Women's Track 25th Anniversary Team Announced

CENTER VALLEY, Pa. – The Patriot League Women's Track and Field 25th Anniversary Team was announced on Friday with 10 different schools placing at least one student-athlete on the 25-member squad, led by Bucknell with five honorees.

The team members are listed below by school, with seasons indicating the years of competition within the Patriot League. Each school that participates in women's track and field selected 25 players in the voting for the 25th Anniversary Team, and could not vote for its own student-athletes.

American: Keira Carlstrom (2003-06); Samia Akbar (2002-03)
Army West Point: Tiffany Martin (2002-05); Ebony Thomas (2006-09); Sara Fields (2001-04); Yolanda McCray (1995-98)
Boston University: Allison Barwise (2014); Gemma Acheampong (2014-15); Rosa Moriello (2014-15)
Bucknell: Tameka Hinton (1992-95); Amy Mantush (2007-10); Melanie Buczko (2004-07); Maria Garcia (2001-04); Marjorie Grap (2004-07)
Colgate: Elise DeRoo (2009-12)
Holy Cross: Stephanie Okpoebo (2011-14)
Lafayette: Kristen Kalinowski (2005-08); Joelle Nelson (2009-12)
Lehigh: Justina Barone (2000-03); Brooke Astor (2011-14)
Navy: Jess Palacio (2009-12); Tiniesha Davis (2002-05); Kirsten Andrews (2004-07); Joanna Helm (1998-01)
Fordham: Lauren Gubicza (1991-93)

Twenty-two of the Anniversary Team members won at least one Athlete of the Meet award at a Patriot League Championship, with 17 of those earning the honor at least twice. The group has combined for 48 Athlete of the Meet awards at the League Championships, as well as 202 individual titles in the indoor and outdoor events.

American's Keira Carlstrom and Samia Akbar, Boston University's Rosa Moriello, Colgate's Elise DeRoo, Navy's Jess Palacio and Fordham's Lauren Gubicza made the 25th Anniversary Team for track and field after also making the squad for cross country announced last week.

The Patriot League is releasing 25th Anniversary Teams throughout the month of August for each sport that has been sponsored by the League since it became an all-sport conference beginning in the 1990-91 season. In addition to the 25th Anniversary Teams, coverage throughout the 2015-16 season will focus on former student-athletes and top stories in the history of the Patriot League.

More information on the Patriot League Women's Track and Field 25th Anniversary Team members is included below, with the honorees listed alphabetically. All seasons listed designate the player's years of competition within the Patriot League.

Patriot League Women's Track and Field 25th Anniversary Team

Gemma Acheampong, Boston University (2014-15) – Acheampong had an outstanding two seasons in the Patriot League, and a senior year where she won both the Indoor and Outdoor Track Athlete of the Meet award in 2015. She was a five-time individual event winner in her two seasons with a pair of titles in the outdoor 100-meter and one in the indoor and outdoor 200-meter and indoor 60-meter. She holds meet record times in the outdoor 100-meter and 200-meter and indoor 60-meter.

Samia Akbar, American (2002-03) – Akbar had an impressive two seasons in the Patriot League that included an Outdoor All-America honor when she finished in ninth place in the 10,000-meter run at the NCAA Championship in 2003. She also won the Patriot League Indoor Track Athlete of the Meet award that season, and won the League title in the 5,000-meter run twice in the outdoor season and once in indoor competition to go along with a victory in the indoor mile.

Kirsten Andrews, Navy (2004-07) – Andrews had a standout career that finished in fine fashion as she was named the Patriot League Field Athlete of the Meet for both the Indoor and Outdoor Championship as a senior in 2007. Andrews won 10 individual League titles, with six coming in the hurdles as she took first place three times in the outdoor 100-meter, twice in the indoor 60-meters and once in the indoor 55-meters. In addition to her success in the hurdles, Andrews won the long jump and pole vault once each at both the Indoor and Outdoor Championship. She was selected as the Patriot League Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year for 2006-07.

Brooke Astor, Lehigh (2011-14) – Astor was an accomplished multi-event competitor who was named the Patriot League Indoor Field Athlete of the Meet in both 2013 and 2014. She won the indoor pentathlon in her final three seasons and took the top spot in the outdoor heptathlon in both 2012 and 2013. Astor won the outdoor 100-meter hurdles and indoor 60-meter hurdles in her career.

