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Women's Track and Field Set To Begin 2018 Schedule
Posted: Jan 27, 2018

Women's Track and Field Set To Begin 2018 Schedule

CLAREMONT, Calif. – The Claremont-Mudd-Scripps women's track and field team is just hours away from getting the 2018 season underway. While Bryn McKillop (SC) raced at the University of Washington two weeks ago, tomorrow's meet at the Westfield Wake-Up will serve as a more official start to the 2018 season. In addition to their normal outdoor slate, the Athenas will compete in a handful of indoor events including tomorrow's meet at Westfield and the Howie Ryan Invite at the University of Houston (Feb. 9).

See below for a full preview of the 2018 season:

A Look Back
Last season the Athenas finished their season off by tying for eighth place at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships. At the National Championships, Emily Bassett (CMC) broke the CMS All-Time Record in the hammer throw (58.53m) while finishing as the National Runner-Up. Teammate Valva Palunas (SC) took fifth in the hammer with a throw of 55.81 meters to earn All-American honors and gave CMS two of the top throwers in the country.

Tyra Abraham (SC) placed in fourth-place in the 100 meter (11.75) for her second-straight All-American finish in the event. She also claimed All-American honors in the 200 meter when she finished in eighth-place in a time of 24.47.

Carmen Mejia (SC) finished as the National Runner-Up in the 800 meter run for the third consecutive year, capping off an incredible career, with a time of 2:08.02 in the event. Her time was a personal best and broke the CMS All-Time Record in her last career run.

Bryn McKillop (SC) had strong showings at the National Championship in both the 1500 and the 3000 meter runs, finishing in ninth (4:37.58) and 15th place (17:35.30) respectively.

In addition to their strong showing at the National Championships, the Athenas also won their 16th SCIAC Championship in program history with an 87-point, runaway victory over the conference. The title was their third consecutive Conference Championship.

On the Track and In the Field
The Athenas lost just eight seniors due to graduation from last year's team. Mejia and Palunas were All-Americans last season and Nicole Laliberte (CMC), who qualified for the National Championships in the hammer throw with the 20th best mark in the country (51.98m), are among the graduates from the 2017 team. Despite the losses, the Athenas have a host of returners who have contributed in major ways and a 19-member freshman class to bolster an already strong roster.

Among the returners are National Qualifiers Bassett, Abraham, and McKillop. In addition to her All-American distinction, Abraham earned four All-Regional honors for her times in the 100 meter (11.75), 200 meter (24.36), 4x100 Relay (48.65), and 4x400 Relay (3:58.83) last season. Her four All-Regional honors led 13 Athenas. Including Abraham, a total of seven Athenas to earn regional accolades are back this season, including Bassett (discus (43.59m), hammer (56.54m)), Dani Chami (CMC - 4x100 Relay (48.65)), Geneva Ecola (HMC - 4x400 Relay (3:58.83)), Nirel JonesMitchell (CMC - 4x100 Relay (48.65)), Michelle Lilly (HMC - high jump (1.60m)), and McKillop (1500 meters (4:27.33), 5000 meters (16:56.33)).

What to Watch For
As mentioned, the Athenas have adjusted their schedule slightly to allow for the addition of a pair of indoor meets. During Saturday's Westmont Wake-Up Meet and the Howie Ryan Invite (Feb. 9), the Athenas will be attempting to qualify for the NCAA Division III Indoor National Championships on Mar. 9-10 in Birmingham, Ala.

The Rossi Relays will highlight their more traditional spring slate with CMS hosting the event on Feb. 24. The Athenas will also host a SCIAC Multi-Dual on Apr. 14 when Caltech, Redlands, and Pomona-Pitzer come to town. CMS will also host the Claremont Classic Multis on May 3-4.

The SCIAC Championships will be hosted by Redlands and take place on Apr. 27-28 while the NCAA Division III Outdoor National Championships will take place in La Crosse, Wis. from May 24-26.

On the Bench
Leading the Athenas in his fourth season at the helm is head coach Glenn Stewart. Stewart served as the interim coach in 2015 and 2016 and as an assistant in 2014. This season will mark his fifth overall season with CMS. With the 2017 SCIAC Title, Stewart has now led the Athenas to three-straight SCIAC Championships. Stewart is joined on the coaching staff by assistant coaches Emily Ramey, Collin Christensen, John Goldhammer, and Bob Ramsey.