QU Women’s Outdoor Track & Field Set to Compete in 2016 MAAC Championships

Saturday, May 7

Rider Track & Field Complex - Lawrenceville, NJ

All Day

Quinnipiac University

MAAC Championships

QU Women’s Outdoor Track & Field Set to Compete in 2016 MAAC Championships

5/6/2016 4:06:00 PM | Women's Outdoor Track & Field

Bobcats Coming Off Back-to-Back Second Place Finishes in the Last Two Conference Championships

By: QU Sports Information

The Quinnipiac University women's outdoor track and field team will travel to Rider University to compete in the 2016 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Women's Outdoor Track & Field Championships from Saturday-Sunday, May 7-8.

The MAAC will provide links to make race results available in real time once the competition is underway on Saturday morning.

THE FIELD
Quinnipiac will compete against Canisius, Iona, Manhattan, Marist, Monmouth, Rider and Saint Peter's at the 2016 MAAC Championship.

THE 2015 MAAC CHAMPIONSHIP
Monmouth University swept both the men's and women's 2015 MAAC Championships in convincing fashion. The Hawks scored 260.2 points on the women's side to more than double-up the second-place Bobcats who tallied 127 points. Quinnipiac was the biggest mover from 2014 to 2015 as the Bobcats vaulted all the way up from a sixth place finish in 2014 to a program-best second place result last season. Among the highlights for the Bobcats included victories in the 4x100m relay and Shameal Samuels capturing the 200m title.

QUINNIPIAC AT THE CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS
Now in her seventh year at the helm of the Quinnipiac track & field program, Carolyn Martin has lifted the Bobcats to new heights as the team reached newfound success in the last three seasons and hopes to continue its upward trajectory in this year's MAAC Championship. Just three seasons ago, Martin was named the 2013 Northeast Conference Coach of the Year after guiding the Bobcats to their best finish (6^th out of 11 teams) at an indoor championship since 2007. Most recently, the Bobcats are coming off back-to-back second place finishes at the MAAC Championships, first in the 2015 outdoor championship and then at the 2016 indoor championship. Quinnipiac notched 133 total team points on the way to earning second place at the 2016 MAAC Indoor Track & Field Championships. Quinnipiac's 133 points represent a new program record while the team's second place finish matched the best ever at a conference championship meet in program history. Shameal Samuels dazzled at the 2015 Indoor Championships as she earned the highest individual honor, becoming the first Bobcat to take home Most Outstanding Track Performer laurels. Samuels swept all three major sprint events, earning victories in the 60m, 200m and 400m.

QU TID-BITS

As a team, Quinnipiac picked up seven individual victories at the 2016 indoor championships which ranked as the most among any team in the conference. Shameal Samuels (200m, 400m), Kaleigh Roberts (One Mile, 3000m), Carly Timpson (Weight Throw), Emily Wolff (5000m) and Jessica Lee (60m Hurdles) all scored victories for the Bobcats
In her final year of competition, Shameal Samuels look to make one final mark and finish her career as the most dynamic athlete in program history. The 2015 Most Outstanding Women's Track Performer in the indoor season, Samuels wrapped up her indoor career as the three-time defending 400m champion and two-time defending 200m champion. She enters her final outdoor championship as the two-time reigning 200m champ and has won five MAAC titles in her career.
Already Quinnipiac's record holder in all three sprint events, Samuels owns a share of five total program records as she also combined for the 4x200m and 4x400m relay records
Kaleigh Roberts, the MAAC's indoor one mile and 3000m champion, has been tearing it up in the middle distance events of late as she picked up her first career MAAC Track Athlete of the Week on Monday following her victory in the 800m at Yale last weekend
In just two years, Roberts ranks in the top three all-time at Quinnipiac in five different events (800m 3^rd, 1000m 3^rd, 1500m 2^nd, One Mile 1^st, 3000m 2^nd)
Tracy Campbell has followed the same trajectory as Roberts as the duo have been a lethal combo in the middle distance events this season. Campbell worked well with Roberts in the indoor championship as she placed a career-best third in the one mile and fifth in the 3000m
Now in her senior season, Campbell has elevated herself into one of the premier level talents in the middle distance as she ranks in the top four at Quinnipiac in four different events (800m 4^th, 1000m 1^st, 1500m 3^rd, One Mile 3^rd)
Carly Timpson is putting together a freshman season to remember as the two-time MAAC Field Athlete of the Week will be a threat in the weight throw, hammer throw and high jump
Timpson is coming off a tremendous indoor championship that saw her earn the 2016 MAAC Co-Most Outstanding Field Performer after taking home the weight throw championship with a program-record throw of 17.55m and placing second in the high jump at 1.65m
Jessica Lee is a three-time career MAAC Women's Track Athlete of the Week honoree and is coming off a breakout indoor season that saw her capture the MAAC and New England 60m hurdles championship
Lee became the first Bobcat in program history to capture a New England title in any hurdle event
After capturing the 4x100m relay title at the 2015 MAAC outdoor championships, the Bobcats have suddenly become a threat in the sprint events as Shameal Samuels (11.87), Nia Baker (12.39), Francine Jacque (12.43), Alea Simons (12.44), Kristen Ulrich (12.51), Bonnie Pisciotta (12.58) and Jessica Lee (12.64) all have personal bests of under 13 seconds in the 100m dash
Emily Wolff captured her first conference title in the 5000m during the indoor season in 2016 and has the potential to win again as her personal-best time of 16:45.65 is second-fastest in Quinnipiac history to only former All-American Kaitlyn Gwyther
Quinnipiac combined for 12 points in the javelin throw at the 2015 MAAC outdoor championships as Jenny Mears (37.84m), Cori Reid (36.67m), Jessica Caso (33.09m) and Mackenzie Merkel (31.36m) all placed in the top eight to earn points in the team standings