HAVERFORD, Pa. – Following its return to the NCAA Championship during the fall cross country season, the distance runners will now join up with rest of the their teammates for the Haverford College women's indoor track & field season. The second of the three running seasons will get underway this Saturday when the team travels to the Ursinus Bow Tie Meet.
Haverford finished second at the 2015 Centennial Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships and sent two runners to the NCAA Championships last winter. Those honors helped Fran Rizzo to be named Centennial Conference Indoor Track & Field Coach of the Year for the second time in his career. The Fords have finished first or second in the conference in 17 of the conference's 23 indoor championships.
The team has crowned an individual conference champion in 28 seasons since the program's inception 30 years ago. This streak includes at least one conference champion in each of the past 12 seasons. The Fords have sent a qualifier to the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships in nine of the past 12 seasons.
Nora Weathers highlights Haverford's returners as she is the team's returning NCAA qualifier with the graduation of Centennial Conference Champion and NCAA qualifier Kelley Riffenburgh '15. Weathers placed 11th in the mile at the 2015 NCAA Indoor Championships before going on to earn All-America status during the outdoor season last spring. She is ranked third in school history all-time for the indoor mile as she placed second in the Centennial Conference a season ago.
Weathers is also ranked among the top 10 individuals in school history in the 800 meters. Joining her in the school record books is fellow cross country standout Katie Sullivan. Sullivan is ranked eighth in school history in 800 meters and placed third at the conference championship last season. Also in the distance record books is an eighth place all-time mark from Maggie Heffernan in the 3,000 meters.
Junior Brittany Steele, the 2014 Centennial Conference Rookie of the Year, returns after finishing second in the 60 meter dash and third in the 200 meters a season ago. She was the indoor champion in both of those events during her freshman season.
Also looking to improve in the sprints will be sophomore Mairead Ferry. Ferry placed second in the 60 meter hurdles during her first indoor conference championship meet a season ago and currently holds the second fastest time in school history. Ferry also ranks sixth in school history in the pole vault.
Headlining the returners in the field events are Claire Sargent and Elizabeth Reikowski. Sargent placed second during her freshman season in the shot put during the indoor conference championship. She also ranks second in school history in that event. Reikowski is ranked fifth in school history in the triple jump for the indoor season.
Women's indoor track & field will take part in four meets inside the Alumni Field House this winter. The team will host a pair of dual meets with Widener on Thursday, December 10 and Monday, February 15. The McElligott Invitational will be held on Saturday, January 30, while the Keogh Invitational will be held on Saturday, February 20. The Centennial Conference Championships will be hosted by Ursinus College on February 26-27. The NCAA Championships will take place from March 11-12 in Grinell, Iowa.