Six things you need to know about the 2023-24 Women's Track & Field team

ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The RIT women's track & field team starts its 2023-24 season on Friday (Dec. 1). Here are six things you need to know about this year's team.

LAST SEASON
Head coach David Warth returns for his 27th season after the Tigers finished sixth at the Liberty League Indoor Championships and placed fourth at the Liberty League Outdoor Championships. RIT also placed 37th at the Atlantic Region Indoor Championships, before finishing 32nd at the Atlantic Region Outdoor Championships last season.

FIELD EVENTS
A number of athletes who participate in field events return this season. Junior thrower Emily DiMarco returns for the Tigers after earning 19 top-ten finishes throughout last year's indoor and outdoor seasons. Graduate student Catherine Fox placed fifth in the pole vault finals of the Liberty League Indoor Championships, earning a spot in the Atlantic Regional Indoor Championships. Sophomore thrower Marinna Heichberger won the shot put final at the Liberty League Outdoor Championships.

DISTANCE
Several distance runners return for the Tigers. Graduate student Amelia Gilbert returns to the squad after finishing fifth in the 1,500 finals at the Liberty League Outdoor Championships. The distance medley team consisting of Gilbert, sophomores Abby Thomas and Abby Nautel, and junior Sierra Danieu all return after their second place finish at the Liberty League Indoor Championships.

SPRINTS & HURDLES
Multiple notable sprinters and hurdlers return to this year's squad. Junior sprinter Caroline Hill placed third in the 200 at the Liberty League Indoor Championships, qualifying for the Atlantic Regional Indoor Championships. The 4x400 relay team of sophomore Samantha Crisci, Nautel, Hill and senior Violet Ameele, placed third at the Liberty League Indoor Championships and all return this season.

NEW FACES
Last season's roster had 26 athletes compared to this season's 32 members of the team. There are 12 athletes joining the Tigers this season, including two juniors, one sophomore and nine first-years.

2023-24 SCHEDULE
The indoor season begins Friday at the Houghton December Classic. A week later (Dec. 8), the Tigers participate at the Nazareth Alumni Opener. After a holiday break, RIT competes at the Brockport Invitational (Jan. 20), before hosting the first of two Friday Meets at Gordon Field House (Jan. 26). On Feb. 2, the Tigers travel to the Brockport Multi and Invitational.

On Feb. 9, some Tigers will head to the Boston University Valentine Invitational, while the remaining competitors will partake in the second Friday Meet at RIT (Feb. 9). The Tigers will then compete in the Nazareth Conference Tune-Up (Feb. 16), followed by the Liberty League Championships (Feb. 23-24) hosted by Canton. The next week is the Atlantic Region Championships (Mar. 1-2), with the NCAA Division III Indoor Championships in Virginia Beach being held from Mar. 8-9.

The outdoor season begins with the Geneseo Early Invitational (Mar. 29-30), followed by the University of Rochester Invitational (Apr. 6). The next week, the some Tigers will travel to the Brockport Invitational (Apr. 12-13), while the remaining competitors will head to Pennsylvania for the Bison Outdoor Classic (Apr. 12-13).

The Tigers host the RIT Invitational the following Saturday (Apr. 20), before some athletes travel to the Penn Relays (Apr. 26-27), while the remaining will compete in the U of R Twilight (Apr. 26). The Liberty League Outdoor Championships hosted by RPI are May 3-4. The Last Chance Invitational takes place the following week (May 12), before the Atlantic Region Outdoor Championships (May 15-16). The season closes out with the NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships in Myrtle Beach, S.C. (May 23-25).