Centennial Conference Championship Central
Haverford's Centennial Conference Indoor Champions
HAVERFORD, Pa. – The Haverford College women's indoor track & field team will head to Franklin & Marshall this weekend for the 2019 Centennial Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships. The Fords have been a consistent power at this meet with six indoor team championships (2004, 2006-10) and 13 more runner-up finishes throughout the first 25 conference meets. The Fords have also had at least one individual conference champion during all but one indoor championship meet.
Once again, the Fords have a number of individuals near the top of the conference rankings who will be looking to add to the program's legacy. Coming off of her Centennial Conference Track Athlete of the Week honor, Jessica Lopez will be the top seed in the 60 meter dash. She currently holds the second fastest time in school history in that event and placed fifth in the conference last year. The weekend overall will be very busy for Lopez as she is also seeded third in the triple jump and fifth in the 200 meter dash.
Haverford has also historically faired very well in the relays, winning at least one of those four races during 16 of the conference's 25 previous meets. That span includes 13 years in which the Fords have won multiple relays during the indoor championship. Haverford's DMR is seeded second in the conference this year. First-year Izzy Miller adds another option to contest the DMR as Sophie Drew, Molly Hawkins, Jolie Jaycobs, and Hannah Yeakey ran to a third-place finish at last year's championship. Those same four also ran the 4x800 meter relay last year and placed second overall. The Fords have not entered a 4x800 relay yet in any meets this winter. Haverford is also seeded third in the 4x200 and fourth in the 4x400 heading into the weekend. The 4x200 returns three of its four legs from last year's fourth-place finish with Marisa Antinori, Kerry Quigley, and Lopez.
In addition to her position in the relays, Drew is seeded fourth in the mile this year. Tess Oberholtzer is another option for the relays as she is seeded sixth in the 60 meter hurdles. Oberholtzer holds the eighth fastest time in school history in that event. Sitting just outside of the top eight seeds are a number of Fords on the track who will look to move into scoring positions. Julia Smith is the 10th ranked entrant in the 5,000 meter field and will be joined by teammates Angie Petrichenko, Miller, and Mckenna Krall in that event. Amalia Axinn is ranked 10th in the 800 meters with Mariana Ramirez also entered in that event. Ruanna Small will make her championship debut this weekend and is seeded 11th in the 400 meters.
Haverford had a number of breakout performances in the field events a year ago and will look to replicate that success this season. A lot of that success came in the jumps where Lopez and Quigley took home respective fourth and sixth place showings in the triple jump. They are ranked third and ninth overall entering the weekend. Quigley was also seventh in the long jump last year and will join Fiona Flynn, Naomi Fukuda, Antinori, and Sophia Nelson as potential point scorers for the team this year.
Mari Horton enters the championship as the third ranked shot putter in the conference. Her best throw this winter ranks seventh in school history. Unique Tuberville holds the ninth best indoor shot put in school history and is seeded seventh in both that event and the weight throw (which is being contested for the first time in conference history). Tuberville is one of just two Fords all-time who has contested the weight throw. Grace Mathis also returns back to the championship meet after studying abroad as a junior. Now a senior, she is the fourth ranked pole vaulter in school history and seeded sixth entering the championship. Haverford will also have a multi-event participant as Louise Bednarik is seeded fifth in the pentathlon. She ranks fourth in school history with her score of 1,793 points from earlier this winter.
The 2019 Centennial Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships will get underway this Saturday at 10:40 a.m. with the pentathlon events and continue into Sunday. A full schedule, along with live video and live results will be available all weekend through the links above.