2007 season preview

January 2, 2007

NORTON, MA- The 1999 and 2007 Wheaton College women's track and field teams share a common bond in the fact each were vying for something that not one of the athletes had entering their respective seasons: a coveted team national championship. Whether this year's squad finishes out the year with a national crown like the 1999 team did remains to be seen, as none of Wheaton's 27 members have experienced a team title, but it doesn't mean there isn't that expectation or pressure.

"Everybody we recruit to this program is told the goal of the program is to win a national championship," said 13th-year head coach Paul Souza. "We set that from day one, before they even step foot on campus. The fact we haven't done it for a little while adds fuel to the fire."

The Lyons made significant strides toward their national title aspirations a year ago, when the indoor team took 14th. The outdoor squad also placed at the national meet while extending its conference championship winning streak to nine seasons. Souza is confident this team can move into the upper echelon of teams, but realizes a lot is undetermined right now with 20 underclassmen on board.

"We probably have the most talented team we've ever had, but they're all young," stated Souza. "The difference is going to be that championship experience. It's hard to be able to count on freshmen when they haven't even run a college meet yet. There's a long way to go before we're able to say whether this team can compete at a national championship level. I certainly think we have the talent to get there."

That level was reached and maintained from 1999-2003, as the Lyon women captured eight of the possible 10 national championships during that span, including winning five straight indoor titles and three consecutive outdoor crowns. Wheaton has also secured all eight New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) titles since 1999.

Souza, alongside top assistant Marc Mangiacotti, who is returning for his third season with the Lyons, joins head cross country coach Paul Carr and newcomers Steve Carr and Kathrine Wallace '05 on the coaching staff. Paul Carr is in his eighth season as the school's distance coach, while Steve Carr assumes the role of working with the throwers and vaulters. Wallace, who was an All-America jumper and sprinter at Wheaton, will assist Souza in the jumps.

As the beginning of the season draws near, Souza and his assistants will take the approach that every meet is like a test day and an opportunity to qualify as many athletes as possible for the national championship portion of the schedule. "We handicap our athletes in the beginning of the season," said Souza. "The win-loss record or the outcomes of the meet aren't as important as seeing how the athletes are developing and seeing where they are over the course of the season. We want to see the performances improve as the season progresses leading up to the championships."

The women's team is broken down into four seniors, three juniors, 12 sophomores and eight freshmen, with four upperclassman captains expected to lead the way for the inexperienced Lyons. Seniors Katelyn Gannon (Shrewsbury, MA/Shrewsbury), Jennifer Harlow (East Bridgewater, MA/East Bridgewater) and Katelyn Teixeira (Seekonk, MA/Seekonk), and junior Joell Whitley (Magnolia, NJ/Triton Regional) will serve as captains, with the three seniors selected for the second consecutive season.

Harlow is Wheaton's most decorated active trackster on the team, as her banner junior campaign included an indoor national title in the high jump, an All-America outdoor performance in the high jump, and a second straight NEWMAC Athlete-of-the-Year selection. Harlow is a four-time All-American and, according to Souza, could be looking at possibly setting an indoor national championship record, which currently stands at 5' 10 3/4". She jumped 5' 7 3/4" at last year's NCAA indoor meet and 5' 7" at the outdoor championship.

Gannon, who has a gymnastics background, and Teixeira will give vaulting a shot this indoor season after previously being primarily used as a jumper and thrower, respectively. Souza expects Whitley to be a major player in the long and triple jumps, as well as in the relays.

Senior Tonia Smith (White Plains, NY/Alexander Hamilton), a four-year volleyball player with the Lyons, rounds out the class of 2007. She has never done track and is being groomed as a jumper. Abbe Bosk (Narberth, PA/Springside) and Cassandra Migani (Brooklyn, CT/Norwich Free Academy) complete the junior class. Bosk is injured right now and will most likely come back closer to the outdoor season, while Migani returns to her post as a thrower.

Sophomores Lily Calderwood (Harvard, MA/Bromfield School) and Chizoba Ezeigwe (Brockton, MA/Thayer Academy) top Wheaton's largest class, as each ran a leg during the Lyons' record-breaking distance medley relay showing in 2006. Calderwood, who runs cross country, also owns the program's top 1,000-meter mark. Ezeigwe garnered All-America accolades in the 400-meter dash last year in addition to being named NEWMAC Rookie of the Year. She is expected to compete in the indoor 55- and 400-meter events and outdoor 200- and 400-meter events, as well as in the relays.

Sophie Browne (Scituate, MA/Thayer Academy), Morgan Jamiel (Warwick, RI/Toll Gate), Natana Jules (Brooklyn, NY/Boys and Girls), Celeste Karpow (Wilton, CT/Wilton), Ashley Mills (Hingham, MA/Hingham), Christine Moreau (Lincoln, RI/Lincoln), Danica Peterson (Westwood, MA/Westwood), Amanda Rawson (Dudley, MA/Shepherd Hill Regional), Lauren Reddy (Walnut Creek, CA/Carondelet) and Samira Sanders (Brooklyn, NY/Boys and Girls) complete the sophomore class.

Browne, who transferred to Wheaton from the University of Massachusetts, is slated to be a vaulter, while Jamiel will compete as a multi-event athlete. Jules will run the 800-meter event and the DMR, Karpow the 400M or 800M and Sanders the 400M and relays. Mills will throw the shot put and weight, Moreau is expected to contribute in hurdles and on relays, and Rawson and Reddy will assume the distance duties after a successful cross country season in the fall. Peterson, who is a high jumper, is recovering from an injury and is hoping to return during the indoor season.

Wheaton's highly-touted incoming class consists of jumper and sprinter Amy LaPere (Westerly, RI/Westerly), sprinter Kelly Libert (New Haven, CT/James Hillhouse), jumper Tarah O'Brien (Milton, MA/Thayer Academy), vaulter Courtney Opalenik (Greenfield, MA/Northfield Mount Hermon School), hurdler and jumper Brittany Pierce (Andover, MA/Andover), distance runner Katie Pratt (Litchfield, CT/Litchfield), and sprinters Kamia Smith (Cincinnati, OH/Cincinnati Country Day School) and Renee Thompson (Hartford, CT/Weaver). Thompson, who joined Wheaton's nationally-ranked women's soccer team in the fall, and Smith are likely candidates to join Ezeigwe in the 4x400-meter relay, as is Libert, if healthy.

Wheaton's indoor season begins on January 7 at the Dartmouth College Relays and will conclude at the NCAA Championship on March 9-10 at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute, Indiana. In the spring, the NEWMAC Championship is to be held at the United States Coast Guard Academy on April 28, followed by the national championship meet at the University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh on May 24-26.

This page is maintained by Scott Dietz. Last updated on 1/30/07.
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News Headlines.

Wheaton reorganizes track and field staff, Souza and Mangiacotti named co-head coaches (more)

Three Wheaton track and field athletes earn national academic honors, both men's and women's squads draw accolades from USTFCCCA (more)

Brousseau earns first academic all-district honor of career (more)

Upcoming Schedule

11-Jan Sun Dartmouth Relays 9:00am
16-Jan Fri Sorlien Invitational 1:30pm
23-24-Jan Fri-Sat Terrier Classic 11:00am