May 15, 2008

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The Navy women's track & field team will send three of its own to the ECAC Championship at Princeton University this Friday and Saturday.

Two weeks ago in the Patriot League Championship in Annapolis, the Midshipmen struggled through several injuries and placed fifth out of eight teams.

However, Navy will look to bounce back and follow the efforts set forth at last year's ECAC Championship, where it placed ninth. Last year's finish was the highest by the Midshipmen since elevating to the Division I ranks in 1992.

Highlighting the cast of Midshipmen at this weekend's championship is Jacqui Charnigo (Sr./Medina, Va.), who will look to defend her ECAC title in the pole vault from one year ago. Two weeks ago in the league championship, Charnigo soared over the bar set at 12'3-1/2" (3.75 meters) to win the event and rank as her season-best performance.

Distance runners Erica Ziel (So./Saginaw, Mich.) and Amy Watson (So./Hampstead, Md.) will take to the track in the 5,000-meter and 10,000-meter events, respectively. Ziel won the 5,000-meter run in the league championship and boasted a time of 17:23.80 in the Star Meet at Army. Watson produced a 37:27.14 clocking on her home track in the 10,000-meter run in March and placed second in the league championship.

Following this weekend's championship, those that qualify will head down to Tallahassee, Fla., for the NCAA East Region Championship on May 30-31. Qualifiers from that meet will advance to the NCAA Championship in Des Moines, Iowa, on June 11-14.