For the fourth consecutive year, heartbreak struck Quinnipiac women’s indoor track and field at the 2024 MAAC Championship as the Bobcats fell to Rider, 179.5-153 — marking their third-highest total since moving to the MAAC in 2014.
“We’ve been in the hunt since before COVID hit,” head coach Carolyn Martin said. “That first indoor season we lost by half a point (2020). Before that, we just didn’t know if we could be a team that could take a title. Monmouth was so stacked in every event. We didn’t have all the events covered as much, and I think they saw us coming.”
Despite finishing No. 2 in the MAAC, the Bobcats earned six gold medals, strengthened by senior sprinter Rylie Smith, who claimed three in the women’s 200m, 400m and 4×400 relay, earning her the meet’s Most Outstanding Track Performer.
Quinnipiac picked up another honor at the championship for sophomore middle distance runner Ashlynn Witt as the MAAC Track Rookie of the Meet. The Princeton, Massachusetts native finished second in the women’s 800m and the 4x800m relay.
“Now that (Witt’s) a sophomore she has more of a leadership role,” junior sprinter, hurdler and jumper Sydney Lavelle said. “She’s got two freshmen underneath her that she’s going to be leading through the 800m so I think not only is she going to do well, but she can help bring up those freshmen as well.”
Searching for their first MAAC title, the Bobcats remain determined to reach the top of the mountain. With Sacred Heart and Merrimack joining the conference, it could benefit the Bobcats in the throwing events spreading the points away from the Broncs, who dominated the shot put last season.
“Sacred Heart has everything covered,” Martin said. “They have huge teams, and they tend to be a team that develops kids well. Merrimack, they’re newly Division I. I think they’re still coming into it. They do have a really good program too. So, I think it should be interesting to see where some of the points are going.”
Quinnipiac returns its gold medal-winning 4x400m relay team of Smith, Lavelle, junior sprinter Izzie Anzaldo and graduate student sprinter Alyssa Romangnoli to try and repeat as champs.
“We’re set up to do pretty good this year,” Smith said. “I think that we are on track to do pretty good at MAACs this year in the four by four.”
In two out of the three meets that the 4×400 relay competed this season — Yale and UMass — they haven’t missed a beat placing No. 2 in each, falling to Rhode Island and Yale by a combined 1.43 seconds.
“Our sprints coach Joe (Van Gilder) does a great job of trying to really develop all of our 400 kids,” Martin said. “Alyssa and Riley are huge factors in that relay, and they’re now senior upperclassmen leading this team. So, it’s exciting to see them kind of take charge of the relay.”
This season, Smith and Romagnoli have added individual accomplishment to their 4×400 success by putting top times at the nationally competitive Dr. Sanders Invite hosted by Columbia on Jan. 24-25. In the 400m, Smith — who earned MAAC Indoor Track Athlete of the Week — posted a time of 55.98 while Romagnoli clocked in the 800m at 2:15.34, both standing as the top two in the conference.
This wasn’t the only instance in the indoor season as freshman jumper Talia Graham matched sophomore jumper Olivia DeBellis’ 3.60m from the MAAC Championship in the 2024 Yale Season Opener.
Graham is one of nine freshmen who have tall aspirations, striving to make an impact on the squad. Freshman jumper Lauren Fadario — No. 2 in the triple jump at Yale and Columbia — and freshman middle distance Claire O’Sullivan — No. 3 in 4x800m and No. 5 in 800 at UMass — both followed Graham, earning top five results to further show the potential of the freshman class.
“All the freshmen have been doing a really good job,” Smith said. “This year, I feel like it’s a lot better than a lot of other years with freshmen coming in like they seem very confident in what they’re doing, and the coaches have done a good job of supporting them as well.”
The Bobcats have three more invitationals starting with the Terrier Invitational on Jan. 31 before they strive to get over the hump for their first conference championship on Feb. 22-23 at The Armory in Manhattan, New York.
