2019 Women's Outdoor Track & Field Season Recap

2019 Women's Outdoor Track & Field Season Recap

Powered by a national championship winning performance by senior Dilys Osei in the 400m hurdles, the Emory University women's track and field program secured its second consecutive top-seven finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, a first-ever feat for the program.

The national championship by Osei marked the second-ever outdoor track title in team history and the first since Sarah Byrd won the steeplechase in 2002. Osei captured gold with an incredible finish down the home stretch as she edged out Bella Solis of Loras College by just .04 seconds. Osei's winning mark of 58.98 was the second fastest winning time ever at the national meet and the third fastest time recorded in Division III history.

In addition to Osei, the Eagles earned All-America honors in four different events including individual performances by senior Dani Bland and junior Isabel Saridakis. Bland posted her second straight national runner-up finish in the 100m dash while Saridakis became the first-ever Emory All-American in the pole vault as she finished in fifth.

In the 4x100m relay, Osei, Bland along with sophomore Rebekah Bondi and freshman Hannah Lansberry nearly captured the team's first relay national championship, holding a slight edge in the race before being overtaken by Loras and RIC during the final few meters. The team still registered a third place finish in the event, second-best in program history, with a school record time of 46.37.

The Eagles rounded out the All-America honors with the team's third podium finish in the past four seasons in the 4x400m relay as Osei, Lansberry, senior Ariana Newhouse and sophomore Michelle Rosenblum came in eighth place.

The All-America honors gave Bland and Osei 12 and 10, respectively, in their impressive track careers, which mark the first and second highest totals in team history.

A month earlier, the Eagles turned in their third straight third place finish at the UAA Outdoor Championships as Emory served as the host institution for the meet. The Eagles, as a team, saw five event championships and 12 All-UAA finishes.

Bland claimed her second consecutive outdoor, and third combined, Most Outstanding Track Performer of the Year award as she won a pair of individual titles in the 100m and 200m dashes and was part of both the 4x100m and 4x400m relays that won gold.

Osei added an individual conference title in the 400m hurdles and assisted Bland on both relay championships. Joining Bland and Osei on the 4x100m relay title team was Bondi and Rosenblum and on the 4x400m relay squad was Rosenblum and Lansberry.

Also reaching the podium at the conference meet was Bondi (100m dash), Lansberry (400m dash), Osei (100m hurdles), sophomore Taylor Robinson (javlin), Saridakis (pole vault), senior Paris Wagner (hammer) and sophomore Laura Sheckter (shot put).

Interim Head Coach Derek Nelson and 11 Eagles were recognized by the USTFCCCA at season's end as the team finished as the highest ranked program in the South/Southeast All-Region rankings. Nelson was chosen as the region's Coach of the Year while the team saw 21 All-Region selections spread out over the 11 student-athletes.

Rounding out the seasonal honors for the Eagles were Bland and Newhouse as the duo collected Academic All-District honors as presented by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). In addition, both student-athletes were chosen as Academic All-American by the organization, becoming the 12th and 13th members in program history to be bestowed with the award.


The Eagles earned the following honors during the 2019 season:

NCAA Division III National Champion

Dilys Osei

Monroe, GA (George Walton Academy)

400m Hurdles

 

All-America (Top-8 Finisher at NCAA Division III Championships)

Dani Bland

Mountville, PA (Hempfield)

100m Dash (2nd), 4x100m Relay (3rd)

Rebekah Bondi

Collegeville, PA (Perkiomen Valley)

4x100m Relay (3rd)

Hannah Lansberry

Andover, MA (Andover)

4x100m Relay (3rd), 4x400m Relay (8th)

Ariana Newhouse

Indianapolis, IN (Perry Meridian)

4x400m Relay (8th)

Dilys Osei

Monroe, GA (George Walton Academy)

400m Hurdles (1st), 4x100m Relay (3rd), 4x400m Relay (8th)

Michelle Rosenblum

Katonah, NY (Somers)

4x400m Relay (8th)

Isabel Saridakis

Richfield, OH (Walsh Jesuit)

Pole Vault (5th)

 

NCAA Division III Championship Participant

Dani Bland

Mountville, PA (Hempfield)

100m Dash (2nd), 4x100m Relay (3rd), 200m Dash (9th)

Rebekah Bondi

Collegeville, PA (Perkiomen Valley)

4x100m Relay (3rd), 60m Dash (11th)

Hannah Lansberry

Andover, MA (Andover)

4x100m Relay (3rd), 4x400m Relay (8th)

Ariana Newhouse

Indianapolis, IN (Perry Meridian)

4x400m Relay (8th)

Dilys Osei

Monroe, GA (George Walton Academy)

400m Hurdles (1st), 4x100m Relay (3rd), 4x400m Relay (8th)

Michelle Rosenblum

Katonah, NY (Somers)

4x400m Relay (8th)

Isabel Saridakis

Richfield, OH (Walsh Jesuit)

Pole Vault (5th)

 

South/Southeast Regional Coach of the Year (USTFCCCA)

Derek Nelson

1st Season

 

USTFCCCA South/Southeast All-Region (Top 5 in Respective Event)

Dani Bland

Mountville, PA (Hempfield)

100m Dash, 200m Dash, 4x100m Relay, 4x400m Relay

Rebekah Bondi

Collegeville, PA (Perkiomen Valley)

