2005 season preview

January 14, 2005

NORTON, MA- Paul Souza has built a more impressive resume over a decade's time than most coaches aspire to build in a lifetime, as the 11-year head coach has guided the Wheaton College women's track and field program to an unprecedented eight indoor and outdoor national championships.

Souza has indeed enjoyed his fair share of success on Wheaton's campus, winning five successive indoor national crowns from 1999-2003 and three consecutive outdoor titles from 2001-2003 in addition to becoming the first NCAA Division III women's program to sweep the indoor and outdoor championships three straight years. Although accustomed to winning, one area that Souza hasn't had to devote a whole lot of time to is rebuilding.

"This year will be the first rebuilding year that the program has had to endure," attested Souza. "There are some question marks that need answered, but what is exciting is that this year's incoming class is one of the most talented freshman classes we've had in a long time. The talent is there but the experience is not, so we have to be certain we place our athletes in big-meet situations. Anxiety level affects performance, so we will once again compete in a predominantly Division I schedule in order to prepare for the national meets."

In addition to possessing a young team, one which features 14 of its 23 members having freshman or sophomore year eligibility, the personnel of the program has changed. Accustomed to being a dominant sprint team that helped lead the Lyons to a runner-up finish at last year's indoor national championship and third-place mark at the outdoor event, Wheaton will now rely on its field events and distance running to carry the bulk of this year's team success.

Souza is encouraged and remains optimistic by what he has seen thus far. "This is one of the hardest working groups we've ever had here," stated the recently-named Team USA Assistant Manager for the 2005 World University Games. "We've seen some great attitudes and practices have been tremendous. We just need to translate the work ethic and attitude at practice into performance at meets."

Easier said than done of course, but Souza is confident his upperclassmen and their leadership can set the tone for the younger people and prepare them as best as possible for the national meets. Focusing all his attention on this year's national championships, Souza is also not so fast to remove his team from the pool of contenders. "Our team is small, but there are several quality people," added Souza. "Everyone will have to believe in themselves, but our yearly goal is to win national championships and we have an opportunity to do that. It won't be traditional for us, as we're really going to have to dig and scratch for every point we can get."

Joined by six-year assistant coaches Paul Carr, who led the Wheaton women's cross country team to its first New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Championship last fall, Al Bashian and Jeff Robbins, who will once again provide their expertise to the team's throwers and vaulters, respectively, Souza also welcomes two new additions to his staff. Top assistant Marc Mangiacotti, who served as the assistant coach for the University of Houston the past three seasons, should provide a wealth of knowledge to the program after working under legendary head coach Leroy Burrell. He will primarily focus on sprints, hurdles and relays. Kim Spence '04, former All-America performer in the 800-meter run and 400-meter hurdles, will assist with the distance runners.

In addition to its six coaches, Wheaton will rely on veteran leadership from its quartet of captains in seniors Jessica Allegra (East Hampton, CT/East Hampton), Kirsten Larsen (Hampden, MA/Minnechaug Regional) and Kathrine Wallace (Glenmoore, PA/The Hill School) and junior Kendra Leith (Holden, MA/Wachusett Regional).

Allegra and Wallace return to the captain role for the second consecutive time after a pair of successful seasons. Allegra is an All-America sprinter in both the 4x100-meter and 4x400-meter relays, while Wallace garnered All-America honors in the high jump as a sophomore. Allegra will compete in the 400M dash and 4x400M relay, while Wallace will also be a part of the 4x400M relay in addition to resuming her role in the high jump. Larsen, an All-America javelin thrower, and Leith, who will look to qualify for nationals in the 5,000-meter run and distance medley relay, round out Wheaton's captains.

Other athletes expected to make an immediate impact are senior Erin O'Brien (North Easton, MA/Oliver Ames), junior Noelle Battista (Warwick, RI/Toll Gate), sophomores Jennifer Harlow (East Bridgewater, MA/East Bridgewater) and Katelyn Teixeira (Seekonk, MA/Seekonk) and freshmen Christy Bell (Phoenixville, PA/Phoenixville), Megan Brousseau (Attleboro, MA/Attleboro), Julie McLane (New Canaan, CT/New Canaan), Cassandra Migani (Brooklyn, CT/Norwich Free Academy), Chelsea Nader (Ardmore, PA/Lower Menan), Marie Swieta (West Monroe, NY/Altmar-Parish-Williamstown) and Joell Whitley (Magnolia, NJ/Triton Regional).

O'Brien hopes to make a return to the national meet in the 1,500-meter run and as part of the distance medley relay team, while Battista and Harlow will look to return to their national prominences in the pole vault and high jump, respectively. Harlow also hopes to qualify for the outdoor meet in the hurdles, while Teixeira, Bell and Migani will look to join Larsen on the national stage in the javelin.

As for the other five first-year athletes, Brousseau, who became Wheaton's first All-America female cross country runner since 1986 in the fall, will compete in the 5,000-meter run and distance medley relay. McLane, a transfer from the University of Connecticut and New England high school champion in the 300-meter hurdles, hopes to make contributions in the hurdles events and 4x400M relay. Nader will also run in the 4x400M relay and the open 400, while Swieta is set to compete in the high jump and Whitley in the long and triple jumps as well as the 4x400-meter relay.

The emergence of sophomore Katelyn Gannon (Shrewsbury, MA/Shrewsbury) in the high jump should bolster the Wheaton jumps, joining classmate Crystal Blamy (Walpole, NH/Fall Mountain Regional), who earned All-America honors in the high as a freshman. Senior Lindsay Whalen (Dedham, MA/Dedham) has also greatly improved in the 5,000-meter run and should be a key player in the distance medley relay.

Rounding out the returning core are senior pole vaulter Marcie Howard (Ascutney, VT/Windsor), junior distance runner Christina Langevin (Wilbraham, MA/Minnechaug Regional) and sophomore vaulter Stephanie Cummings (Princeton, MA/Worcester Academy).

Completing the group of newcomers are first-year distance runners Jessie Buonaccorsi (Shutesbury, MA/Amherst Regional) and Mary Ostrander (San Diego, CA/Francis Parker).

This page is maintained by Scott Dietz. Last updated on 1/30/07.
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Upcoming Schedule

10-Jan Dartmouth Relays 9:00am
15-Jan Sorlien Invitational 12:00pm
23-Jan Wheaton Invitational 9:00am