Feb. 8, 2006

The 2006 Northeast Conference Men's and Women's Indoor Track & Field Championships get under way Saturday, February 18 and conclude on Sunday, February 19 at Prince George's Sports and Learning Complex in Landover, MD. For the women, Monmouth is out to defend its NEC indoor title from the 2005 season. The Hawks were predicted to finish first in a preseason poll of league head coaches.

As for the Wagner Seahawks, they will look to junior Katie Callihan (Fort Collins, CO/Rocky Mountain) and freshman Alaina Alfano (East Hanover, NJ/Hanover Park) for sources of points. Callihan is among the top of the NEC in the 50m and 60m dashes. Alfano is capable of putting points on the board for the Seahawks in several different events, including the 55m and 60m high hurdles and the high and long jump. Teammate Tiffany Alford (Pemberton, NJ/Pemberton) will also vy for points in the same events. Distance runners Megan Melvin (Staten Island, NY/St. Joe's by the Sea) and Brecken Drager (Loomis, CA/Del Oro) have the chance to collect points for Wagner.

Monmouth is seeking their third consecutive indoor title. Monmouth has several competitors that will be vying for titles. Senior Katina Alexander (Pleasantville, NJ/Pleasantville), the reigning Most Outstanding Track Performer, has top times in the NEC in all of the distance events. A host of runners will contest for points in the sprinting events, including Toria Williams (Brown Mills, NJ/Pemberton Twp.), Tisifenee Taylor (Woodbury, NJ/Woodbury) and Latasha Dickson (Aberdeen, NJ/Matawan). Tara Ebert (Langhorne, PA/Neshaminy) will look to capture points in the jumping events, as will pole vaulter Nikki Zwartjes (Burlington, NJ/Burlington).

Monmouth's biggest challenger will be last season's runner-up, Long Island. The Blackbirds have a strong core of contenders for titles, including the 2005 Rookie of the Meet Aisha Thomas (Jefferson City, MO/Jefferson City). This season, Thomas has qualified for the ECACs in the 55 and 60-meter sprints. Senior Jaimie Smith (Burtonsville, MD/Paint Branch) has the potential to notch victories in any of the middle distance events, as does teammate Temi Akojie (Largo, MD). Freshman Heather Patton (Bowie, MD) is capable of producing points for the Blackbirds in the jumping events.

St. Francis (PA) has a host of talent to compete for titles, including individual champions from last year in Dian Gmiter (Pittsburgh, PA/Laurel Highlands) and Erika Jacobs (Toronto, Ontario/West Hill Collegiate). Jacobs will be joined in the long distance events with Whitney Schnarr (Waterloo, Ontario/Waterloo Collegiate). Gmiter, a winner in the shot put last season, has the top throw in the NEC in both the shot put and weight throw this season. Other potential point producers in the throwing events for the Red Flash include junior Amanda Klingensmith (Punxsutawney, PA/Punxsutawney), sophomore Lisa Morse (Freedom, NY/Pioneer Central) and sophomore Megan Sommers (Holidaysburg, PA/Holidaysburg).

Robert Morris' point production will come froma trio of competitors. Senior Katie Fisher (Reading, PA/Muhlenberg) has the ability to score in the shot put and weight throw, while sophomore Corina Campbell (Smithburg, MD/Smithburg) and junior Brittany Humphress (Beaver, PA/Beaver Falls) are challengers for individual titles in the hurdling events.

Mount St. Mary's Denise Tetkowski (Philadelphia, PA/Archbishop Ryan) has a chance to capture individual titles in either of the hurdle events and the long jump. Senior Shannon Norris (Lititz, PA/Warwick) is in the top-10 in the NEC for several different events, including the 50m, 60m, 200m and 400m dashes. Junior Mandy Jenkins (Wallkill, NY/Valley Central) has the highest clearance in the NEC in the pole vault by over a foot, while Nina Victorin (Nyack, NY/Nyack) is capable of amassing points in the shot put and weight throw.

Sacred Heart's biggest point production will come from distance runners Kathleen Henry (Basking Ridge, NJ/Ridge), Kathleen Duffy (Monroe, CT/Masuk) and Anne Duffy (Monroe, CT/Masuk). The Pioneers are also very strong in the shot put and weight throw events. Sophomore Marsha Locke (Danbury, CT/Danbury) leads the charge, while Jamie Killis (Marlborough, CT/RHAM), Balkis Bernard (Long Valley, NJ/West Morris Central), Christine Yakubec (Greenwich, NY/Greenwich) and Lena Tankeng (Yonkers, NY/Sacred Heart) are all capable of winning a title.

Senior Katie Gwyther (Madison, NH/Kennett) leads Quinnipiac's quest to knock off favorite Monmouth. Gwyther provisionally qualified for the NCAA's in the 3,000 and 5,000-meter runs this season. Classmate Jenna Nechamen (Salem, CT/East Lyme) is also capable of producing points for the Bobcats in the distance events, as is junior Erin O'Connell (Salem, CT/East Lyme).

Fairleigh Dickinson's Renay McPherson (New York, NY/Samuel J. Tilden) has a chance to capture a title in the 200m, 400m and 500m dashes. She has already qualified for the ECACs in the 500m dash. Freshman Faith Clyburn (Toms River, NJ/Central Regional), a two-time Rookie of the Week selection, has the ability to score points for the Knights in the long jump and triple jump.

Central's Ashley Hill (Kanata, Ontario/Earl of March), an NCAA qualifier in the one mile run, has the potential to capture points for the Blue Devils in the distance running events, along with Brianna Smyth (Winstead, NY/The Gilbert School) and Robyn Hudak (Monroe, CT/Masuk). Freshman Leesa Mullins (New Haven, CT/Wilbur Cross) has the ability to put points on the board for CCSU in the jumping events.

St. Francis (NY)'s Andreen Francis (Brooklyn, NY/South Shore) and Cristin Mullen (Beach Channel, NJ/Bishop Kearny) have the ability to compete for individual titles. Francis has already qualified for the ECACs and sits atop the NEC in the triple jump, while Mullen has proven herself to be one of the top runners in the 5,000-meters.