BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- The Moravian College women's track and field team looks to continue its stellar performance in the 2015-16 season. The Hounds return 27 student-athletes from last year's eighth straight Landmark Conference Championship team, including six athletes who competed at the ECAC Division III Championships. The Blue and Grey were selected to finish first in the Landmark Conference Preseason Poll as chosen by the other coaches in the conference last month.
Looking to improve on last season efforts will be sophomore Melissa Cheong, senior Corinne Glass and senior Christelle Reglas. Cheong was named Landmark Rookie of the year for her first place performance in the high jump and runner-up finishes in the 60-meter dash and the long jump. Glass took Second Team All-Conference in both the 200 and 400-meter dashes while Reglas won the Landmark Championship in the long jump.
"We think that we have a good solid foundation with the jumpers. Melissa had a breakout season for us last year and we are expecting her to pick right back up where she left off. Also with sophomore Casie Cronk and senior Kiara Bright, who performed strongly last season, we think they could really step it up this year and really be a big part of the team," stated Head Coach Jesse Baumann.
The team also brings back four other All-Conference student-athletes including sophomore Beth Ann Davies in the pole vault, Cronk in 4x400 meter relay, Bright in the triple jump and sophomore Kirsten Lebo in the distance medley.
"We are looking to be very strong in the throws with our returners and some of the newcomers," commented Baumann. "We are really hoping for big years from sophomore Ciara Stewart and junior Jackie Finnegan. I think they are both capable of making it to ECACs and really competing there with the other throwers."
Stewart was third in the shot-put at last year's Landmark Indoor Championships while Finnegan finished fifth in the weight throw.
"As far as the sprints go, we did lose some key student-athletes to graduation, however; we bring back some great runners like Glass, who has already shown us that she is ready to run hard with some of the times she has posted in some of the workouts we've done so far," Baumann said. "We also have some young talent, who we are looking to step up and compete at a high level right away.
"We did lose some big names in the distance portion of the team but juniors Meg Brockett and Sarah Hughes both had incredible cross country seasons and are in really good shape and are really looking forward to the track season and to compete at a very high level. We also have some really good younger runners who are returning either off of injuries or are new to the team. I think that freshmen Kelly Gonoude and Alyssa Limbaugh should have really good years coming off of how well they did in cross country," finished Baumann.
The Greyhounds will begin the 2015-16 season at the Lehigh University Fast Times Before Finals Invitational at Rauch Fieldhouse on December 4 and 5.
Click here for video preview of the 2015-16 Indoor season:
