Inaugural CAA Indoor Track & Field Championships on the Horizon
Inaugural CAA Indoor Track & Field Championships on the Horizon
CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL | LIVE RESULTS | MEN’S HEAT SHEET | WOMEN’S HEAT SHEET
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (Feb. 21, 2023)
– The 2023 CAA Men’s and Women’s Indoor Track and Field Championships are set to take place Wednesday, February 22 and Thursday, February 23 from the Virginia Beach Sports Complex.
It marks the inaugural indoor track and field championships for the CAA, which begin on Wednesday at 9 a.m. with the men’s weight throw and heptathlon 60m dash. Day one will see field event champions crowned in the men’s weight throw, pentathlon (9:10 a.m.), women’s pole vault (11:30 a.m.), men’s long jump (11:30 a.m.), women’s weight throw (12:30 p.m.), women’s long jump (2:30 p.m.) and men’s pole vault (4 p.m.).
Running prelims start at 12:30 p.m., with the last four events of the day – women’s 5000m (5:50 p.m.), men’s 5000m (6:10 p.m.), women’s distance medley relay (6:30 p.m.) and men’s distance medley relay (6:45 p.m.) – awarding points and medals as finals.
Championship Thursday begins at 9:00 a.m. as the Heptathlon resumes with the 60m hurdles. Field events begin at 10 a.m. with the men’s shot put, women’s high jump and men’s triple, while the gun goes off at 12 p.m. for the running event finals, beginning with the women’s mile.
Women
The women’s field is composed of 12 teams – Charleston, Delaware, Elon, Hampton, Hofstra, Monmouth, North Carolina A&T, UNCW, Northeastern, Stony Brook, Towson and William & Mary – battling to become the first CAA Indoor Track and Field Champions.
Elon is the back-to-back CAA Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Champion and is coming off its fourth straight CAA Cross Country Title this fall. Piper Jons has posted top-five marks in the 200 (24.32) and 400m (55.34) sprints, while Madison George is tied for the league’s top clearance in the pole vault (3.91m). Also, be on the lookout for the Phoenix distance runners, who always show up on the biggest stage.
A pair of CAA newcomers on the women’s side won their respective conference championship meets a year ago and will be among the contenders to raise the team trophy this season.
North Carolina A&T won the Big South Indoor Track and Field Championship in 2022, and the Aggies are loaded with talent again. N.C. A&T holds the conference’s top marks in six events entering the championship. Jada Griffin maintains the number one spot in the 200 (23.88) and 400m (53.03), while Ayoola Gbolade has the top mark in the 800m (2:06.86). In addition, All-American Paula Salmon has the top time in the 60m hurdles (8.19). Her personal record (7.83) in the event is the fifth-fastest time in college history.
Monmouth was crowned the team champion at the 2022 MAAC Indoor Track and Field conference meet, marking the seventh time in the past eight seasons the Hawks won the team title. Ashley Navarro owns the top time in the mile (4:46.55) and ranks second in the 800m (2:07.14). Additionally, she was a member of Monmouth’s distance medley relay team, which established the league’s top mark in the event this season (11:34.49).
Hampton is another newcomer to keep your eye on in the team race. The Lady Pirates have top-five marks in 11 events, including multiple student-athletes in the top five of three events. Amira Aduma has the fastest time in the 60m (7.42) dash this winter and ranks second in the 200m (24.11) and long jump (6.03m).
Northeastern is one of four teams to collected a CAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in the past five years and will be among the contenders as we head indoors. The Huskies own the top marks in four events as Dominique Biron ranks first in the pentathlon (4,113 pts) and high jump (1.77m), while Gianna Rao tops the performance list in the weight throw (21.03m), and Abigail Hassman has the time to beat in the 5000m (16:17.59).
Men
The men’s field is made up of seven teams – Hampton, Hofstra, Monmouth, North Carolina A&T, Northeastern, Stony Brook and William & Mary – looking to stamp their names in the record books.
North Carolina A&T was the runner-up at the 2022 NCAA Indoor National Championships. The Aggies will look to cement their claim in the CAA during the inaugural championship. N.C. A&T has the top times in six events this season, including the top three times in the 200m and the top two in the 400m. Shemar Chambers is ranked first in the 200m (20.96), and Reheem Hayles has the fastest time in the 400m (45.95). Hayles is ranked ninth in the NCAA in the event, joined by his teammate Jason Holmes in the national ranks, who is eighth in the 60m hurdles with the league’s top time of 7.68.
Northeastern has been dominant in men’s outdoor track and field, winning seven straight CAA Championships, the longest stretch in league history. The Huskies hold the top marks in three events, headlined by Ethan Exilhomme, who has three top-five marks. Exilhomme ranks first in the 60m (6.72), second in the 60m hurdles (7.71) and fourth in the 200m (21.53). Additionally, Reed Cherry leads the conference in 800m (1:47.84), and Benjamin Godish posted the league’s top time in the 3000m (7:52.03).
Monmouth won its fourth consecutive MAAC Indoor Track and Field Championship last winter, and the Hawks were a perennial power in the MAAC over the past decade. Monmouth has the league’s top time in the distance medley relay and ranks first or second in six of the seven field events. Mujeeb Ali ranks first in the weight throw (19.04m), Ahmed Brock holds the top mark in the triple jump (14.49m), Keven Kevelier tops the charts in the high jump (2.05m), and Dalton Yeust is the league leader in the pole vault (4.92m).
To stay up to date with what is happening at the 2023 CAA Indoor Track and Field Championships, be sure to follow the CAA on Twitter (@CAASports), Instagram (@caasports) and join the conversation using the hashtag #CAAChamps. For live results, recaps, and more, visit http://www.caasports.com/indoor.
Follow the Colonial Athletic Association on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to get up-to-date information and learn more about all CAA member institutions and their teams.