June 27, 2006

PHILADELPHIA - Senior captains Andria Smythe and Thuy Nguyen anchored a record-setting indoor campaign for the Saint Joseph's University women's track team in 2006, before injuries curtailed a promising outdoor season for the Crimson and Gray. Overall SJU witnessed seven school marks fall during the year and the Hawks matched their best-ever finish at the Atlantic 10 indoor championships during the program's 25th season of competition.

Smythe and Nguyen were the team's catalysts as each captured All-Conference honors on the indoor oval before missing the entire outdoor season. Smythe started the indoor season strong opening with a first place finish in the 60m at the Fordham Invitational with an ECAC qualifying time of 7.65. Smythe teamed up with Jordan Teuber, Valerie Ramirez and Kristin Gold to set a new SJU record in the 4x200 with a 1:43.53 time and third place finish at the Penn State Relays. Smythe continued to earn top finishes in the 60m as well as the long jump and triple jump as the season moved towards the Atlantic 10 championships.

Several others also emerged as the season progressed including Ramirez and junior Julie Lentz. Ramirez, in addition to her relay exploits, also set new school marks in both the 55m (8.60) and 60m (9.08) hurdles. Lentz, meanwhile continued to emerge as a threat in the long sprints, setting a new SJU mark in the 400 meter (57.11).

At A-10s, the Crimson and Gray rolled up 83 points to finish third and equal their previous best performance at the meet. The Crimson and Gray scored in all but one event in which they entered led by Smythe who accounted for 21 points competing in four events. She took first in the long jump (19-01.25), earning First Team All-Atlantic 10 honors, placed fourth in the triple jump (37-03.00) and third in the 55m (7.10). Nguyen reclaimed the A-10 crown at 800 meters that she previously won in 2004, narrowly missing a meet record with a time of 2:13.59.

Earning second team All-Conference accolades were freshman high jumper Natalie Miller with a leap of 5-5 and the 4x400 relay of Lauren Wallace, Teuber, Amanda Guthridge and Lentz with a time of 3:54.98.

SJU followed up A-10's with an impressive performance at the NYU Fast Track meet, as SJU met ECAC qualifying standards in four different events, including junior Suzie McHenry who reached qualification in her final try of the season with a season-best time of 9:56.57 in the 3000 meter..

Unfortunately, the ECAC championships at the Reggie Lewis Center in Boston proved to be a prelude to the spring season. Smythe pulled up lame in the 60 meter dash semifinals leaving her unable to finish or to compete in the long jump where she was one of the top qualifiers. The remainder of the Hawks contingent, including Nguyen, Lentz, McHenry and the 4x400 ran well, but did not score.

Injuries which began to emerge late in the indoor season, left the Hawks without a full complement of athletes in the spring as Smythe's injury would force her out all season and Nguyen would also be absent. Several other key performers would also be lost as the season progressed.

With the absence of so many experienced runners many underclassmen gained the opportunity to compete against top competition. Among those who showed promise were Lauren Fike, who set a school record in the 400 meter hurdles (1:03.97), along with Miller and Lauren Slack in the jumps.

In addition to the youngsters, Ramirez continued to develop as a sprinter and eclipsed her own record in the 100 meter hurdles (15.04). Senior Lynn Puzzo also had a strong season breaking her own SJU mark in the javelin and capping the year with a school-best heave of 128-6 at the independent Penn Javelin Meet.

It proved to be a tale of two seasons for Saint Joseph's on the oval in 2006. When healthy during the indoor portion of the slate, the squad was capable of turning in program-best performances. Injuries, however, conspired to hinder the Hawks from matching their those efforts outdoors.