HAMILTON – Colgate track & field will kick off its 2023-24 campaign this weekend with a trip to Ithaca for the Greg Page Relays at Cornell University. The meet marks the first outing of the season for the Raiders and the beginning of head coach Chelsea France's first full season at the helm. 

"I'm really excited for our first years that will start their careers tomorrow," France said. "And I'm excited for our returners as well. They all have made huge strides in our conference and to be able to start with such a great foundation is an exciting position for us to be in. We know where we've come from and where we are now, and especially after a historic finish to our outdoor season, it's something that we really want to build on so we can make a splash in our conference this year." 

France has the arsenal to improve upon last year's sixth-place finish for the men and seventh-place ending for the women at the Patriot League Championships. A number of key returners will carry a bulk of the veteran workload for the Raiders, including back-to-back Patriot League long jump champion, Cole Blair.

Ethan Eisner and twins Benjamin and Ryan Krill also return from last year's third-place 4x100 meter relay group that set the school record with a time of 41.42 in the league championship meet.

On the women's side, sophomore Sara Tabibian will look to improve on her stellar collegiate debut last season which saw her break Colgate's first-year record with a qualifying time of 1:03.43 in the 400-meter hurdles. 

She is joined by senior Carollin Mellin, who finished eighth in last season's 800-meter and 1500-meter runs, as well as a class of 40 first years who will look to make an immediate impact on the squad in 2023-24.