Women's Track and Field | 2/23/2023 2:03:00 PM

PITTSFORD, N.Y. – The St. John Fisher University men's and women's track and field teams will compete in the two-day Empire 8 Championship meet. The meet will begin on Friday, Feb. 24 at 3 p.m. and pick back up on Saturday, Feb. 25 at 10 a.m. Both days will take place in Rochester, N.Y., and hosted by Nazareth College.
 
Previous Meet
The Cardinals previously competed in the Nazareth College – Conference Tune-Up meet.
 
Highlighting for the women were Ciarra Franz and Samantha Shea. Franz competed in the 60m hurdles, where she placed 1^st with a time of 9.06, furthering her lead atop the Empire 8 and putting her 10^th in the region. Samantha Shea continued her outstanding season into the 60m, placing 1^st with a time of 7.76. Her time furthers her lead in the Empire 8 and puts her tied for 24^th in the nation.
 
Athletes to Watch
Shea has been running away in the Empire 8, currently leading in the 60m and 400m, and is a part of the leading 4x400m relay, while also sitting in 3^rd for the 200m. Michaela Kurbs currently leads in the long jump, with a mark of 5.66m, and is currently 7^th in both the 60m and 200m. Riley Corey currently sits 2^nd in the 5000m and 5^th in the 3000m. Makenna King is 2^nd in the shot put, with a throw of 11.88m, and is 4^th in the weight throw.
 
Preview from the E8
St. John Fisher will attempt to win its fourth consecutive Empire 8 Championship this weekend.
 
Junior Riley Corey is the three-time defending Empire 8 Champion in the 5,000-meters, and enters the meet with the second best time among all E8 student-athletes in that event and is seeded fourth in the 3,000-meters. Teammates, Laura Witt and Lauren DeMichele, are top contenders in all three distance events.
 
The Cardinals have a strong group of sprinters in Samantha Shea, Ciarra Franz, Zhane Lettsome, T'Aliyah Perkins and Michaela Kurbs, who will look to gain valuable points. Shea has the tenth best time nationally in the 400-meters and 24th best in the 60-meters, while Franz is inside the top-50 nationally in the 60-meter hurdles.
 
Kurbs and Veronica Duell enter the meet as the top two performers in the league in the long jump and both are in the top-10 nationally. Maria Covelli is St. John Fisher's top contender in the triple jump, while Emily Frech and Hayly Fredickson will look to score points in the pole vault. Makenna King will be a strong contender in both throwing events. She is seeded second in the shot put and fourth in the weight throw. Lyndsay O'Brien and Erin McGuinness will also look to score points in the throws. Alondra Arroyo is the defending E8 Champion in the pole vault.
 
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