Season in Review

Jun 10, 2006

MEADVILLE, Pa. – The Gators showed their depth and all-around excellence this season on their way to winning the program’s eighth indoor and twelfth outdoor NCAC Championship. The team had nine NCAA Division III Championship provisional qualifying performances from four athletes in four different event areas, and at outdoor nationals captured its twenty-third All-America performance from Emily Pfeufer. The team also finished both the indoor and outdoor seasons ranked first in the region and in the top 25 overall in the national power rankings, while coach Bill Ross was named the indoor and outdoor NCAC and Mideast Region Coach of the Year.

At indoor conferences, the Gators scored 148 points on the way to their second straight win. Thirteen different athletes captured All-NCAC distinction in twelve events. Pfeufer was the lone event champion, winning the triple jump with a school record-tying and conference record-setting 37-2 effort on her way to being named Field Event Athlete of the Meet. Sarah Sammel would extend the indoor season, making the field at the NCAA Division III Championships. She qualified with a school-record vault of 11-5.75 before tying for 11th place.

“Our women were not the favorites going into the conference championships,” noted Ross. “We exceeded expectations in winning the conference championship. The women rallied to pull that victory off.”

At outdoor NCACs the Gators were even more dominant, scoring 211 points, 73 clear of second place Ohio Wesleyan on the way to their seventh win in eight years. Pfeufer again led the way, earning Field Event Athlete of the Meet honors after placing first in three events and scoring in three others. Elizabeth Earley was a two-time champion, while Scarlett Graham and Sammel would each win one event. In all, the Gators won seven events, with 10 different athletes earning all-league status in 15 events.

“I really did not expect us to score over 200 points, so the women once again exceeded expectations in not only winning but scoring as many points as they did,” commented the head coach.

Pfeufer would provisionally qualify for Nationals in the heptathlon (4,173) and triple jump (38-4.5), Earley in the hammer (166-2), Graham in the 1,500 (4:37.94), and Sammel in pole vault (11-9.75). Pfeufer’s triple jump, along with Earley and Sammel’s school record marks in the hammer and pole vault, respectively, were enough to make the elite field. Sammel went on to place 18th in the pole vault on day one before Earley would take 10th in the hammer on day two. Pfeufer rounded out the competition with a 7th place All-America effort in the triple jump, becoming the program’s 14th All-American overall and first in the event.

“To have four athletes meet a qualifying standard is a big plus for our program,” said Ross. “It was nice for Emily to have the kind of year that she did, culminating with her All-America honor, because she worked extremely hard to achieve that. As a coach it is very satisfying to see that. She really put in a lot of effort, turning herself into an All-Conference performer to an All-America performer.”

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