Keydets add 11 freshman to add depth to several key events
2005-06 Women's Track and Field Outlook:
The 2005-06 women\'s track and field team features the return of a pair of experienced seniors along with 11 new faces to add depth to the squad. A solid recruiting year, the largest in the team\'s history, increased team numbers considerably, but the loss of key individuals and a lack of depth in certain events may make it difficult to move up substantially in the Big South Conference standings.
\"The numbers we recruited have had an immediate impact in cross country,\" stated head coach Mike Bozeman. \"I am hopeful that this group of freshman will continue their rapid development during the track and field season, because if they do, we will have the talent and leadership in many events to make us better as a team.\"
The strength of this year's team will be the sprints, jumps, and hurdles. Senior captain Shelly MacKall (sprints) and sophomore Ashley West (jumps/hurdles) will lead a much improved group in these areas. Mackall is an ECAC qualifier in the 60m dash, as well as the 100 meter dash where she ran 2004 best times of 7.73 in the 60m, 12.00 in the 100m, and 24.99 in the 200m. West is much improved technically and should easily break her school records of 15.06 (100HH), and 8.88 (60HH). She is also the best horizontal jumper on the team with marks of 18'1"in the long jump and 36' 5 ½" in the triple jump, both of which are current school records.
The hurdles and sprints will have depth with the addition of rapidly improving freshman Corielle Parsons. The sprints add freshman Shannon Sellers, Holly Giacolone (pole vault), Amanda Fain and Victoria Pritchett. This gives us some of the best relay depth VMI has had in many years.
Ketra Alexander is the team's only thrower. The loss of Mildred Cooper is significant, but Ketra is continuing to see considerable improvements in all the throws and should make a real contribution to the team in this area.
The distance and middle distance groups will be looking to build on their cross country success this past fall. Returning monogram winners Ania Najda, Amber Blain, Kathleen Resetar and Hatley Clifford will be joined by junior Abby Ward and freshman Kelsey Stafford, Cristina Mowatt-Larsen, Roxanne Franck, Amanda Moore, Sara Hanson and Ashley Johnson. Look for this group to make contributions to the point production, of the VMI Women's Track and Field Team, both in individual and relay events.