University of Richmond Athletics
Track & Field To Compete In 2007 Atlantic 10 Indoor Championships On Saturday
02/15/2007 | Women's Track & Field
Feb. 15, 2007
KINGSTON, R.I. - The Richmond men and women's track & field teams will compete in the 2007 Atlantic 10 Indoor Track & Field Championships on Saturday at the University of Rhode Island's Mackal Field House.
The Spider women's team will look for its second Atlantic 10 Indoor Championships, having won the conference title in 2002. Richmond women's team finished fourth at last year's indoor championships and finished second outdoors.
"Anytime our women's team goes to an Atlantic 10 Championship in cross country or track, our expectation is to win the team title," Richmond head women's coach Lori Taylor said. "That's the goal for the program and that's what we are going to Rhode Island to do. We consider Charlotte, La Salle and URI the top contenders, we know it will take every points we can score in order to bring a title back to Richmond."
The Richmond men's team took seventh last year's indoor championships.
"Our men's team needs more depth, but we are going up there looking to win as many individual conference titles and earn as many all-conference honors as possible," Richmond head men's coach Steve Taylor said. "We want to send the message that our athletes are ready to deliver all-conference performances and we believe they are."
On the women's side, senior Beth Crocus will compete in the weight throw and shot put. Crocus was the runner-up in the weight throw at last year's Atlantic 10 Indoor Championships. She was the Atlantic 10 Outdoor Champion in the javelin and hammer.
"Beth is a leader of our team," Lori Taylor said. "She gets it done on and off the competition field and is a testament to hard work. Unlike some people out there that have little self discipline, Beth makes the sacrifices to be the best in her events. She is a student-athlete in every sense. Although she has become a very good weight thrower, her best events will be this outdoor season in the javelin and the hammer throws.
Sophomore Jessica Young returns after finishing second to earn all-conference honors in both the 200-meter dash and 400 dash at last year's A-10 indoor championships. She was a IAAF World Champion in the 4x400 relay and will compete in the 55 dash, which she a NCAA provisional time in, along with the 200 and 400.
"Jessica has proven herself on every level," Lori Taylor said. "This season she has yet to put together a great 400-meter race, but it's coming along. Her NCAA provisional mark in the 60-meter dash at the University of Maryland shows her speed continues to improve. She is just a better athlete than a year ago. Jessica is stronger, faster and has more endurance than we've ever seen out of her. She pushed herself and others to make the team better and that's what we need."
Richmond sophomore Jasmine Major, the 2006 Atlantic 10 Women's Indoor Championship Most Outstanding Rookie, will defend her 55 hurdle title and also compete in the 55 dash, long jump, triple jump and 200. "The indications are that Jasmine's speed is very good," Lori Taylor said. "She is coming off her best short sprint race ever last weekend, which will also help her hurdle race and the jumps."
Freshman Amy Van Alstine, the 2006 Atlantic 10 Women's Cross Country Rookie of the Year, missed the school record in the 3,000 by one second this winter and will compete in that even along with the mile run at the conference championships.
"Even though Amy is just a freshman, she has been a leader on the track," Lori Taylor said. "She has no fear when racing and goes after her goals for each race. As the conference Rookie of the Year for cross country she led our team in the championship part of the season. We believe that says a lot. Great athletes are leaders not followers."
Junior Kylee Schuler will compete in the 3,000 and 5,000. She posted a top-15 performance in the 5,000 at last year's indoor championships.
"Kylee has proven herself as one of the top long distance runner in the conference," Lori Taylor said. "She has stepped up her racing strategies for the past three weekends and we look for her to have great races this weekend. She wants our program to continue to grow and attract top national class athletes and realizes she can help through her performances. All of these women are committed to becoming the best."
Freshman Kristen Crawford will help the Spiders in the shot put.
"Kristen continues to develop as a college athlete," Lori Taylor said. "Coach (Jermaine) Jones has been working on technical aspects of her shot put and introducing the 20-pound weight throw. She has shown a lot of improvement but probably the most noticeable change has been in the weight room. She is very strong."
Freshman Alyssa Mankin will compete in the 1,000 and the mile run.
"Alyssa had a good mile race at Liberty," Lori Taylor said. "We feel she is capable of even more. She comes from Tennessee where she had a very limited indoor season, so this is still rather new to her. Regardless, each week she has shown improvement and her training has been better and better."
Junior Tara Markey will run in the 500 and take part in relays. Markey has competed in the 500 just once this season, in the second meet of the year at Penn State. She was a member of the 4x400 relay team which set the school record last Saturday at the record bash.
"Tara is another leader for the team," Lori Taylor said. "Our conference holds the 500M and 1000M races in addition to the 400M and 800M races. Penn State was the only chance she had before the conference championships and that was three weeks ago. We feel she is certainly ready to run faster."
Freshman Megan Ney will take part in the high jump, long jump and triple jump.
"Megan has been improving throughout the season," Lori Taylor said. "As primarily a jumper, she can also run a good relay leg as evidenced in her contribution to the 4x400 meter relay record last weekend. Megan is a competitor."
On the men's side, junior Jonathan Molz will look to repeat as the Atlantic 10 Indoor Champion in the 1,000 run.
"Last year he surprised some people from other teams, but they will key off him this year," Steve Taylor said.
Freshman Andrew Benford, the Atlantic 10 Men's Cross Country Rookie of the Year, will be going for a conference title in the 3,000 run. Benford finished 12th at the World Junior Mountain Running Championships last summer.
 Junior Jonathan Molz will look to defend his Atlantic 10 Indoor title in the 1,000-meter run.  |
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"Andrew's first indoor track race ever was the Mid Atlantic Track Clash here in Richmond two weeks ago. He opened with a 3K race that was good and will go with the same for the championships," Steve Taylor said. "Along with (Hunter) Willis, Molz and (Matt) Llano and some others, we have a good group of men that are working well together. They just need to go to Rhode Island with their goals crystalline in their minds."
Llano was the second freshmen to cross the finish line at the Atlantic 10 Cross Country Championships and led the Spiders at the NCAA Regional Cross Country Championships. He will compete in the 3,000 on Saturday.
"I believe Matt has made as much progress as anyone on the team since January 15th," Steve Taylor said. "His range of motion and stride length have returned to what I consider normal for him. He will be in the 3K this weekend with fellow freshmen Benford and Jon Wilson. I feel these three can have an impact on the race up front. There are number of great athletes in there that will race hard, but none of these men will back down from the intensity of that type of race. We've discussed what they can expect and I feel they are physically ready to go."
Junior Hunter Willis was the runner-up in the 10,000 run at last spring's A-10 Outdoor Championship and will be competing in the 5,000 on Saturday.
"Hunter was an all-conference performer in the 10K last spring," Steve Taylor said. "He has a high level of tolerance to pain and that is what separates him from most athletes. Our team takes pride in their performances and we want everyone to know when Richmond is on the track."
Sophomore Chris Kondorossy will lead Richmond in the throwing events. He will compete in the weight throw and shot put.
"Chris is a good thrower who splits his time with us and football during the winter and spring," Steve Taylor said. "He's yet to get his best effort this season, but that could be a good thing going into the weekend. He's worked on a lot of technical aspects of his shot and weight events. We need him to pull those all together this weekend."
