Cougars Open Outdoor Track and Field Season in Myrtle Beach

Friday, March 10

Myrtle Beach, S.C.

College of Charleston

Myrtle Beach Collegiate Challenge - Day 1

Cougars Open Outdoor Track and Field Season in Myrtle Beach

3/9/2023 12:32:00 PM | Women's Track & Field

Event Schedule Meet Program with Heat Sheets Live Results

CHARLESTON, S.C. – College of Charleston opens its 2023 outdoor track and field season Friday and Saturday at the Myrtle Beach Collegiate Challenge at Doug Shaw Memorial Stadium.

The meet is the first of six for the Cougars during the outdoor season, culminating with the CAA Championships in early May in Williamsburg, Va.

Sprints/Hurdles
Kaitlynn Bailey will compete in all three sprints and is in the top 10 in school history in each one. She enters her third outdoor campaign ranked third in the 100 (12.33), tied for sixth in the 200 (25.28) and sixth in the 400 (57.46).

Kayla Porter joins Bailey in the 100 and 200 while Kirsten McKenna is entered in the 200 and 400. Alexandra Ottomanelli will run the 400 and 400 hurdles, and Sophia Cucinotta and Abby Alberts are also in the field for the 400.

Emily Kreek, Abby Fush and Tonet Tallie are slated to appear in the 100 hurdles. The Cougars will field teams in the 4x200, 4x400 and 4x800 relays.

Mid-Distance/Distance
Record book members Rhian Purves, Emily Dorony, Sophia Brown and Shannon Smith will look to improve their times and move up in school history over the weekend. Purves, Dorony and Brown are in the record book in two events entering the outdoor campaign.

Purves is third in the 800 (2:14.13) and 1500 (4:33.33), Dorony is sixth in the 800 (2:16.07) and mile (5:10.44) and Brown is ninth in the 1500 (4:43.51) and eighth in the mile (5:16.06). Smith is ranked ninth in the mile (5:17.13).

Purves will run the 800, Dorony competes in the 800 and 1500, Brown is in the 3000 and Smith is in the field for the 1500. Also in the field for the 800 and 1500 are Isabel Muhleman and Abbey Arnett, Andie Harding will run the 800, and Allie Pujol and Reagan Wells race in the 3000.

Field Events
CAA indoor champion and school record holder Luzy Lieger leads the way in the pole vault. Lieger won the inaugural CAA title last month, and her mark of 4.00m (13'1 ½") is the top outdoor jump in Cougar history.

Tallie also scored at the indoor championships by tying for fourth place and is tied for second in the outdoor record book at 3.80m (12'5 ½"). Kathryn Shubert is also entered in the pole vault competition.

In addition to running the 100 hurdles, Kreek will compete in the long jump and shot put. The freshman enjoyed an outstanding indoor season highlighted by her eighth-place finish in the pentathlon with 3100 points, the fifth most in school history. Kreek had a season-best long indoor long jump of 5.29m (17'4 ¼") to place ninth in the Charleston record book.

Emma Fortuna moved into ninth in the indoor record book in the high jump at 1.54m (5'0 ½) during the CAA Championships and will compete in that event this week. Fush and Catie O'Neill are also in the long jump, and Avery Jackson will throw the shot put.