Track and Field Athletes Make Strides at MAAC

is ‘attitude, intention, effort’,” Cannizzo said. “Going into the meet with attitude, intention, effort, I knew I could be positive.” ing of this accomplishment and how it came as a surprise to her.

Manhattan College’s women’s and men’s track and field teams have earned the spotlight for their performance at the MAAC with awards being granted to players and personal records broken.

The women’s team had some key performances in the long-distance running & shot put areas. Many of the athletes were able to surpass their previous records while sharpening their skills on the track.

Freshman distance runner Isabella Cannizzo qualified for the 3000m alongside Andria Scaglione and crossed the finish line 10 seconds faster than her previous personal record.

She credits the supportive mantra from her coaches as the guiding force behind her performance.

“A big theme that we’ve been working on all year that my coaches said so many times

Cannizzo also explained the ways she’s adjusted to collegiate athletic life and how she relies on the support from her teammates.

“I wasn’t really a serious runner before I came into Manhattan,” Cannizzo said. “It wasn’t really a priority “Coming off cross country this whole year, I’ve been taking everything more seriously and giving everything I have really to the sport. I had to adjust to college training, so I overcame that and just tried to stay positive and know I was improving because I was putting in the work.”

More notable achievements from the women’s team included shot put and weight thrower Kristen Stickdorn, earning a silver medal for most outstanding field performer at the meet. Stickdorn spoke about the feel-

“I didn’t expect that,” Stickdorn said. “I know I performed pretty well. It was an interesting competition. The girl before me threw pretty close to me. She had a personal record. And then I was like, ‘okay, she threw far, I have to throw farther.”

Stickdorn has competed in back-to-back competitions over the course of the season and spoke about the impact it has had on her. She highlights her love for competing and how she leans on her teammates for support.

“I was competing every weekend, but it’s really fun,” Stickdorn said. “I love competing. It can become a lot sometimes. It’s not only physically but mentally demanding. You really have to not beat yourself up if you’re having a bad day. You just need to keep it cool.”

Stickdorn’s current record for weight throw this season stands at 17.74m.

Manhattan College’s women’s and men’s track and field teams have earned the spotlight for their performance at the MAAC with awards being granted to players and personal records broken.

Freshman distance runner Nicole Kelch had some significant progress in the 4x800 relay. She spoke about the collective support she’s experienced from the team and how she admires the leadership within the team.

“The girls’ distance team has become a really strong team bonding-wise,” Kelch said. “We definitely have really strong leaders on the team. Everyone’s become really close and kinda developed the same goals.”

Kelch’s performance at the MAAC allowed her to set a record for her eighth best time with 10:48.76 minutes.

On the men’s side, senior sprinter Kaya Simpson was making waves in the hurdles and 60 meter dash.

Simpson took fourth place in both events earning the team four and five points respectively. He was .08 seconds away from a MC record in the hurdles with a finishing time of 6.85 seconds. Simpson currently holds the title for fifth fastest time for the 60 meter dash at the MAAC.

Being in his senior year, he spoke about the impact his running career has had on him and the growth he’s experienced both on and off the field.

GOJASPERS/ COURTESY

“Within the first year of running, myself now compared to last year, I’m much more of a runner. I’m more confident,” Simpson said. “I’m more eager to push the boundaries. I’m more eager to step up at the race.”

He also spoke about the development of the team as a whole and how they’ve progressed throughout the season. He also highlighted the impact his teammates have had on him and how they continuously uplift each other.

“I always tell my team don’t get sappy, but ‘you guys right here are my favorite team’,” Simpson said. “We might not be the number one spot but we’re always gonna make ourselves known and we’re always going to be that team that strikes and takes advantage of opportunities in front of us. We definitely have some heavy hitters hitting scores on our team and some people are gonna make some really big impacts in our season.”

Both the men’s and women’s teams have made significant gains throughout the season with all athletes echoing the sentiment of the hard work they put into their performances.