Centennial Conference Championship Central
LANCASTER, Pa. – The Franklin & Marshall women's track & field team is set to host the 2023 Centennial Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships this weekend inside the Alumni Sports & Fitness Center. Action gets underway Saturday and continues through Sunday. A complete schedule for the two-day championship is available on the conference's championship central website.
The F&M women placed fourth at the indoor championships last year and have a number of top seeded individuals who are in prime position to score big points again this weekend. Abby Lienhard looks to be a key contributor in numerous events as she comes in as the school record holder in the 60 meter dash and long jump. She is currently seeded second in the long jump and adds a No. 7 seed in the 200 meters where she is the second fastest individual in school history. Joining her in the sprints will be Hope Petralia in the 60 meter dash (second-fastest in school history) and Glory Edioma in the 60 meter hurdles (sixth-fastest in school history).
Sydney Dzenutis placed fourth in the 800 meters last year and enter that same event as the No. 5 seed, additionally holding the sixth-fastest time in school history. Teammate Emma Kline was fifth in the 800 last year and will run that event again where she holds the eighth-fastest time in school history. Another mid-distance runner who has excelled for the Diplomats is Alysse Danyi. Danyi currently owns the seventh-fastest time in school history for the mile.
Those individuals will surely be amongst the multiple Diplomats who compete in the relays as F&M enters the meet as the defending champions in the 4x800 relay. However, graduation losses to all four legs of that relay have left the chance for new Diplomat stars to emerge this weekend. F&M was also third in the 4x400 relay last season and will be running the 4x200 and distance medley relay as an unseeded group as the Diplomats are one of several schools contesting those events for the first time this season.
In the field events, Jillian Barger placed eighth last year in the weight throw, but enters this weekend as the No. 2 after unleashing the third-best throw in school history leading up the championship meet. Barger will additionally compete in the shot put where she is ranked 10th in school history.
The jumping events are highlighted by Allison Huelbig and Stephani Franks for the Diplomats. Franks is the No. 8 seed in the pole vault after placing sixth at the conference meet a season ago. She holds the second-best mark in school history entering this weekend. Huelbig holds top 10 seeds in both the high jump and triple jump, where she is ranked fifth and seventh all-time at Franklin & Marshall.
Live video and live results will be available throughout the weekend through the links at the top of the article. In addition to the team championship, individual accolades will be on the line as first and second-team All-Centennial Conference honors will be presented to the top two relays from each event, while first, second, and honorable mention All-CC accolades will be awarded to the top three finishers following each individual event.
Franklin & Marshall Top 10 Individual Seeds
60 Meter Hurdles
6. Glory Edioma (sixth in school history)
200 Meter
7. Abby Lienhard (second in school history)
800 Meter
5. Sydney Dzenutis (sixth school history)
Weight Throw
2. Jillian Barger (eighth last year, third in school history)
High Jump
9. Allison Huelbig (fifth in school history)
Pole Vault
8. Stephani Franks (sixth last year, second in school history)
Long Jump
2. Abby Lienhard (third last year, school record holder)
Triple Jump
10. Allison Huelbig (seventh in school)