Justina Barone, Lehigh (2000-03) – Barone has the rare distinction of winning individual awards in both the track and the field. She earned the Patriot League Indoor Field Athlete of the Meet honor in both 2001 and 2003, and claimed the Patriot League Outdoor Track Athlete of the Meet award consecutively in 2002 and 2003. She won nine individual titles at League Championships, including three in the indoor pentathlon, two in the outdoor 100-meter hurdles and 400-meter hurdles and one each in the indoor 55-meter hurdles and high jump.

Allison Barwise, Boston University (2014) – Barwise made the most of her lone season in the Patriot League as she was named the Outdoor Field Athlete of the Meet in 2014 while setting League championship records in winning both the high jump and heptathlon. Barwise went on to compete in the high jump at the NCAA Outdoor Championship and came in sixth place to earn All-America honors. She also was named the Patriot League Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year for 2013-14.

Melanie Buczko, Bucknell (2004-07) – Buczko was perhaps the best pole vaulter in League history. She won the event three times at the Indoor Championship and twice at the Outdoor Championship, and holds the meet record for both the indoor and outdoor event. She also competed in the pole vault at the NCAA Outdoor Championship in 2005 and Indoor Championship in 2004, finishing in the top 15 both times.

Keira Carlstrom, American (2003-06) – Carlstrom was one of the top distance runners in Patriot League history. She was named Track Athlete of the Meet at the Patriot League Outdoor Championship in 2004 and Indoor Championship in 2005, and earned 11 individual League titles in her career that included three outdoor 1,500-meter races and three indoor 3,000-meter runs. She also won a pair of titles in the indoor mile and one each in the outdoor 800-meter and 5,000-meter and the indoor 1,000-meter. Carlstrom also succeeded on a national level as she earned Outdoor All-America honors in 2006 by placing ninth in the 5,000-meter run at the NCAA Championship.

Tiniesha Davis, Navy (2002-05) – Davis won the Patriot League Indoor Track Athlete of the Meet award in 2004 and the Outdoor Track Athlete of the Meet honor in 2005 in a career that also included 10 individual titles at League Championships. She won the outdoor 400-meter race four times and also won six indoor titles with three in the 500-meter, two in the 200-meter and another in the 400-meter. She holds League Championship meet records in the indoor 400-meter and 500-meter and outdoor 400-meter.

Elise DeRoo, Colgate (2009-12) – DeRoo was a five-time individual champion at the Patriot League Championships as a specialist in distance races. Her best season came as a sophomore in 2010 when she won the 3,000-meter and 5,000-meter race at the Patriot League Indoor Championship and 5,000-meter and 10,000-meter at the Outdoor Championship. DeRoo added a title in the indoor 1,000-meter the next year. She also excelled in the classroom and was named the Patriot League Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year for both 2010-11 and 2011-12.

Sara Fields, Army West Point (2001-04) – Fields was an outstanding thrower who won the Patriot League Field Athlete of the Meet award at the 2002 Outdoor Championship and 2004 Indoor Championship. She finished with six individual League titles, including four in the shot put (two outdoor/two indoor) and two more in the outdoor discus.

Maria Garcia, Bucknell (2001-04) – Garcia dominated the hammer throw in her four seasons in the Patriot League, winning the event at the Outdoor Championship each time and setting the meet record as a senior in 2004. She won the Outdoor Field Athlete of the Meet that season, and also competed in the event at the NCAA Championship with a top-20 finish.

Marjorie Grap, Bucknell (2004-07) – Grap had a stellar career that included the Patriot League Field Athlete of the Meet award at both the 2005 Outdoor Championship and 2006 Indoor Championship. She won nine individual League titles in her career, including three in both the indoor weight throw and outdoor discus. Grap also won indoor and outdoor titles in the shot put and another in the outdoor hammer throw.

Lauren Gubicza, Fordham (1991-93) – In just three seasons of competition, Gubicza is the all-time Patriot League leader in Athlete of the Meet awards (six), All-America honors (three) and individual titles at League Championships (17). She won the Patriot League Athlete of the Meet award at each of her six competitions in her career, doing so three times at both the Indoor and Outdoor Championship from 1991-93. Gubicza finished in the top seven in three different NCAA Championship races to earn All-America honors, coming in third place in the 3,000-meter run at the 1993 Outdoor Championship, fifth in the mile at the 1992 Indoor Championship and seventh in the 3,000-meter at the 1993 Indoor Championship. Her individual titles at Patriot League Championships included seven events she won multiple times: three in the outdoor 1,500-meter and two apiece in the outdoor 800-meter, 3,000-meter and 5,000-meter and indoor 1,000-meter, mile and 5,000-meter. She also won both the 400-meter and 800-meter at the Indoor Championship, and holds meet records in the outdoor 1,500-meter and 3,000-meter as well as the indoor 5,000-meter.

