TROY, N.Y. - Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) is hosting the 2019 Liberty League Outdoor Track & Field Championships on Friday and Saturday May at Harkness Field with events scheduled to begin on Friday with the men's pole vault and the men's decathlon 100-meter dash at noon. Events run all day until the final event, the women's 10,000 meter run at approximately 6:50 p.m. On Saturday, events start at 10:00 a.m. with the men's decathlon 110-meter hurdles and the women's heptathlon long jump.

The championship concludes following the 4x400 meter relays (men's at 4:00 p.m.; women's at 4:10 p.m.) with a presentation of team and special awards afterwards. Bard College, Ithaca College, host RPI, Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), St. Lawrence University, University of Rochester, Union College and Vassar College are the eight league schools participating in the championships.

Last year, Ithaca College in its first year with the Liberty League claimed the 2019 Liberty League Women's Outdoor Track & Field title. The Bombers cruised to a 90-point victory with 246 points behind eight individual event winners, including a trio of dual event winners, and a relay victory. They were followed by Rochester (156), RIT (132.5), RPI (121.5), St. Lawrence (90), Vassar (67), Union and Bard.

In the latest USTFCCCA Division III Women's Outdoor Track & Field Atlantic Regional Rankings, Ithaca paces the region and league in first while four other Liberty League teams are ranked among the top-15—RPI (6th), Rochester (8th), St. Lawrence (11th) and RIT (13th).

On the heels of its second straight Liberty League Indoor Track & Field title, Ithaca will be seeking its first back-to-back title in Women's Outdoor Track & Field. In track events, the Bombers will be led by Sarah Rudge, Amanda Wetmore and Lusmer Quintana. Rudge, a two-time Field Performer of the Week this spring, was sixth in the 800-meters with a time of 2:20.85 and 16^th in the 1,500 meters at last year's championship. She currently paces the league in both the 800 (2:13.29) and 1,500 (4:34.84), while ranking in the top-12 nationally for both events. Wetmore and Quintana are among the league's best in the 100-meter and 200-meter dashes as they are both among the league's top-five. They were also both part of last year's 4x100 meters winning relay at the league championship last year (48.43) and make up half of this year's quartet, which is ranked 35th in Division III with a time of 48.63 seconds. First-year Logan Bruce will also be key for the Bombers as she is ranked nationally in the heptathlon (21st, 4,346 points). She is tops in the league in the 100-meter hurdles (14.68), second in the long jump (5.41 meters) and third in the high jump (1.60 meters). Samantha Healy headlines Ithaca's returners for the field events after winning shot put a year ago at the 2018 league championship (12.88 meters). She is third among league leaders this season with a throw of 12.21 meters. Meghan Matheny paces the league in pole vault (3.75 meters) in just her first year at Ithaca. Her leap of 3.75 meters also ranks her nationally at 14th.

Rochester joined the Liberty League in Track & Field last year and the Yellowjackets will be seeking their first title heading into the 2019 championship. A quartet of individual champions from last year's championship highlight the returners for Rochester in Kyle Bartlett, Michaela Burrell, Lonnie Garrett and Grace Messina. Bartlett, the 2018 Liberty League Women's Outdoor Track & Field Field Performer of the Year, is the two-time national defending champion of the heptathlon. Burrell, who placed first in the 100-meter dash (12.22) and second in the 200-meter dash (26.76) a year ago, currently leads the league in both events with times of 12.17 and 25.18 respectively. She is also nationally ranked in the top-20 for both events. Garrett was among the top-three in two events at the 2018 league championship with an individual title in the triple jump (11.20 meters) and a third-place showing in the long jump (5.53 meters). She paces the league in the long jump (5.51 meters) and is second in the triple jump (10.99 meters) this season. Messina, last year's Rookie of the Meet, was an individual champion in the discus (40.28 meters) as well as fifth in the hammer throw (46.98 meters) and 12th in the shot put (10.43 meters). She is currently ranked 30th nationally in the discus (42.21 meters). Eileen Bequette and Rachel Bargabos are also back for the Yellowjackets with Bequette pacing the league in the 400 meters (59.61) and Bargabos recording the fastest league time in the 10,000 meters (36:57.63).

RIT will be led by 2018 Liberty League Rookie of the Year Harley Wilson. Wilson won the league's 400-meter hurdles last year with a time of 1:03.91 and she was sixth at the NCAA Championship, earning All-America honors. This season, she is ranked among the nation's best in fifth for the 400-meter hurdles with a league-best time of 1:02.19. She is also sixth among league leaders in the 200-meter dash (26.28). Becca Schwan is also back as one of RIT's top runners after winning the 1,500 meters (4:40) at last year's championship. She was also fourth in the 800 meters (2:19.99). She is currently seventh among league leaders in the 1,500 meters (4:47.910). Madeline Pizzo will lead the Tigers in the field events after placing second in the pole vault and shot put with a leap of 3.17 meters and a throw of 12.57 meters last year. She is tops in the league in shot put this year (12.32 meters) and fourth in pole vault (3.52 meters).

RPI's 2019 squad is highlighted by Maggie Bond, Jillian Salkind and Lauren Parker. Bond was eighth in the 5,000 meters at last year's championship, with a time of 18:47.48 but with a much improved time of 17:06.62, she currently boasts the top time in the league, good for tenth in Division III. She is also second among league leaders in the 1,500 meters (4:42.32) and fourth in the 10,000 meters (37:36.13). Parker and Salkind finished one-two in last year's high jump with Parker earning the individual title. They are currently second (1.65 meters) and eighth (1.56 meters) in the league respectively. First-year Jacy Scarlow will also be a significant contributor in the high jump as she tops the league at 1.69 meters and is tied for sixth in Division III. All three earned All-America honors in the high jump at the NCAA Indoor championships in March. Isabel Caplazi is the league leader in the 3,000 meter steeplechase (11:09.40) and she will look to improve upon a ninth-place showing in the 1,500 meters (4:51.93) a year ago and is currently sixth among league leaders (4:46.64).

St. Lawrence will rely on the first-year duo of Ashley Walker and Kathleen Merchant. Walker will lead the Saints in the track events as she is among the league's top-seven in two events. She is second in the 10,000 meters with a time of 37:10.05 and seventh in the 5,000 meters (18:10.91). Merchant is one of the league's top throwers as she is ranked among league leaders in four events. She is tops in the league in javelin (43.51 meters), good for fifth in Division III. She is also second in the league in discus (37.72 meters), fifth in shot put (11.97 meters) and 15th in hammer throw (34.61 meters). Some key returnees include Leah Livernois and Caroline Driscoll, who are both ranked among the league's top-20 in multiple events.