LANCASTER, Pa. – There are plenty of stars returning for the Franklin & Marshall women's track & field team as the current roster features an All-American, Centennial Conference Performer of the Year, conference champions, multiple all-conference selections, and numerous top 10 record holders in school history. Those Diplomats will have the first chance to put their talents on display this Friday when the team begins its season inside the Alumni Sports & Fitness Center.

Key Returners

Lauren Dunnigan earned Centennial Conference Outstanding Track Performer of the Meet accolades at the conference's indoor championship last year to follow up her rookie of the year honor from 2024. Now a junior, Dunnigan is the defending champion and school record holder in both the 60 meter dash and 60 meter hurdles. She is also second in school history in the 200 meter dash and has additionally been a contributor to the team's scoring efforts in the jumps throughout her career.

Annalise Kauffman had a remarkable run to the outdoor 800 meter individual title last spring as she was the top finisher in the heats before claiming the conference championship. Kauffman now enters her senior season with her name scattered throughout the middle distance record books. Teammate Jordyn Collie is another top 10 performer in school history during many of those same events.

Katie Scott and Tara Silverman begin their track & field season after all-conference and all-region honors during the recently concluded cross country season. Scott and Silverman are already two of the fastest 5,000 meter runners in school history. They are also ranked second and third, respectively, in the steeplechase when the transition to outdoor track & field occurs.

Amanda Imhauser and Hayden Adams are two of the most versatile athletes in the Centennial Conference. Adams enters her sophomore season after placing fourth in the pole vault, sixth in the 100 hurdles, and sixth in the high jump during last year's conference championships. She already owns the second-best pole vault in school history after her first season with the Diplomats. Imhauser starts her senior season ranked second in both the pentathlon and heptathlon in school history. Imhauser ranks as high as third in school history in the individual events with her long jump which placed her eighth at last year's Centennial Conference Championship.

Mackenzie Ward is the returning All-American as she placed 13th at the NCAA Division III Championships during her national debut. Ward was also the regional and conference champion in the javelin. However, the dual sport athlete will have to wait until the spring season to join the squad as she is currently in the midst of her basketball season during the winter months.

Schedule

Franklin & Marshall will host the Diplomat Invitational on Friday, December 5 before breaking for the semester. Both the Coach I Invitational (Jan. 24) and Mini Dip Invitational (Feb. 7) will be held inside the Alumni Sports & Fitness Center as well in preparation for the team hosting the 2026 Centennial Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships. A winter break trip to Virginia is another highlight of the indoor schedule which includes trips to Washington, D.C., Susquehanna, and Cornell.

Last Season

The Diplomats tied for fifth in the Centennial Conference team standings during the 2025 outdoor season after finishing sixth at the indoor championships on their home track. Coaches around the conference are one expecting a close finish in the preseason poll voting which has the Diplomats ranked seventh in the vote, but just eight points behind fourth-place Ursinus.