Page 18 - Summer 2015 FF

athletics at umf By Dustin Parker

UMF Launches

Varsity Outdoor

Track and Field

Program

Julie Davis, director of athletcs, ftness, and
recreaton, has announced the additon of
men's and women's outdoor track and feld
to UMF’s varsity sports oferings, efectve for
the 2015–16 academic year. The sport has Bob Bailie
been growing as a club program the past few
years and the outdoor program will transiton
into a varsity NCAA DIII program efectve Fall
2015. Olympian Joan Benoit Samuelson

The acton is the result of a collaboratve Endorses New Track and Field Team
proposal that relied heavily on student
leadership with support from the director Joan Benoit Samuelson, Olympic long-distance runner and
of athletcs. Careful study of partcipaton UMF’s 2015 Commencement speaker, led members of the UMF
rates and UMF inquiries were assessed community and new track and feld team on a morning run before
and factored into the decision, as was the the Commencement ceremony. Later, she congratulated the new
opportunity to practce and fnd appropriate varsity track and feld team in her Commencement address. “To the
competton. 70 students who have partcipated in the Track and Field Club—
congratulatons,” said Benoit Samuelson. “I applaud you for your
Davis explained, "I have always felt this perseverance and for following your hearts and passion despite the
sport would be a good ft for UMF's mission lack of a formal program. With your can-do attudes, I’m certain
and profle. The tming is right, with great that your hard work will lead to many opportunites.” From lef:
student leadership, momentum in the club, Sean Cabaniss ‘17, Joan Benoit Samuelson and Jaycee Jenckes ’17.
growth in our conference and a contnued
partnership with Mt. Blue High School. The
student leaders, Sean Cabaniss ’17 and Cabaniss, from Vassalboro, is president of the UMF track and feld
Joshua Wynne ’16, put in countless hours to
create the club opportunity for others with club, a member of the UMF Student-Athlete Advisory Commitee
(SAAC), and plays on the UMF baseball team. Wynne said, "I am
the goal of the program becoming varsity for
future partcipants." so excited to hear the announcement! I believe by UMF making
outdoor track and feld varsity, it will increase the partcipaton in
both sports and make a positve impact on campus." Wynne, from
“The additon of outdoor track and feld is Saco, is a runner on the UMF cross country team and club leader
an incredible step forward for both athletcs
and the campus at large,” Cabaniss said. and partcipant. According to Davis, expanding the program, with
this sport specifcally, will add positvely to the equaton of student
“Both Joshua Wynne and I are ecstatc that
we were able to start this program less than leadership and performance across campus and in the community.
“We are thrilled to be able to extend our opportunites and give
three years ago and see it grow to this level.
We can't wait to see how it will progress and talented prospects one more reason to choose UMF,” she said.
bring positve changes to the University.”

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