JERSEY CITY, N.J. – The Saint Peter's University men's and women's track & field teams were selected to finish in sixth and seventh place, respectively, in the 2020-21 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Preseason Coaches' Poll, which was unveiled on Tuesday afternoon.
The men's team earned 23 points in the eight-team compilation and were predicted to finish ahead of Siena and Canisius. Monmouth was voted unanimously as the favorite to win, garnering all eight first-place votes. Saint Peter's finished seventh at the 2019 MAAC Indoor Track & Field Championships before the outdoor circuit was canceled due to the COVID-19, coronavirus pandemic.
On the women's side, the Peacocks garnered 40 points in the preseason prognostications, as they were expected to fare better than Siena, Canisius and Niagara in the nine-team championship. That follows an identical seventh-place finish at last year's indoor championship meet, while the program will be looking to win a league title for the first time since 2012.
Heading into the 2020-21 campaign, the men's team will be highlighted by returners such as sophomore Jabari Higgs-Salaam, who was the 2020 Indoor MAAC Field Rookie of the Meet. Higgs-Salaam had the sixth-best distance in the long jump in the MAAC last year at 7.05 meters and won the event several times over the course of the season.
Other returners on the men's side include sophomore Jarrett Gentles, who was the winner of the 400-meter dash at the Yale Opener last year. Gentles was also a key member of the 4x400-meter relay team alongside fellow sophomores Jayaire King, Isaiah Sanchez and Clardo Nestor. Together, the quartet was the runner-up in the event at the MAAC Indoor Championships last year and posted the third-fastest time in the event by season's end (3:16.76).
Sophomore Vernetta Gosier, who burst onto the scene last winter after being named Track Rookie of the Meet honors at the indoor league championships, headlines the group of returners on the women's side. Gosier won the 60-meter dash at last winter's MAAC Indoor Championships in 7.79 seconds. Additionally, she was a top-three finisher in the 200 meters at the MAAC and was the winner of the 55-meter hurdles event at the FDU Knight Indoor Classic.
Joining Gosier on the women's side include senior Grace Proctor, who set a personal record in the 1,000 meters at the Ramapo Opener last year and was a top-five finisher in the 1,500-meter dash at the Peacocks and Brick City Classic during her sophomore campaign. Sophomore Loretta Owoh is coming off a strong indoor campaign, where she earned one of the top distances in the long jump at 5.14 meters.
The MAAC Outdoor Championships are scheduled for May 8-9, at the Michael P. Brady Track and Field Complex at Rider University. The 2021 outdoor schedule will be unveiled in the coming weeks.
