high jump.

Goucher College features senior distance runner Nick Manta. He is looking to score points in distance events and is currently ranked in the top 10 for the steeplechase after finishing fifth a year ago.

Catholic University's Joe Quigley was runner-up in the 800 meters at last year's meet and boasts a top-five time in the Landmark this year. Freshman Matthias Arauco-Shapiro was named the Cross Country Rookie of the Year last fall and hopes to reach the podium in the 5000 meters. Senior thrower Shawn Brubaker is a strong discus thrower after earning third place honors last year.

Once again, on the women's side it has been all Moravian, particularly in the sprints. Five of the top six times in the 100 meters and the top three times in the 200 meters this season have come from the Greyhounds. Sophomore Brielle Sutter returns as the reigning champion in the 200 and 400 meters and freshman teammate Corinne Glass has posted the top Landmark time in the 100 and 200 meters this year and was the Co-Rookie of the Year at the Indoor Championship. Sophomores Brianna Wright and Morgan Redmond and freshman Christelle Reglas provide depth in the sprints, and Redmond will challenge for the titles in the hurdle events.

Senior Micah Leonard is nationally ranked in the top ten for the triple jump and has won the event the last three years at the Landmark Championships. Leonard, who is a three-time Landmark Indoor Field Athlete of the Year honoree, is also expected to turn in top-three performances in the long jump and high jump.

Junior Allison Vanek and sophomore Hailey Kester will look to keep the Landmark title in the pole vault with the Greyhounds, heading into the event with the two top marks while freshman Karlee Corvasce and sophomore Allissa Hoffman have the top two throws in the javelin.

Susquehanna is led by freshman Ashley West. She has already earned Cross Country Rookie of the Year honors and Co-Rookie recognition in indoor track. Earlier this season, she broke the 800 meters Landmark record and has the third fastest time in the 1500 meters heading into the final weekend.

The Crusaders boast a number of jumpers in the top five of each event, while Cameron Weaver ranks first in the shot put and third in the discus. Jessica Ranck is ranked fourth in the hammer throw.

The middle of the women's team standings has shuffled the order over the last few years, but Juniata is coming off of two third place finishes. Katrina Woods is back to defend her title in the 5000 meters. She has posted the top time in 5000 meters and the second fastest in the 1500 this year. Caroline Morgan won the 10000 meters in 2011 and finished as runner-up last year, but is hoping to reclaim the title this weekend.

Senior Angela Shaffer is back looking to add to her four Landmark titles. She has won the high jump the last three years and is looking to complete the sweep. She also boasts top ten rankings in the 100 meter hurdles, 400 meter hurdles, long jump and triple jump.

Catholic is hoping to continue to climb the standings this spring. The Cardinals are led by distance runners Laura Kinley and Keely Eckberg. Kinley is ranked in the top five in the 800 and 1500 meters after having won both events in 2010. Eckberg is ranked second in the 5000 meters. Throwers Megan Ross and Mary Clark are ranked in the top ten in the shot put, discus and hammer throw with crucial points on the line for the Cards.

Goucher earned a program-high 98 points a year ago. The Gophers' Jaclyn Kellon has won the 400 meter hurdles the last three years and could clinch a fourth straight title on Sunday. She also won the 400 meters in 2011 and finished as runner-up last year. Katherine Currier is expected to lead the distance events after finishing as runner-up in the 5000 meters a year ago.

The USMMA women improved by leaps and bounds during the indoor season, nearly doubling their point total this year. The Mariners feature a trio of seniors including distance runner Gretchen Holoubek and sprinter and jumper Jessica Tyack. The third senior, Tara Mulligan, is back to defend her title in the hammer throw and currently boasts the top distance this season.

Fifteen of the 36 individual event champions from 2012 are expected to defend their titles. The meet will kick off Saturday morning and conclude by early Sunday evening. Live results will be available at http://tumeytiming.com/mm/Landmarkoutdoor/.

Adult admission to the championship is $5 with seniors and non-Landmark students charged $3. Landmark students receive free admission.

The Landmark Conference office contributed to this release