Championship Central
BETHLEHEM, Pa.- The West Chester University women's track and field squad is finishing its preparations and packing its bags for the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Indoor Track and Field Championships at Rauch Field House on the campus of Lehigh University this weekend.
"It's been a really exciting indoor season," opened Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Colin Leak. "I think we have a great group of student-athletes, and we have been building great momentum throughout the season, so we have a lot of excitement heading into this weekend."
Action gets underway on Saturday at 11 a.m. with the men's weight throw and women's long jump finals before the opening day concludes with prelims of the 200. Sunday will get underway at 11:30 as the men's heptathlon continues, along with the high jump finals, before the weekend concludes with the 4x400 finals.
Fans who are making the trip to Lehigh will need to purchase tickets
online and are encouraged to do so before arriving at the venue. Tickets are set at $10 for adults and $5 for children ages 2-12, with students from PSAC Member Institutions with current, valid ID being admitted free of charge. No complimentary tickets are available; however, PSAC passes will be accepted. For fans unable to make the trip, live results are available
here, with live video available on the
PSAC Digital Network as well.
"The development we have seen this year has been exciting to see," acknowledged Leak. "This is year two for us, so I think we are really starting to get some good momentum and excitement around us as a program. We've done a better job of holding each other accountable and supporting one another throughout this year. We understand that putting on the jersey means something and that you are competing for more than just yourself. I'm excited to see what this weekend brings."
West Chester returns to Lehigh looking to build off a 10
th-place finish at the Championships a year ago with a strong contingent making the trip to Bethlehem for the 2025 Championships.
The Distance Medley Relay (DMR) squad, which is seeded seventh with a time of 12 minutes and 40.01 seconds, is seeded and will start the weekend on the track. The Golden Rams 4x400 relay squad is also seeded seventh in a time of 4:03.56 and will help wrap up the weekend for Leak and the Golden Rams.
Individually,
Lily Palacio Lewis (Lititz, Pa./Warwick, who earned all pair of All-League certificates at the 2024 Championships, will compete in both the 60 and 200, entering as the fifth seed in both events with times of 7.78 and 25.50 seconds.
Katja Larsen (Spring City, Pa./Owen J. Roberts) will join Palacio Lewis in both the 60 and 200 with times of 7.99 and 26.20 seconds, respectively.
Kristina Tapia (Ridley Park, Pa./Ridley) is preparing for an extremely busy weekend on the track as she is expected to compete individually in the mile (8
th-5:11.61), 3K (6
th-10:20.62), and 5K (5
th-18:11.93), while also being a probably member of the Golden Ram DMR squad early on Saturday afternoon.
Ellie Goldberg (West Deptford, N.J./West Deptford) is expected to join Tapia in the mile with a time of 5:15.83 from earlier this season.
Cate Hildebrand (Chalfont, Pa./C.B. South) and
Morgan Pera (Center Valley, Pa./Southern Lehigh) will compete in the 60-meter hurdles for West Chester, entering with times of 9.46 and 9.50 seconds, respectively.
In field events,
Annika Hummel (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Mechanicsburg) is the top seed (second) of four Golden Rams in the pole vault, entering with a mark of 11 feet 11 ¾ inches, while
Emily Donegan (Hershey, Pa./Hershey), Kaylie Groff (Palmyra, Pa./Palmyra), and Hannah LaFave (Spring Brook Township, Pa./North Pocono) will also compete with marks of 10-11 ¾, and 10-4, respectively.
Victoria Gbodi (Drexel Holl, Pa./Milton Hershey) is seeded fourth in the triple jump with a mark of 37-9 and will compete alongside
Katie Pieslak (Yardley, Pa./Pennsbury) who will be in both the long and triple jump with marks of 17-3 ½ and 36-2 ½, respectively.
Jade Salmon (Rochester, N.Y./Gates Chilli) secured her spot in the high jump with a mark of 5-3 and will be the 12
th seed when competition begins this weekend.
Zhayria Washington (West Chester, Pa./Rustin) will be another two-event competitor for West Chester as she will compete in the shot put and weight throw, entering with marks of 41-1 ¾ and 50-8 ¼, respectively.
Amanda Marquis (Bridgeville, Pa./South Fayette) is also getting ready for a busy weekend as she will compete in the Pentathlon on Saturday, beginning with the 60-meter hurdles at 11 a.m.
Asked about a final message to the team before the Championships get underway on Saturday, Leak said, "Set a tone, remember where we were this time last year, and be excited. For our older student-athletes, this isn't their first rodeo, so I'll be looking for them to help bring the younger ones along. Courage is an absence of fear that comes when you know you are part of a larger group. When they compete this weekend, they aren't competing alone; they represent something bigger than just themselves, and I think that knowledge and excitement can go a long way."
All-Conference status will once again be up for grabs this weekend as the top three finishers in each event will earn All-PSAC honors.
