Shauna-Kay Creary Named ECC Indoor Track & Field Athlete of the Year; McKenzie Coach of the Year
CENTRAL ISLIP, NY – Junior Shauna-Kay Creary of the University of the District of Columbia has been named East Coast Conference Indoor Track and Field Athlete of the Year while UDC head coach Alton McKenzie garnered ECC coach of the year honors.
Creary (Accounting – Kingston, Jamaica/St. Andrew HS), a two-time ECC Athlete of the Week, was a versatile performer, finishing in the top of the East Region in numerous events. She posted the top high jump with a mark of 1.68 meters, and also finished in the Top-Six in triple jump (11.59 m), long jump (5.77 m), and 60 meter dash (7.85 seconds). Creary's shining moment came in the ECC Championship meet, as she helped the Firebirds be crowned the first ever ECC Women's Indoor Track and Field Champions. Creary scored 42 points by herself over the course of five events, winning the high jump and long jump, coming in second in the triple jump and 200 meter dash, and third in the 60 meter dash. Her efforts earned the Most Outstanding Athlete of the ECC Women's Championship meet.
McKenzie, who began coaching at University of the District of Columbia in January 2011, has turned the Firebirds into a force in the East Region and throughout all of Division II. This year's team not only won the first ever ECC championship but finished ranked 8th in the East Region. McKenzie's squad also featured an NCAA Championships participant (Creary), seven NCAA provisional qualifiers, two All-Region athletes (Creary and freshman Simone Grant), six individual conference champions and two conference relay champions, 13 First Team All-ECC honorees, and five Second Team All-ECC honorees.
The Firebirds accomplished all this with just two seniors on the roster as 12 athletes on this year's historic team will return in 2013-14.
See the list of All-Conference finishers from the championship meet below. The top two finishers in each event were named First Team All-Conference, while the third and fourth place finishers earned Second Team All-Conference distinction.
2013 ECC Indoor Track and Field All-Conference Awards
Women's First Team
60m dash - Susan Lora, Georgian Court & Kaydian Jones, District of Columbia
200m dash - Kaydian Jones, District of Columbia & Shauna-Kay Creary, District of Columbia
400m run - Rochelle Nelson, District of Columbia & Jerily Benjamin, District of Columbia
500m run - Marlena Wright, District of Columbia & Kimoy Mais, District of Columbia
800m run - Julia Berkowicz, Roberts Wesleyan & Katherine Colon, Queens
1,000m run - Rachel Cannon, Roberts Wesleyan and Sloane Russ, Molloy
1 mile - Rachel Prutsman, Roberts Wesleyan & Caitlin Breen, Molloy
3,000m run - Indira Avila, Queens & Kim Mills, Roberts Wesleyan
5,000m run - Indira Avila, Queens & Hannah Taft, Roberts Wesleyan
60m hurdles - Chanel Rogers, Georgian Court & Stephanie Meyer, Molloy
4 x 200m relay – Callister Jones, Jerily Benjamin, Shemeia Barnes, Kaydian Jones - District of Columbia
4 x 400m relay – Marlena Wright, Jerily Benjamin, Rochelle Nelson, Simone Grant - District of Columbia
4 x 800m relay – Hanna Gaensler, Julia Berkowicz, Rachel Cannon, Rachel Prutsman - Roberts Wesleyan
Distance Medley Relay – Keeley Bateman, Gabriela Sloezen, Rebecca Fortoul, Meagan Jaskot - St. Thomas Aquinas
High Jump – Shauna-Kay Creary, District of Columbia & Katie Gallagher, Molloy
Pole Vault - Ashley Meyer, Queens & Catherine Hanson, Georgian Court
Long Jump – Shauna-Kay Creary, District of Columbia & Katie Gallagher, Molloy
Triple Jump - Simone Grant, District of Columbia & Shauna-Kay-Creary
Shot Put - Tiffany Okieme, Georgian Court & Alyssa Hudgins, Georgian Court
Weight Throw - Alyssa Hudgins, Georgian Court & Tiffany Okieme, Georgian Court
Second Team
60m dash – Shauna-Kay Creary, District of Columbia & Christa Roberts, Roberts Wesleyan
200m dash – Simone Grant, District of Columbia & Rochelle Nelson, District of Columbia
400m run – Callister Jones, District of Columbia & Gabriela Sloezen, St. Thomas Aquinas
500m run – Rebecca Laporte, Queens & Kayla Green, Georgian Court
800m run – Mary Hutchinson, Molloy & Brenna Darby, Molloy
1,000m run – Keeley Bateman, St. Thomas Aquinas & Isalin Howard, Georgian Court
1 mile – Cecelia Pfleging, St. Thomas Aquinas & Sarah Phelan, Roberts Wesleyan
3,000m run – Meagan Jaskot, St. Thomas Aquinas & Jordan Weir, Daemen
5,000m run – Jessica Eberhardt, Molloy & Laura Amdur, Georgian Court
60m hurdles – Lauren Calorel, Georgian Court & Ashley Andrews, Roberts Wesleyan
4 x 200m relay – Chanel Rogers, Moriah Jennings, Cassandra Lenkowski, Susan Lora - Georgian Court
4 x 400m relay – Cassandra Lenkowski, Kayla Green, Chanel Rogers, Jamie Hand - Georgian Court
4 x 800m relay – Sloane Russ, Mary Hutchinson, Brenna Darby, Caitlin Breen - Molloy
Distance Medley Relay – Hannah Gaensler, Chelsea Touchstone, Rachel Putman, Megan Hulton, - Roberts Wesleyan
High Jump – Lauren Calorel, Georgian Court & Mary Sancilio, Georgian Court
Pole Vault – Megan Cabasino, Queens
Long Jump – Stephanie Meyer, Molloy & Kaydian Jones, District of Columbia
Triple Jump – Stephanie Meyer, Molloy & Skyler Zawko, Roberts Wesleyan
Shot Put – Shelby Frank, Georgian Court & Diane Etienne, Queens
Weight Throw – Shelby Frank, Georgian Court & Diane Etienne, Queens