University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
Big East Indoor Track & Field Championship
UConn Ready to Challenge for BIG EAST Title
2/24/2022 11:18:00 AM | Women's Track and Field
BIG EAST CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL
WATCHÂ |Â LIVE RESULTS
STORRS, Conn. – The UConn track and field teams have arrived in Chicago and are set to challenge for the 2022 BIG EAST Indoor Championship this weekend at the Track & Field Center at Gately Park. The entirety of the meet will air on the BIG EAST Digital Network presented by SoFi on FloSports.
The UConn women have put together a strong indoor season where they opened with a win at the Harvard Beantown Challenge and grabbed third in a 23 team field at the Dr. Sander Columbia Challenge in their two scored meets. The Huskies have a blend of youth and talented experienced veterans as they head into this weekend looking to make some noise among the conference favorites.Â
Last spring, UConn made their return to the BIG EAST and took second at the outdoor championship. The Huskies have won four BIG EAST Championships in their history, two indoor and two outdoor. Their last indoor titles came in back-to-back seasons in 2008 and 2009.Â
The 2021 BIG EAST Championship was not held due to the covid-19 pandemic and prior to that Villanova took three-straight titles from 2018 through 2020.
"This indoor season, we have seen some great individual developmental and a real synergy between individuals and event groups evolving and just a whole team wide cohesiveness," stated Director of Cross Country and Track & Field Greg Roy. "Leaving Storrs on Wednesday, we have a real feeling of momentum as we head into this weekend. One thing to watch at this meet will be any head-to-head matchups with Villanova as they are the team to beat."
"We are healthy, we have had some great meets this season and we are excited and ready to go put a great effort together."
On the track, senior Mia Nahom (New Milford, Conn.) has twice broken her own school record in the mile this season. Nahom comes into the meet sitting at the top of the BIG EAST rankings and is ranked 20th in the NCAA. Her best performance came last time out, clocking a 4:35.27 at the BU Valentine Invite. She will be on the hunt for her first-ever gold at a conference meet in the mile having twice finished second at an AAC indoor title meet.
Freshman Chloe Thomas (Dundas, Ontario) will make her collegiate debut in a conference title meet and is ranked fourth coming into the weekend in the mile. Her best time came last time out as well, clocking a 4:40.74 at BU. Junior Randi Burr (Westerly, R.I.) owns the third fastest time in the 5,000 meters this season at 16:20.08, also at BU.
In the field events, UConn is at the top of the league rankings in four events heading into championship weekend. Junior Patricia Mroczkowski (Berlin, Conn.) has been at the top of the high jump ranking for much of the season and had her best height of the campaign at Columbia where she cleared 1.80 meters, a new PR. She comes in also ranked 26th in the national rankings. She won the bronze at last spring's outdoor championship.
In the long jump, senior Taylor Woods (Marlboro, Md.) opened the indoor season with her top leap of the season at 6.26 meters to sit at the top of the rankings. She is also 27th in the NCAA heading in. Woods was the BIG EAST champion in the long jump at last spring's title meet. In the triple jump, freshman Zayin Roe (Richmond, Va.) will compete at her first indoor title meet and is top-ranked. She had a leap of 12.17 meters at the Columbia meet at New York City's Armory.
Junior Emma Chee (Bainbridge Island, Wash.) has three wins in the pole vault this indoor season and is at No. 1 in the rankings with a best height of 4.11 meters, a new PR. She was the BIG EAST outdoor champion in the event last spring.
In the pentathlon, junior Emily Lavarnway (Ovid, N.Y.) had the best point total in the BIG EAST this indoor season, posting 3,971 points in her first time competing at the Columbia Challenge.Â
Senior Mikyla Rodgers (South Huntington, N.Y.) is second in the weight throw coming in and was twice named the BIG EAST Field Athlete of the Week this season. Her best throw, a new PR, came last time out at Rutgers at 19.81 meters. She had three wins in the event this season.
This will be the final opportunity for several Huskies to have a shot at qualifying for the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championship. After this weekend, the Huskies will have one meet left this indoor season, the 2021 ECAC Championship in Boston.Â
Players Mentioned
