FARMINGTON – University of Maine at Farmington will be adding men’s and women’s outdoor track and field as a varsity sport effective for the 2015-2016 academic year.
“With demonstrated interest both on campus and from our prospective students, our new varsity track and field program will be a win-win for Farmington as we bolster student engagement and attract talented student-athletes,” Vice President for Enrollment Jared Cash said.
The club indoor and outdoor team has been growing for the past few years and already boasts a robust roster and competitive set of student-athletes. The announcement is the outcome of a collaborative proposal that relied heavily on student leadership with support from the director of athletics. Careful study of participation rates and UMF inquiries were assessed and factored into the decision, as was the opportunity to practice and find appropriate competition.
“I have always felt this sport would be a good fit for UMF’s mission and profile,” Director of Athletics, Fitness, and Recreation Julie Davis said. “The timing is right with great student leadership, momentum in the club, growth in our conference and a continued partnership with Mt. Blue High School. The student leaders, Sean Cabaniss and Josh Wynne, put in countless hours to create the club opportunity for others with the goal of the program becoming varsity for future participants.”
“The addition of outdoor track and field is an incredible step forward for both athletics and the campus at large. Both Joshua Wynne and I are ecstatic that we were able to start this program less than three years ago and see it grow to this level. We can’t wait to see how it will progress and bring positive changes to the university,” Cabaniss said. Cabaniss is a junior from Vassalboro, Maine, president of the UMF track and field club, a member of the UMF Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), and plays on the UMF baseball team.
Wynne added: “I am so excited to hear the announcement. I believe by UMF making outdoor track and field varsity, it will increase the participation in both sports and make a positive impact on campus.” Wynne is a runner on the UMF cross country team and club leader and participant.
Outdoor track and field was recently added to the North Atlantic Conference (NAC), which will host an inaugural championship this spring. UMF’s club team has been granted permission to participate in the 2015 NAC championship, but cannot receive any scoring credit. The team will compete in the 2016 NAC championship at the varsity level. The NAC constitutes members from Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. Competitions will be at Division III institutions around the state and New England region.
The club team has already been using the Mt. Blue High School facility and the varsity team will continue to do so. Superintendent Thomas Ward of MBRSD said that the district was excited to share its new track with UMF.
“We are very excited about sharing our new track and field facilities with the University of Maine at Farmington and the positive impact our students and community will experience having a varsity track and field collegiate team on site,” Ward said.
