Women's track at Haverford had a huge increase in numbers and a steady upsurge in performance level throughout the 1990's after a slow beginning in the previous decade.
The team is now among the strongest annually in the Centennial Conference and has sent many athletes to NCAA Division III championship competition. Head coach Fran Rizzo, who was with the team when it was still a club and now serves as full-time head coach, is the creator and guardian of the women's track tradition. The team runs on new all-weather surfaces, both the Johnson Track outdoors and a textured 200-meter track in Alumni Field House.
The Fords won the Centennial outdoor title in 1995, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 and the indoor championship in 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010. They have placed second 12 times indoors and eight times outdoors in conference championship competition.
Tamara Lave '90 was Haverford's first female cross country and track All-American as she earned All-America status in the 10,000 meters in May 1990 after she had earned Middle Atlantic Conference individual titles and Top-25 NCAA cross country finishes in 1988 and 1989.
A series of determined runners including Marcia Grimes '91, Jen Maranzano '94, Danielle Wolfrom '94, Katie Terry '95 and Meredith Unger '97 were both fine performers and strong leaders in Haverford's early track history. A four-time All-American (track and cross country), Marzano still holds the program record in the 5,000m (outdoor) and the 10,000m (outdoor). Wolfrom earned All-American honors in the 1,500m in 1993 and was named the Most Valuable Performer at the 1992 Middle Atlantic Conference Championships. Unger won an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship and amassed an amazing total of nine Centennial Conference gold medals indoors and out in the 1500m and 3000m runs. In 1997, Unger finished third in the 1,500m at the indoor national meet and second in the 3,000 at the outdoor national meet to finish her career as a five-time All-American. Emily Dorean '97 also earned All-American honors that year with a sixth-place finish in the indoor 1,500m at the national championship meet.
Haverford's had two NCAA top-eight finishers in 1999 with Rachel Mosher '99 in the 5,000 and 10,000, and Centennial Conference indoor and outdoor track athlete of the year Kate Westfall '99, who became a two-time Division III All-American in the 3,000 after an outstanding soccer career. Mosher, a five-time All-American in cross country and track, is one of only four Haverford runners who have earned All-American honors during both indoor and outdoor in the same year.
Kristen Wilson '03 was an NCAA 10,000-meter qualifier in each of her first two years of competition, while Jane Steinemann '04 finished seventh in the 3,000 to become the Fords' first-ever frosh All-American in 2001.
Aislinn Sowash '07, who earned All-America honors in the 55m hurdles (indoor) and 100m hurdles (outdoor) during her freshman year, graduated as both an eight-time Centennial champion and eight-time All-American.
In 2008, Annick Lamar put the finishing touches on a stellar career that included All-American honors in the 800 twice and the mile. She set school records in the mile (indoor), 1,500m (outdoor) and 800m (outdoor) as well as the Centennial Conference 800m outdoor record.
Jessie Belden '09, a seven-time conference champion, closed her career with three All-American awards (two outdoor and one indoor). She currently holds the program records in the heptathlon, pentathlon, high jump (indoor and outdoor) and long jump (indoor).
Kylie Lipinski '12, a six-time conference champion, graduated as the program record holder in the indoor and outdoor triple jump. Most recently, Nora Weathers ’16 earned outdoor All-America honors after running to a sixth place finish in the 1500m during the 2015 NCAA Championship. Weathers broke the school record in the event during her championship run at the Centennial Conference Championship.