2016-17 Schedule |
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TROY, N.Y. - The 2016-17 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) women's track & field team will be led by a pair of seniors as
Maddie Dery and
Melinda Wilson have been named captains, head coach
Colin Tory has announced.
A distance runner, Dery (Mahopac, NY / Mahopac) has competed in the 1000 meters, 1500 meters, mile, 3000 meters, 5000 meters and 3000 steeple chase, along with relays, throughout her Rensselaer career.
In 11 events during the 2016 indoor season, she finished in the top 10 in every one and qualified for the NCAA Championship Meet in two. She was sixth in the nation - earning All-America - in the 3000 meters with a personal record time of 9:40.65 and was on the ninth place distance medley relay team that finished in 11:55.17.
Dery set a personal best (5:09.21) when winning the mile at Utica College and established a PR in the 1000 (3:04.30) when she was second at Middlebury College. The chemical engineering major was part of the DMR championship team at the New York State Championship Meet (11:59.89) and the runner-up in the 3000 meters at the Liberty League Meet (10:15.39).
During last year's outdoor season, Dery set personal bests of 4:41.39 in the 1500 meters, 17:02.44 in the 5000 and 10:55.88 in the steeple. She was the New York State champion (10:58.27) and Liberty League runner-up (10:55.88) in the 3000 steeple chase before competing in the NCAA Championship Meet in the 5000 meters, finishing 20th in Division III (18:41.56). It was her second straight nationals appearance, having competed in the steeple in 2015 (11:05.71).
Also a standout in cross country, Dery was captain of this year's team, which earned an at-large berth to the NCAA Championship Meet for the second straight season. She ran the 6K course in 22:18.0 and the team finished 18th in the nation.
Wilson (Nahant, MA / Swampscott) has competed in a number of events in both track and field. Last season she ran in the 200 meters and 4x200 and 4x400 relays while also throwing the shot put, javelin, discus and hammer.
During the indoor season, the mechanical engineering major helped the 4x200 team to a second place finish at the Liberty League Championship Meet (1:50.48) and the 4x400 to third (4:19.68). She also competed in the shot put, placing fifth with a distance of 10.71 meters.
Wilson went on to establish three personal bests in outdoor, reaching 11.25 meters in the shot, 39.49 meters in the discus and 46.09 meters in the hammer.
She was first in the discus at the Upstate Classic, where she set a PR, and second in the hammer at the Capital District Classic with her personal best. She was also runner-up in the hammer (43.88) and fourth in the discus (36.56) at the league meet. Wilson competed in all four events at the New York State Championship Meet, including her personal record effort in the shot put, before throwing the hammer and discus at the ECAC Championship.
Wilson, Dery and the rest of the Engineers begin the season on Saturday at Utica College. Rensselaer returns to Utica on January 14 before traveling to Ithaca College on January 21.