Joanna Helm, Navy (1998-01) – Helm had a standout junior season where she was named the Patriot League Track Athlete of the Meet at both the Indoor and Outdoor Championship. All five of her individual League titles came that year with wins in the pentathlon, 500-meter and 55-meter hurdles at the indoor competition and 100-meter hurdles and 400-meter hurdles at the outdoor meet.

Tameka Hinton, Bucknell (1992-95) – Hinton is among the top athletes in the history of Patriot League women's track and field with three athlete of the meet honors and 16 individual titles at League Championships. She was named Patriot League Indoor Track Athlete of the Meet in both 1994 and 1995, and added an Outdoor Track Athlete of the Meet award in 1995. She won three different events in all four of her seasons in competition, doing so in the indoor 55-meter and 200-meter as well as the outdoor 100-meter. Hinton was also a two-time winner in the outdoor 200-meter, and had a title in the shot put in both the indoor and outdoor competitions.

Kristen Kalinowski, Lafayette (2005-08) – Kalinowski won the Patriot League Field Athlete of the Meet award for both the indoor and outdoor competition as a senior in 2008. She won four of her five individual League titles that year, repeating in the heptathlon and taking the high jump in the outdoor event while winning the high jump and pentathlon at the Indoor Championship.

Amy Mantush, Bucknell (2007-10) – Mantush excelled in the jumping events and won the Field Athlete of the Meet award at the 2009 Patriot League Outdoor Championship and the 2010 Indoor Championship. She won seven individual events in her career including four in the high jump (two outdoor/two indoor) to go with wins in the outdoor triple jump and long jump and indoor pentathlon.

Tiffany Martin, Army West Point (2002-05) – Martin captured the Patriot League Indoor Field Athlete of the Meet award in 2005 to cap a career that included 12 individual titles at League championships. She was a five-time winner of the long jump (three outdoor/two indoor) and also excelled with seven titles on the track including a pair in both the outdoor 100-meter and indoor 55-meter.

Yolanda McCray, Army West Point (1995-98) – McCray finished with 11 individual titles at Patriot League Championships, and also won the Outdoor Athlete of the Meet award to conclude her career in 1998. Nine of her titles came in the hurdles, as McCray was a four-time winner of the outdoor 100-meter hurdles, three-time winner of the indoor 55-meter hurdles and a winner of the outdoor 400-meter hurdles. She also won two outdoor titles in the 100-meter and another in the long jump, and won all four of the aforementioned outdoor events to cap her career in 1998.

Rosa Moriello, Boston University (2014-15) – Moriello won five individual titles in her two seasons in the Patriot League, with a pair in both the outdoor 5,000-meter and indoor 3,000-meter and another in the outdoor 1,500-meter. She earned All-America honors at the 2014 NCAA Outdoor Championship with an 18th-place finish in the 5,000-meter run.

Stephanie Okpoebo, Holy Cross (2011-14) – Okpoebo was a standout sprinter who won 13 individual Patriot League titles in her career as well as a pair of Track Athlete of the Meet honors, for the outdoor meet in 2013 and indoor competition in 2014. At the outdoor championship Okpoebo won the 200-meter in all four of her seasons and the 100-meter three times, while in the indoor competition she won both the 60-meter and 200-meter races three times.

Joelle Nelson, Lafayette (2009-12) – Nelson capped her career in impressive fashion as she earned the Patriot League Field Athlete of the Meet award for both the Indoor and Outdoor Championship as a senior in 2012. She won five individual titles in the long jump and triple jump, winning both events at the Indoor and Outdoor Championship in 2012 after taking the title in the outdoor triple jump the previous year.

Jess Palacio, Navy (2009-12) – Palacio had an accomplished career that included winning the Patriot League Track Athlete of the Meet award at three straight Outdoor Championships from 2010-12 and also at the Indoor Championship in 2011. She was a nine-time event winner at League Championships, with three victories in both the outdoor 800-meter and 1,500-meter, two in the indoor mile and another in the indoor 800-meter. Palacio also competed at the 2012 NCAA Indoor Championship where she finished 16th in the mile to earn All-America status.

Ebony Thomas, Army West Point (2006-09) – Thomas had a dominant junior season that saw her win the Patriot League Track Athlete of the Meet at both the Indoor and Outdoor Championship in 2008. She won nine individual titles at the League Championships, including four in the 200-meter (two outdoor/two indoor), two in the indoor 60-meter and both outdoor and indoor titles in the 400-meter.

Army West Point Athletics

Women's Track 25th Anniversary Team Announced

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