Posted: Jan 19, 2016

Fraga, McCarthy, Palmquist named captains for women's track and field

Chrissy Fraga, Erin McCarthy, and Aubrey Palmquist have been selected captains for the 2016 Salve Regina women's track and field team. (Original photos by Jen McGuinness)

NEWPORT, R.I. - Salve Regina University head coach Matt Hird has named three captains for his 2016 women's track and field team - seniors Chrissy Fraga (Milford, Mass.), Erin McCarthy (Walpole, Mass.), and Aubrey Palmquist (Bristol, Conn.).

"In Aubrey, Erin and Chrissy, the women's track and field team has chosen three outstanding teammates to lead them during the upcoming season," says Hird. "With the distinctly different competition areas of distance running, throwing and sprinting/hurdling, often training in different locations, team unity can be difficult to achieve. Our new captains are well equipped to handle these challenges."

"These three bring inspiring individual person commitment to their team. Aubrey is the school record holder in the 3000m steeplechase and the grueling 10,000m and has bounced back repeatedly from knee surgery and other debilitating injuries with fire, determination, and a drive to compete. Chrissy is also a record holder, establishing the school mark in the heptathlon, a demanding seven event mix of throwing, jumping, sprinting, hurdling and distance running spread out over two days. Erin has been a mainstay among the sprinters over the last three years competing at a top level in all of the sprints and the horizontal jumps. Erin also, along with Chrissy, owns a part of the team 4x100m relay record."

"While these individual examples of performances alone would be enough to qualify them as captains, these three have shown consistent caring and concern for their teammates, constantly encouraging, motivating, and congratulating their sisters."

"Erin, Chrissy and Aubrey are also strivers in the classroom as they are all senior nursing classmates. Balancing practices with the significant time demands of a difficult major like nursing requires dedication and commitment and they handle those requirements with the same success they show in competition, Aubrey and Chrissy both being members of the nursing honor society."

"The coaching staff is really looking forward to working with these great, enjoyable young women."

Salve Regina's first competition is April 2 at the Corsair Classic hosted by UMass Dartmouth.