May 1, 2009

POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. - The 2009 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships will be held this Saturday and Sunday at Rider University. Coming off a spring season filled with outstanding individual efforts on the men's and women's sides, Marist is hoping those strong performances carry over to this weekend.

The Red Foxes will start off on Saturday in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and 10,000-meter run. Brittany Burns (Watertown, N.Y.) is the women's top seed in the steeplechase, and Kathryn Sheehan (Wading River, N.Y.) will run in the 10K. Nick Webster (Latham, N.Y.) will compete in the steeplechase, and then will run the 5K on Sunday. Timothy Keegan (Huntington, N.Y.) is embracing the challenge of running the 10K on Saturday, followed by the 5K on Sunday. Keegan is an IC4A qualifier in the 10K.

On Sunday, pole vaulters Justine Colabraro (Chatham, N.J.) and Max Carow (Fanwood, N.J.) will look to add to their school record-holding performances. Carow enters the championship as the second seed.

On the men's side, Michael Cocca (Suffield, Conn.) is going to be in three events -- the 100, 200 and 400 relay. Colin Frederickson (Albany, N.Y.) will run the 400 and take a leg of the 1,600 relay, and IC4A qualifier William Griffin (Columbia, Conn.) will run the 1,500.

For the women, Jen McNamara (North Attleboro, Mass.) will try her hand at the 100, 200 and 4 X 100 hurdles. Holly Burns (Stafford Springs, Conn.) is slated to run in the 200 and 400, while Addie DiFrancesco (Waterbury, Conn.) is in the 5K. Jillian Corley (London, N.H.) and Julie Hudak (Pearl River, N.Y.) will be counted on in the middle-distance races.