Women’s Track Finishes the Season with Third-Place Finish at Patriot League Championships; Men Finish Last

Colgate enjoyed a breakout weekend at the Patriot League Championships at Army last weekend, taking third place. Senior Curry Knox was named the Female Track Athlete of the Year, and for good reason. She qualified for the 100-meter dash at the NCAA Championships with a time of 11.70, good enough to set the Patriot League record. Knox was not done, taking the gold in the 100-meter hurdles in 14.31, beating a school record and qualifying for the ECAC Championships. Continuing her strong performances, Knox finished second in the 200-meter dash with a time of 24.69, once again qualifying for the ECAC Championships.

On Day One, sophomore Julie Tarallo won the 10,000 meter run (6.2 miles) with a time of 36:55.25, which was an ECAC qualifying time. Her run was arguably the most remarkable of the Championships for Colgate. What makes this feat most impressive is that Tarallo was ranked fourth in this event going into Patriots.

Sophomore Michelle Miller also made some noise at the track. She finished third in the 200-meter dash and second in the 400-meter dash, breaking a school record in the latter event. She was also on a 4×100-meter relay team with Knox, senior Ashley Mecone and junior Ashely Niness that finished first and qualified for the ECAC with a time of 47.14. Of course, this time broke a school record. Showing her versatility, Niness took third in the 400-meter hurdles. The 4×400 meter relay team also took second place, and last but certainly not least, sophomore Sarah Chabal won silver in the triple jump with a leap of 37′ 10.5″. Head Coach Laura Nardelli, who presides over these fantastic overachievers, was named the Patriot League Female Track Coach of the Year. Her crew was picked to finish seventh, and defied expectations en route to the bronze. Bucknell won the track meet with 188.5 points, and Navy took second with 119 points. Colgate had 94 points, and its feat is especially amazing considering that the Raiders have a smaller track team and fewer resources than every other Patriot League school.

The Men’s Track team was not as lucky, as it finished in last place at the Patriot League Championships with 17 points. Army won the event with 234 points. Junior Phi Natoli led the team with a second-place finish in the 400-meter hurdles (53.85). Sophomore Ed Sheridan will be going to the IC4A’s after taking fifth in the 10,000 meter run, and the 4×800 meter team will join him after finishing fourth.

The Women’s Track team also enjoyed a successful last weekend of April, splitting their good showings between the prestigious Penn Relays in Philadelphia and the Big Red Invitational at Ithaca.

The Colgate women competed in five relays, and enjoyed their most success in the 4×100 and 4×200 events. In the 4×100 relay, the team of Ashley Mecone, Michele Miller, Curry Knox and Ashley Niness took seventh place in 48.75, but recorded the fastest time of any Patriot League team in the event.

In the 4×200, Miller, Mecone and Knox were joined by first-year Ali Atkinson, and the team recorded a school record in the event, beating the record the team had set earlier in the year with a time of 1:41.44.

At the Big Red Invitational it was all about Colgate’s field team, as junior Sarah Chabal tied the school record in the triple jump with a leap of 37′ 11.5”, tying the mark set by Nolana Quince in 2003. Chabal’s jump was also good enough for second best in the Patriot League this season.

Chabal’s performance was not alone, as sophomore Noelle Edmonson recorded a personal-best in the 400-meter hurdles with a 1:08.70, which put her in the top-10 times ever recorded by a Colgate woman in that event.

Up next for some ‘Gate runners are the ECAC Championships, to be held at Princeton University from May 15-17.