100m Dash, 4x100m Relay

Hannah Lansberry

Andover, MA (Andover)

400m Dash, 4x100m Relay, 4x400m Relay

Nyla Lindo

Plantation, FL (Pinecrest School)

Long Jump

Susannah Martin

Westport, CT (Staples)

10,000m Run

Carrie McIntyre

Houston, TX (AWTY International School)

10,000m Run

Ariana Newhouse

Indianapolis, IN (Perry Meridian)

4x400m Relay

Kayla O'Shea

Marietta, GA (Lassiter)

800m Run, 1500m Run

Dilys Osei

Monroe, GA (George Walton Academy)

100m Hurdles, 400m Hurdles, 4x100m Relay, 4x400m Relay

Isabel Saridakis

Richfield, OH (Walsh Jesuit)

Pole Vault

Paris Wagner

Traverse City, MI (Traverse City West)

Hammer

 

University Athletic Association Most Outstanding Performer

Dani Bland

Mountville, PA (Hempfield)

Running Events

 

UAA Champion

Dani Bland

Mountville, PA (Hempfield)

100m Dash, 200m Dash, 4x100m Relay, 4x400m Relay

Rebekah Bondi

Collegeville, PA (Perkiomen Valley)

4x100m Relay

Hannah Lansberry

Andover, MA (Andover)

4x400m Relay

Dilys Osei

Monroe, GA (George Walton Academy)

400m Hurdles, 4x100m Relay, 4x400m Relay

Michelle Rosenblum

Katonah, NY (Somers)

4x100m Relay, 4x400m Relay

 

All-UAA (Top-3 Finisher at UAA Championships)

Dani Bland

Mountville, PA (Hempfield)

100m Dash (1st), 200m Dash (1st), 4x100m Relay (1st), 4x400m Relay (1st)

Rebekah Bondi

Collegeville, PA (Perkiomen Valley)

4x100m Relay (1st), 100m Dash (2nd)

Hannah Lansberry

Andover, MA (Andover)

4x400m Relay (1st), 400m Dash (2nd)

Dilys Osei

Monroe, GA (George Walton Academy)

400m Hurdles (1st), 4x100m Relay (1st), 4x400m Relay (1st), 100m Hurdles (3rd)

Taylor Robinson

Seymour, CT (Seymour)

Javelin (3rd)

Michelle Rosenblum

Katonah, NY (Somers)

4x100m Relay (1st), 4x400m Relay (1st)

Isabel Saridakis

Richfield, OH (Walsh Jesuit)

Pole Vault (2nd)

Laura Sheckter

Manhattan Beach, CA (Mira Costa)

Shot Put (3rd)

Paris Wagner

Traverse City, MI (Traverse City West)

Hammer (2nd)

 

CoSIDA Academic All-District Team

Dani Bland

Mountville, PA (Hempfield)

Ariana Newhouse

Indianapolis, IN (Perry Meridian)

 

CoSIDA Academic All-America Team

Ariana Newhouse

Indianapolis, IN (Perry Meridian)

First Team

Dani Bland

Mountville, PA (Hempfield)

Second Team

 

UAA Athletes of the Week

Dani Bland

Mountville, PA (Hempfield)

March 25th, April 15th

Isabel Saridakis

Richfield, OH (Walsh Jesuit)

March 25th

Dilys Osei

Monroe, GA (George Walton Academy)

May 28th

             

 

The following were the top marks by Emory athletes during the 2019 season:

100m Dash

Dani Bland

11.71

NCAA DIII Championships

200m Dash

Dani Bland

24.60

Berry Field Day Invitational

400m Dash

Hannah Lansberry

57.96

UAA Championships

800m Run

Kayla O'Shea

2:17.97

UAA Championships

1500m Run

Kayla O'Shea

4:42.12

Tiger Track Classic

3000m Run

Paige Lesslauer

10:39.96

Tiger Track Classic

5000m Run

Carrie McIntyre

17:46.75

Tiger Track Classic

10000m Run

Susannah Martin

37:51.99

Emory Invitational

100m Hurdles

Dilys Osei

14.78

UAA Championships

400m Hurdles

Dilys Osei

58.98*

NCAA DIII Championships

3000m Steeplechase

Ileana Zeissner

12:45.36

Emory Classic

High Jump

Jordan Small

1.59m

UAA Championships

Pole Vault

Isabel Saridakis

3.90m*

NCAA DIII Championships

Long Jump

Nyla Lindo

5.58m

Emory Classic

Triple Jump

Nyla Lindo

11.04m

UAA Championships

Shot Put

Greta Wilker

12.25m

Emory Invitational

Discus

Paris Wagner

37.46m

Berry Field Day Invitational

Hammer

Paris Wagner

49.63m

Berry Field Day Invitational

Javelin

Taylor Robinson

38.45m

Emory Classic

4x100m Relay

Dilys Osei, Dani Bland, Hannah Lansberry, Rebekah Bondi

46.37*

NCAA DIII Championships

4x400m Relay

Hannah Lansberry, Dani Bland, Ariana Newhouse, Dilys Osei

3:49.01

NCAA DIII Championships

4x800m Relay

Paige Lesslauer, Ileana Zeissner, Carrie McIntyre, Zoe Friedman

9:50.35

UAA Championships

* - Indicates Emory record