For the first time in its young history Suffolk women’s indoor track & field had a conference championship to chase with the inaugural GNAC Indoor Track & Field Championship highlighting the team's 2019-20 schedule.
Emily Manfra was the main story line for the Rams indoor squad and it started from the get go as the senior long distance runner was ranked in the Preseason USTFCCCA index along with her co-captain Emma Weisse, a first for the Suffolk program.
Throughout the meets leading up to GNACs on February 16 Manfra made headlines by qualifying for regionals in four events: 800, mile, 3K and 5K. She anchored a group, which included Weisse (3K), Mariama Kamara (60M Dash) and Allison Rodrigues (shot put) who also punched their tickets to New Englands.
With spots at regionals sealed for a quartet, the Rams converged at Boston University’s Indoor Track & Field and Tennis Center for GNACS.
Once again Manfra led the way as the most decorated Suffolk student-athlete with two individual crowns in the 800 and mile, respectively. Overall four student-athletes grabbed conference crowns to help the Rams finish as the inaugural runner-ups.
From there all sights were on regionals where Kamara, Manfra, Rodrigues and Weisse headed to Middlebury, Vermont.
Manfra headlined the group with a second-place showing in the mile to garner all-region honors from the New England Coaches Association and the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
The squad's year was done after New Englands as Manfra earned her spot at nationals for the second straight season.
She headed to Winston Salem, North Carolina with the fourth-best time in the mile across DIII. On the eve of preliminaries, a world-wide pandemic, COVID-19, cut the campaign three days too short as the NCAA cancelled all championships.
Even without running, Manfra was recognized as a USTFCCCA All-American behind her qualification to the big race.
THROUGH THE LENS
PRESEASON PREDICTIONS
Senior co-captains Emily Manfra and Emma Weisse continue to make Suffolk history as the indoor track & field pair appears in the preseason USTFCAAA Rankings in multiple events.
Manfra made the list three times in the mile, 3000 and 5000 with her classmate joining her in the national ranks in the 3000.
gnac TRACK ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Emily Manfra picked up the inaugural GNAC Track Athlete of the Year honor after another record-setting season.
The senior long-distance runner captured a pair of GNAC individual crowns and went on to garner two all-region nods from the New England Coaches Association and USTFCCCA, respectively.
Manfra earned a spot at NCAA Division III National Championships for the second time in as many years, but missed her shot at running due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She entered the field with the fourth-best time across DIII in the mile.
Throughout the season, Manfra garnered five GNAC Track Athlete of the Week nods.
SPORTSMANSHIP SPOT
Cassandra Kuechler represented Suffolk on the All-GNAC Sportsmanship Team.
The team was established to honor one player from each team in the league for outstanding dedication to sportsmanship and for their portrayal of good sportsmanship, fair play and positive attitude.
ALL-REGION ACCOLADES
In her third trip to regionals, Emily Manfra clocked in her first sub-5:00. Mile at New Englands, with a time of 4:57.46 to finish as the 27-runner field’s runner-up.
Her personal-best regional run was just 3.3 seconds behind individual champion Sydney Packard of WPI and garnered her a pair of all-region nods from the New England Coaches Association and USTFCCCA, respectively.
NATIONAL STAGE
For the second time in as many seasons, Emily Manfra of the Suffolk women's indoor track & field team heard her name called in the national championship field as the senior captain made the NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field Championships in the mile.
ALL-AMERICAN HONORS
Emily Manfra added to her extensive resume with All-America recognition for the 2020 NCAA Division III season.
Normal policies dictate that All-America honors are awarded to student-athletes who score any portion of a team point (top-eight in the final of an individual event or as a member of a top-eight placing relay event) at the NCAA Championships.
The 2019-20 season was anything, but normal, due to the COVID-19 pandemic that canceled NCAAs the eve before the preliminary competition. In lieu of the conduction of the national championship, the USTFCCCA Executive Committee adopted that all student athletes declared and accepted into the event would take home the recognition.
Manfra is the only student-athlete from the GNAC to earn the distinction and took home the honor for the second straight season.
Cosida academic all-district
For the second straight year Suffolk women’s cross country and track and field’s Emily Manfra was acknowledged for her efforts on the course and in the classroom as the senior was dubbed CoSIDA Academic All-District.
The 2019-20 CoSIDA Women’s Track & Field/Cross Country Team recognized the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performance in the athletic realm and in the classroom.
Manfra, who was the first member of Suffolk’s cross country/track & field program to earn the feat from CoSIDA a year ago, is the third-ever student-athlete to earn the recognition twice joining the likes of baseball’s Matt Batchelder (2004, 2005) and Jake Cintolo (2013, 2014).
Manfra Repeats as Charles law honoree
Emily Manfra sealed her spot among the best-of-the-best of Suffolk University Athletics as the senior cross country/track & field star was honored as the Charles Law Student-Athlete for the second straight year.
The recipient of this distinguished award is recognized in honor of the late Charles Law, whose work ethic and due diligence embodied what it means to be a student-athlete; excel both academically and athletically.
Manfra, who was the first junior and first runner in the history of the award, which has been handed out since 1967-68, to be acknowledged for her work on the course and in the classroom, added more history to her name as the first Suffolk student-athlete to be bestowed the honor twice in her career.
Emily had a tremendous senior year. Although it was cut short due to COVID-19, she put together a year for the ages. -- Will Feldman, head coach Track & Field / Cross Country