Women's Track and Field | April 30, 2021

PHILADELPHIA – After last year's outdoor season was canceled due to the pandemic, the La Salle University women's track and field team will return to the Atlantic 10 Outdoor Track & Field Championships this weekend in Fairfax, Va. Both days of the meet will be streamed on ESPN+.

ATLANTIC 10 CHAMPIONSHIPS

• WHEN: Saturday, May 1 – Sunday, May 2
• WHERE: George Mason Stadium – Fairfax, Va.
• TIME: 10:30 a.m.

WHO TO WATCH

• Graduate student Grace Mancini has been crushing school records left and right this season as she returned to the track faster than ever after redshirting the 2020 indoor season. Mancini was named Atlantic 10 Performer of the Week twice this season and has done so three times in her career. She started the season by breaking the 3000-meter school record, later took down the 5000-meter record and more recently shattered her own record in the 3000-meter steeplechase.
• Mancini is the defending champion in the 5000 meters after taking gold at the 2019 championship. She also finished second in the 3000-meter steeplechase that season and was an NCAA Preliminary Championship qualifier in the steeplechase. In 2018, Mancini similarly took silver in the steeplechase and competed at the NCAA East Preliminary Championships in the event as well.
• Grace has surely had some influence on her three younger sisters, as each has blossomed into some of the more consistent runners in the Atlantic 10. Junior twins El Mancini and Liz Mancini will both race in the 5000 meters and 10,000 meters, while sophomore Christine Mancini will compete in the 1500 meters.
• Eleanor has been very impressive in the distance events this year and is coming off a third place showing at the A-10 Cross Country Championships in the fall. Last year, she had some strong performances in the 5000 meters and the 3000 meters at the A-10 indoor championship. This year, El leads the Atlantic 10 in the 10,000 meters (34:30.92 at Raleigh Relays) and is also third in the 5000 meters.
• Meanwhile, Christine has made strides this season in only her first outdoor competition with the Explorers after the season was canceled a year ago. She ranks second in the Atlantic 10 in the 1500 meters and also notably picked up a win in the 800 meters at the Philadelphia Big 5 Meet earlier this month.
• Sophomore Olabisi Adams will be making her first outdoor championship appearance, leading La Salle's field athletes. Adams enters the weekend ranked ninth in the long jump and she will also compete in the 200 meters.
• La Salle also had a bronze medal performance at the A-10 indoor championship last year in the 4x800 relay. Sophomore Sammie Miller, who will be racing in the 800 meters, was a part of that relay team, along with Christine Mancini.