Quinnipiac track and field is seeking its first MAAC title in program history after joining the conference in 2013. The Bobcats have been runner-ups in the MAAC Outdoor Championships six times since joining the conference.
Quinnipiac’s outdoor team is made up of 42 athletes, competing across the board in various events. For most of the girls, the season spans from the indoor to the outdoor season. However, distance runners face the longest season.
“I think that’s something that is really unique to our sport because for distance runners it’s spanning through the course of cross country, indoor and outdoor track,” head coach Carolyn Martin said.
With this unique component, Martin assists her athletes, providing them with time off when appointed by the university to other students, including winter and spring breaks. These breaks give the Bobcats time to rest and come back, thriving on the culture they have built all season.
“Being there for one another is really important, we really tried to emphasize that at meets, and even in practice,” senior sprinter Rylie Smith said.
By supporting one another, the Bobcats foster strong connections and strengthen team morale, even with the new additions to this year’s squad.
Coming into this season, Quinnipiac saw the addition of nine freshmen, ranging from distance runners to sprinters and jumpers. And despite stepping onto the big stage, Quinnipiac’s team culture helped assimilate the younger Bobcats.
“All of them meshed in pretty naturally,” Smith said. “We had a really good group of freshmen this year. They’ve really added a really good piece to our team culture.”
Going into the outdoor season, Quinnipiac ranked No. 2 in the MAAC preseason poll, sitting behind Rider, a team that beat Quinnipiac in the Indoor MAAC Championships.
While the Bobcats fell short of the Broncs by seven points, they look to build on their success from the indoor season.
While walking away without the overall title, Quinnipiac found some success at the Indoor MAAC Championships, breaking records and winning nine events.
At the competition, Smith recorded a 54.32 400-meter dash, the fastest time for a Bobcat in nine years. Quinnipiac’s 4×400, ran by junior sprinter Sydeny Lavelle, junior sprinter Izzie Anzaldo and graduate student sprinter Alyssa Romagnoli, broke the MAAC record, recording 3:45.62.
“Our goal is to always be in the hunt,” Martin said. “To be in the title and to be in the rankings, and to continue to improve as a team as whole.”
And the Bobcats have been able to do just that each time they compete, with each athlete hitting personal records and pushing themselves to compete at the next level.
Opening up their outdoor season at the Raleigh Relays, many Bobcats recorded personal records and two program records were set.
Graduate student distance runner Alessandra Zaffina set the Quinnipiac record in the 3000-meter steeplechase, finishing with a time of 10:19.96. Freshman jumper Talia Graham set a program record for pole vault in her first outdoor competition, clearing 3.75 meters.
As the season progresses, Quinnipiac continues to eye its first MAAC title after sitting in the runner-up spot for four consecutive seasons.
“We’re all holding up the roof. You know the roof isn’t going to collapse if we’re all holding it,” Martin said. “And if one person lets go, that’s OK, because other people have got your back.”
