COLLEGEVILLE, PA – The Ursinus College women's track and field team will begin competition as host of the three-day Centennial Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Patterson Field starting on Friday afternoon.
The Bears' hosted the Centennial Indoor Championships back in February and this will be the first time hosting the outdoor championships since 2018. Behind a strong set of throwers and plenty of other event groups building momentum, the women's track and field team looks to build off their third-place finish from the 2021 championships that was the highest finish for the program since 2012.
The Bears earned 57 points to place fourth in the preseason poll among the Centennial coaches back in March. 11-time defending champion Johns Hopkins paced the poll after garnering nine of the 10 first-place votes.
Ursinus has seven individuals seeded within the top-five for the championship meet and one holding the top-seed for the event. Junior Isabelle Deal holds that top seed for the Bears in the javelin as she looks to defend her Centennial title from a year ago. Deal's school record mark of 44.15 that was set at the Larry Ellis Invitational on April 15th is currently the third-longest throw in all of Division III this season for the javelin. Deal also holds the third seed for the shotput with her best mark of 12.23 meters. Sophomore Jacqueline Allen is just behind Deal in the shot put in the fourth seed with her top mark of 12.18 meters.
First-year Mikki Pomatto looks to cap off an impressive collegiate outdoor season in the discus throw and enters with third-best mark at 39.74 meters, which is also a school record. Senior Zenya Yanoff holds the highest seed of any Bear in the hammer throw in sixth with her mark 39.90 meters. Junior Hannah Bierling is seeded seventh in the javelin (35.29 meters) while holding ninth in both the hammer (36.77 meters) and shot put (11.39 meters). Freshman Katya Galkowski and Allen also hold top-10 seeds in the discus at seventh (33.26) and eighth (33.08), respectively.
Junior Rachel Conhoff ranks third in a pair of events for the Bears by holding times of 4:40.95 in the 1,500 meters and 11:26.22 in the steeplechase to headline the track events. Junior Jenna Lozzi will join Conhoff in the steeplechase as the seventh seed behind her top time of 12:43.41. Senior Lauren Ferguson enters with the fourth-fastest time this season in the 10,000 meters that will be ran on Friday afternoon and first-year Tehya Harvey ranks sixth on her best time of 12.78. Senior Rosie Cuomo looks to cap her collegiate career in the 100-meter hurdles and will enter as they eighth seed behind a time of 16.92. Classmate Tori Bearden will join Cuomo in the 100 hurdles as the 10th seed with her qualifying time of 17.04.
For the relays, the Bears 4x800 team holds the fifth-fastest time entering the championships at 9.51.82, while the 4x400 relay team holds in the seventh seed at 4:16.19.
Top 15 Bear Qualifiers for 2022 Centennial Outdoor Championships
1. Isabelle Deal – Javelin (44.15 meters)
3. Isabelle Deal – Shot Put (12.23 meters)
3. Mikki Pomatto – Discus Throw (39.74 meters)
3. Rachel Conhoff – 1,500 meters (4:40.95)
3. Rachel Conhoff – Steeplechase (11:26.22)
4. Jacqueline Allen – Shot Put (12.18 meters)
4. Lauren Ferguson – 10,000-meters (40:01.19)
6. Zenya Yanoff – Hammer Throw (39.90 meters)
6. Tehya Harvey – 100-Meter Dash Prelims (12.78)
7. Katya Galkowski – Discus Throw (33.26 meters)
7. Hannah Bierling – Javelin (35.29 meters)
7. Jenna Lozzi – Steeplechase (12:43.41)
8. Jacqueline Allen – Discus Throw (33.08 meters)
8. Katya Galkowski – Javelin (35.07 meters)
8. Rosie Cuomo – 100-Meter Hurdles Prelims (16.92)
8. Ryann Wauthier – 5000-meter run (18:37.94)
9. Hannah Bierling – Hammer Throw (36.77 meters)
9. Hannah Bierling – Shot Put (11.39 meters)
9. Alexa McCall – Javelin (34.14 meters)
10. Tori Bearden – 100-Meter Hurdles Prelims (17.04)
10. Samantha Grubb – 10,000-meters (NT)
11. Jacqueline Allen – Hammer Throw (35.68 meters)
11. Zenya Yanoff - Shot Put (10.89 meters)
11. Esther Akande – Triple Jump (10.09 meters)
11. Holly Chambers – 1,500 meters (4:51.33)
11. Ryann Wauthier – 10,000-meters (NT)
12. Tori Bearden – Triple Jump (9.92 meters)
12. Zenya Yanoff – Javelin (30.32 meters)
12. Sierra Hufnagle – 400-meter hurdles (1:14.92)
13. Hannah Bierling – Discus Throw (32.57 meters)
13. Catie Owens – Shot Put (10.62 meters)
14. Erin Hendershot – Discus Throw (32.10 meters)
14. Julia Pierson – Pole Vault (2.62 meters)
15. Lauren Ferguson – 5000-meter run (18:58.28)
15. Mikki Pomatto – Hammer Throw (32.45 meters)
15. Chelsea Stitt – Pole Vault (2.50 meters)
15. Alexa McCall – Discus Throw (31.63 meters)
Relays
5. 4x800 Relay Team (9:51.82)
7. 4x400 Relay Team – Tehya Harvey, Samantha Levai, Molly McCarthy, Meghan Carroll (4:16.19)
9. 4x100 Relay Team NT
Championship Links
CENTENNIAL CHAMPIONSHIP HOMEPAGE
CHAMPIONSHIP PROGRAM (Includes Schedule of Events)