(courtesy of America East Conference) Cambridge, Mass. - The University at Albany women's outdoor track and field team will begin its season as the favorite to win its third straight America East Outdoor Track and Field championship in 2011, according to America East coaches. The America East Conference office announced the 2011 preseason coaches' poll on Thursday, March 17 with the Great Danes as the unanimous top selection.
The Great Dane women garnered 64 points and all eight possible first-place votes. Coaches were not al¬lowed to vote for their own teams. The Boston University women grabbed the remaining first-place vote and 51 total points to earn second place, just ahead of University of Maine, which took third-place in the poll with 50 points. University of New Hampshire finished fourth in the preseason poll with 47 points.
Just five points separated fifth place from eighth place in the poll. University of Vermont took the fifth slot with 29 points, followed by UMBC in sixth place with 26 points, Stony Brook University in seventh with 25 points and Binghamton University in eighth place with 24 points. University of Hartford rounded out the field in ninth place with eight points.
UAlbany, winner of the last two America East outdoor titles and four of the last five, returns eight all-conference performers from 2010. The Great Danes bring back a strong group of field performers, including Catie Coxon (Delanson, N.Y./Duanesburg), the discus champion, senior Kadine Johnson (New Rochelle, N.Y./New Rochelle), who finished second in both the hammer throw and the shot put, and sophomore Pat McNish (Great Neck, N.Y./Manhasset), who took the silver in the long jump. Albany also has strength in sprinters Christen Griffin (Waldorf, Md./Maurice J. McDonough) and Alli Rogers (Am¬herst, N.Y./Amherst Central), who led the 4x100 relay to victory at the 2010 outdoor meet.
Boston U. was predicted to finish second in the 2011 outdoor season after finishing second in the 2011 America East Indoor Championship. The Terriers are led by junior distance runner Katie Matthews (Rocky Hill, Conn./Rocky Hill), a first-team All-American in the 5,000-meter run. Matthews also finished second in the 10,000 meters at the 2010 America East outdoor championship. Boston U. also boasts the 2010 heptathlon winner in sophomore Allison Barwise (Orange, Conn./Amity Regional), the 2010 Most Outstanding Rookie. Barwise also finished first in the pentathlon at the 2011 indoor champion-ship.
Maine checks in at third in the 2011 coaches poll despite a second-place team finish in the spring of 2010. The Black Bears boast indoor All-American junior Corey Conner (Townsend, Mass./North Middlesex Regional), who finished second in both the 800 meters and 1,500 meters at the 2010 confer-ence meet. Maine also returns the 2010 Coaches' Award winner and Most Outstanding Field Performer in junior Jesse Labreck (Oakland, Maine/Messa¬lonskee). Labreck took gold in the triple jump, long jump, high jump and 100-meter hurdles at the 2010 America East Championship.
New Hampshire took the fourth slot in the coaches poll after a third-place finish at last year's championship. The Wildcats are led by a group of field performers that includes graduate student Rita Ciambra (Hanover, N.H./Hanover), last year's pole vault champion and the winner in the same event at the 2011 indoor championship. New Hampshire also returns senior triple jumper Camille Quarles and senior heptathlete Kaitlyn Dugan (Hatfield, Pa./North Penn Senior), who both finished second in their respective events.
Vermont was predicted to finish in the fifth spot, one spot ahead of last year's sixth-place finish. To make that jump, the Catamounts will look to junior Bo Dunn (Harvard, Mass./The Bromfield School) and sophomore Debbie Isen (Bethesda, Md./Walt Whitman). Dunn took third in the 5,000 meters while Isen grabbed bronze in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.
UMBC took sixth in the coaches poll despite a fifth-place finish last spring. The Retrievers return four all-conference performers, most notably sopho¬more thrower Amanda Deller (Aberdeen, Md./Aberdeen). As a freshman in 2010, Deller placed first in the shot put and second in the discus.
Stony Brook, last year's eighth-place team, looks to improve on that finish this season. To do that, the Seawolves will look to senior sisters Lucy and Holly Van Dalen (Wanganui, New Zealand/Wanganui Collegiate). Lucy Van Dalen won both the 800 meters and 1,500 meters at the 2010 conference meet. She also was named a first-team All-American in the indoor season. Holly Van Dalen also posted a win at the 2010 America East outdoor champi¬onship, taking the top spot in the 10,000 meters.
Binghamton was predicted to finish eighth in the 2011 outdoor season. The Bearcats return a pair of all-conference performers in Jessica Hennig (Pine Bush, N.Y./Pine Bush), who finished third in the 400-meter dash and sophomore Jenna Marrione (Warwick, N.Y./Warwick Valley), who took second in the pole vault last spring.
Hartford rounds out the coaches poll in ninth. The Hawks will look to sophomore sprinter Priscilla Appiagyei (South Windsor, Conn./South Windsor). As a freshman in 2010, Appiagyei finished fourth in the 400-meter dash.
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