NEW YORK, NY - Featuring outstanding performances in several events, the Tufts University women's indoor track & field team was the runner-up at the 2011 Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Championships held at the Armory in New York City on Friday and Saturday.
Jumbos submitted NCAA qualifying efforts in five different events, leading Coach Kristen Morwick's squad to a final score of 53.5 points. The College of New Jersey won the ECAC team title with 58 points.
Junior Nakeisha Jones (New York, NY), senior tri-captain Kanku Kabongo (Abington, MA), junior Heather Theiss (North Woodmere, NY), senior Amy Wilfert (Westborough, MA), sophomore Alyssa Corrigan (Wellesley, MA), junior Dayorsha Collins (Boston, MA), first year Jana Hieber (Goffstown, NH), first year Laura Peterson (Melrose, MA) and sophomore Kaylee Maykranz (Jackson, WY) were all a part of the Jumbo NCAA qualifying barrage at the ECAC's.
Jones automatically qualified for the NCAA triple jump with a 38'9" (11.81m) launch at the ECAC meet. She was second in the event with the mark that is currently ranked fourth in Division III. Kabongo's 37'0 1/4" was also an NCAA provisional mark in the event, but did not improve upon a previous performance of her's. She was seventh at the meet.
Wilfert was also a runner-up with an NCAA qualifying improvement. She ran a 4:55.80 mile, which is converted +0.90 due to the banked track at the Armory. The 4:56.70 is currently ranked eighth nationally. Wilfert also ran the anchor leg for a distance medley relay group that came in second place with an NCAA provisional time of 11:52.87, adjusted to 11:55.37. First years Petrerson and Hieber ran the first two legs, followed by Maykranz and Wilfert. The DMR time is #7 on the national list for the event.
Theiss broke the 12-foot mark in the pole vault, again surpassing her own school record with a 12'0 1/2" (3.67m) best at the ECAC's. The height ranks her eighth in the event on the NCAA performance list. Maykranz scored an individual third with her 1:18.10 time in the 500 meters.
The 4x400 relay put together a 3:57.50 finish that was faster than the NCAA provisional time, but did not improve upon the 4x4's All-New England national qualifer after it was adjusted. The time put Tufts third in the race, with the Jumbos lining up Corrigan, Kabongo, Collins and Hieber.
Tufts looks to take a formidible team to the NCAA Championships to finish the season next Friday and Saturday (Mar. 11-12) at Capital University in Columbus, Ohio. Final entry lists will be announced early next week.
Meet Results
#
