WEST POINT, N.Y. (5/2/09)— Colgate University Senior Curry Knox (Seattle, Wash.) was named Female Track Athlete of the Year after a record-setting performance on the final day of competition at the Patriot League Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Championship at Army. The Raiders finished third overall with 94 points.
Knox who entered the day with the fastest times in three events didn’t disappoint as she walked away with a pair of titles and a second place finish.
Knox kicked off the day with a first-place showing in the 100-meter dash. She clocked in an NCAA regional qualifying time of 11.70. Her time was also a school record and .20 of a second faster than the Patriot League record of 11.90 set by Ebony Thomas of Army last season.
Knox then followed with a first-place finish in the 100-meter hurdles. She covered the 100-meter stretch of the track in a school record and ECAC qualifying time of 14.31. Her time was .22 faster than her previous school record of 14.53.
Knox was also the anchor leg of the 4x100-meter relay team that captured the Patriot League title, while smashing the school record. The squad of senior Ashley Mecone (Hopkinton, Mass.), sophomore Michele Miller (Silver Spring, Md.), junior Ashley Niness (Berwyn, Pa.), and Knox finished with an ECAC qualifying time of 47.14. The time was nearly one second faster than the previous record of 48.00 they set earlier this season.
Knox then finished her day with a school-record setting performance in the 200-meter dash. Knox finished second in the event with an ECAC qualifying time of 24.69. Miller finished third in the event with a time of 25.17.
Miller followed Knox with a Colgate record time in the 400-meter dash. Miller finished second overall while becoming the first Raider to snap 57 seconds, posting a time of 56.95. Miller was followed by senior Andrea Fugazot (Highland Mills, N.Y.) who finished fifth with a personal-best time of 58.31. Fugazot’s time is the sixth fastest in school history.
One day after winning the 10,000-meter title sophomore Julie Tarallo (Easton, Mass.) finished third in the 5,000-meter run with a personal-best time of 17:37.04. Tarallo’s time is also the second best in school-history.
Niness also took third in the 400-meter hurdles with personal-record time of 1:04.59. Her time is also the second-best in school history.
The Raiders 4x400-meter relay closed the track events with a time of 3:53.79, the second-place showing collected eight points for the team.
The field events were highlighted by junior Sarah Chabal (Hummelstown, Pa.) who leaped into second in the triple jump with a mark of 37’ 10.5”.
Head coach Laura Nardelli was named Patriot League Coach of the Year after a third place showing from a team that was picked to finish seventh overall in the preseason poll of coaches and sports information directors.
A selection of runners will continue the season next weekend at the ECAC Championship at Princeton University.