Season Review: Two All-Americans highlight season
SALISBURY, Md. - The Salisbury University men's and women's track and field team added to the allure of the program as they finished the 2007 season with 18 Capital Athletic Conference champions, 31 All-CAC performers, four qualifiers for the NCAA Division III national championships and two All-Americans.

"This is by far the best year we’ve had during my tenure," said SU coach Jim Jones, who just completed his seventh season. "We are an awfully young team and are very excited about our team next year."

The men captured their fourth consecutive CAC title and ninth overall with a dominating performance at the conference championships held at SU. Salisbury totaled 263.33 points to place them head over heals above second place York (Pa.) College who finished with 154.66.

"We've established a tradition to be a first-class program. We always set our goals to win the CAC championship and getting qualifiers for nationals is icing on the cake," said Jones.

The women came within seconds of dethroning the University of Mary Washington for the CAC crown, who has won every title since the championships began in 1994, as they fell a mere four points shy of the conference championship to finish as runner-up for the seventh straight year.

"I am very proud of our women," said Jones. "This is the closest we've ever come to beating a very good Mary Washington program. But what sticks out in my mind is rebounding two weeks later to win the Mason-Dixon Outdoor Championship [the first-ever championship in the history of the SU women's team]."

Salisbury had four student-athletes qualify for the NCAA Division III national championship as Kelly Sullivan, Bobby Price, Victoria Lawson and Delannie Spriggs each advanced to Oshkosh, Wis.

Spriggs and Lawson made history as they became the first male-female duo to earn All-American honors in the same season. Spriggs was the only freshman to compete in the finals of the 100 meter dash as he placed sixth with a time of 10.88. Lawson finished sixth in the 400 meter dash as she broke her own school record with a time of 55.89.

"Both of them [Spriggs and Lawson] came to the team late because of other obligations," said Jones. "Every week they got better and improved. It all came together at the right time for them."

Spriggs also set the school record in the 100 meters at The College of New Jersey Last Chance Meet with a time of 10.57.

Sullivan and Price finished 16th and 18th in the 3,000 meter steeplechase and high jump, respectively. Sullivan overcame adversity to run a time of 11:18.98 at nationals, nearly half a minute off her school record time of 10:48.89 set at the Swarthmore Last Chance Meet. Price successfully cleared just less than six feet, three inches (6-2.75) at the championships. He set a school record of 6-7.5 at the Mason-Dixon Outdoor Championships hosted at SU.

"It was a great experience for them [Price and Sullivan]," said Jones. "They were very disappointed. I know how they finished at the national meet but they have that experience and will hopefully be able to use that to their advantage next year."

In addition to the national qualifiers, Salisbury had 31 All-CAC performers, highlighted by a clean sweep of the men’s end of the season awards. Jones earned his fourth consecutive Coach of the Year award, Samuel Singleton, the CAC champion in the 200 and 400 meter race, was named Athlete of the Year and Quentin Briscoe, the CAC champion in the triple jump and 110 meter hurdles, was Rookie of the Year.

Lawson picked up Rookie of the Year honors on the women's side as she was champion of the 200 and 400 meter dash. She set a new CAC championship record in the 400 meter dash with a time of 58.38. Lawson also holds the school record in the 200 meters with a time of 26.10 set at the Maryland Terrapins Invitational.

The women also had two relay teams break school records as the 4x100 meter relay team of Ashleigh MacIntosh, Alicia Canzanese, Rachel Knapstein and Lawson set the bar at 49.29 and the 4x400 meter relay team of Canzanese, Casey McInerny, Jenn Bulger and Lawson set the school mark at the Mason-Dixon Outdoor Championships with a time of 4:02.07. Knapstein also set the school-record in the pole vault as she cleared 10-6 at the Emory Invitational. The men's 4x100 relay team broke a 12-year-old school record with a time of 41.63 at The College of New Jersey Last Chance Meet.

Looking Ahead to Next Year
The expectations for both the men's and women's teams will be very high. The Sea Gulls only lose two student-athletes to graduation as they welcome back all 31 of their All-CAC performers.

"Our goal is to win the CAC title in both the men's and women's field," said Jones. "We would also like to get more people qualified for nationals."

Short sprints won't be an issue with either the men's or women's team as Lawson will spearhead the women’s attack and the team of Singleton and Spriggs will lead the men. The distance runs will be just as potent for Salisbury as the Sullivan twin sisters (Glenna and Kelly) return, along with McInerny and Zuzka O'Zwoldike.

Eric Graves will return as the top distance runner for Salisbury after he won the 1,500 meter race and finished second in the 5,000 meter run at the CAC championships.

"I think we have a lot of talent waiting in the wings," said Jones. "We look forward to putting in the time and effort in the off-season."

Meet of the Year
Men: Capital Athletic Conference Championships (April 21, 2007 at SU)
The men ran away from the competition as they won their fourth straight CAC title. Salisbury's outstanding performance led to a clean sweep of the end of the year conference awards. SU had 10 first-place finishers.

Women: Mason-Dixon Outdoor Championships (May 4-5, 2007 at SU)
The women rebounded after finishing second at the CAC championship to win the program's first-ever championship. The Sea Gulls beat one of the top programs in the country in Christopher Newport University. 

MVPs
Men: Tri-MVPs: Quentin Briscoe, Eric Graves and Bobby Price
Women: Jenn Bulger