Three more school records fell this past weekend at the ECAC Indoor Championships in Boston, pushing the number to nine for the winter.

Sophomore Shianna Smith rewrote her 20 lb. weight throw mark with an effort of 59'2". She's broken her own record three times, beating her first-time record throw by almost six feet.

Junior Ashley Adams, a transfer from Morgan State, hit the ground running when she arrived at Towson. She wasted no time in rewriting the 60-meter dash and 60-meter hurdle records. Last weekend she improved on her own hurdle record with an 8.58 at the ECAC's.

Sophomore Kaylin Gilmartin-Donohue had been chasing the mile record all season and finally surpassed it at the ECAC's with a 4:54.98 clocking, erasing Michele Mathsen's time of 4:55.40 that had been the one to catch for 12 years.

"You'd have to go back 20 years or so to the days of Teri Campbell and Maureen Shaneman to find a more successful indoor season than the one we just had," says head coach Roger Erricker. "This should bode well for the spring because the records that were broken just weren't in one area. They were across the board in the throws, hurdles, dash, mile and 5,000."

It helps that Towson is fielding a veteran group. The Tigers had just one senior last year, Alea Murphy, who departed as the record holder in the 100 and 400 hurdles. Combined with newcomers, Erricker is "cautiously" optimistic about the Tigers moving up the conference ladder at the Colonial Athletic Association Meet scheduled for May 1-2 at George Mason.

"We're certainly better than we were last year," Erricker says. "But everybody else in the conference gets better too."

Adams' presence eases the pain of losing Murphy. With the return of seniors Rachel Jochem and Ebone Leach and junior Motara Okusaga plus the arrival of Adams and freshmen Katie Salke and Adrienne Tolson, the hurdles actually appear to be Towson's strength for 2010.

Motara owns the second fastest 400 intermediate hurdles time in 1:02.01. Jochem is fourth on the list (1:02.30). Motara also has the third fastest time in the 100 meter hurdles in 14.40. Tolson and Salke showed hurdle skills in the indoor season. Tolson ran a 9.10 for a fourth place on the program's 60 meter hurdle list while Salke tied for ninth on the same list with a 9.26 clocking.

However, Adams just might steal the whole show, especially in the highs.

"Ashley will be a favorite to win the conference high hurdles," says Erricker. "Based upon her Morgan times, she would have won last year's CAA's by three-tenths of a second."

Points should come from in the distance events where the Tigers rely on the cross country contingent to carry them each spring.

"The distance events are really tough in the conference" says Erricker. "There are a lot of very good runners in the CAA."

After strong showings during the winter, Gilmartin-Donohue and junior Brandi Gervais, who broke the indoor 5000 record, are leading the pack. Gilmartin-Donohue had a break through indoor season and should be a factor in the 800 and 1500. Gervais has emerged as the one to catch in the long distances.

Senior Megan DiGregorio is the steeplechaser. Sophomore Erika Griffith is back in the 5,000. Sophomore Katie Ogden, who sat out last year with a stress fracture, is returning to form in the middle distances. Junior Kate Gwiazdowski is a middle distance runner too. Junior Brittni Bradley is coming off her best indoor season.

A couple of runners were hampered with illnesses during the winter including senior Lindsay Warfield and sophomore Liya Kasimova. Warfield missed the entire indoor season. She's the Tigers' top runner in the grueling 10,000. Kasimova, whose 18:15 is the fastest time by a Tiger on Towson's home cross country course at Oregon Ridge Park, was limited on the indoor circuit as well.

Newcomer, junior Mary Tuttle, should add depth at the 5,000 and 10,000. After clocking a 1:29.17 to finish 10^th among the women in last fall's Baltimore half-marathon, she was encouraged to join Towson's track team. Erricker is anxious to see what she can do off-road on the oval.

The sprints are in good shape too with everyone returning.

Senior Jill Meshey runs all three events. She's the school record holder in the 400 meters in a time of 55.39. Her 12.13 is the second fastest 100 and her 25.26 is fourth on the 200 meter list.

Senior Vivian Nwachukwu is back in the sprint dashes along with juniors Christie Boden and Danielle Suggs. Freshman Nicole Smith can run the 400 and 800. The relays are missing Murphy from last year she's being replaced by Adams and Okusaga who will join Meshey, Boden, Suggs and Nwachukwu on those teams. Smith could be a relay member too.

The jumps' list features a nice mix of veterans and newcomers. Junior Lindsay Bumbernick, who is number two all-time on the top ten triple jump list with a 39'8.75" mark and a 2009 ECAC qualifer, is back to lead the way. She'll also long jump.

Freshman Jessica Cooke is being considered in all three jumps. She opened the indoor season with a good effort at the Navy Lidlifter but then missed the remainder of the winter due to an illness.

Adams was one of the top long jumper during the winter (17'9.75") and is expected to be among the leaders outdoors too. Senior Alana Nedd long and high jumps. Tolson is also a long jumper.

Senior Leslie Zuknick (5'3") is back to high jump. Freshmen Ashley Dabney and Tina DiPaola, who both scored in the Maryland state high school championships last year, are going to add nice depth.

Senior Renee Wynegar turned in her personal best in the pole vault this past winter with a 10'6" effort at Bucknell which ties her for fourth on the all-time top ten. Sophomore Gina Benigno also returns.

Sophomores Shianna Smith and Shannel Shivers give the Tigers excellent depth in the throws. In addition to her hammer record Smith set the indoor shot put record of 42'8.25" at the Delaware meet. Shivers has the fourth best put at 40'10.25".

"Both Shianna and Shannel had very good indoor seasons," says Erricker. "We're expecting really big things from them outdoors. Both of them are beginning to blossom. Because there isn't the 20lb. weight or hammer events in high school, they never saw those events until they arrived at Towson. That's something that (assistant coach) John (Govern) has taught them and quite honestly he's done it very well. It's pretty remarkable to see how far they've come in just a short time."

Senior Amy Lauenstein (106'7") is back to throw the javelin. She'll get some help from junior Sara McGinnis and senior Erica Marshall, a couple of track class recruits. This is Marshall's first season on the track squad after four years as a forward on the Tigers' women's soccer squad.

Nedd is a mult-event performer whose specialty is the heptathlon. She was runner up in last year's CAA Meet with 4491 points. When not competing in the heptathlon she'll pitch in working the jumps and throws. Adams and Cooke could compete in the heptathlon as well.

RECORDS SET DURING INDOOR SEASON