Women's Track & Field

Post-Race Notes - Championship of America Distance Medley Relay

April 23, 2015

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  • Villanova won the Championship of America distance medley relay for the fourth straight year. This is the 14th time overall that the Wildcats have won the DMR at the Penn Relays and it is the program's 36th title all-time at the historic track meet. Head coach Gina Procaccio has led Villanova to eight Championship of America titles during her head coaching career.
  • This is only the second time that a team has ever won the DMR four straight years at the Penn Relays, but the Wildcats are trailing only themselves. Villanova won the Championship of America title in the DMR five straight years from 1987-91.
  • The Wildcats have more titles in the DMR (14) at the Penn Relays than in any other event. Villanova also has 11 wins in the 4x800 meters, nine wins in the 4x1500 meters and one win each in both the 4x400 meters and the javelin.
  • Wildcats head coach Gina Procaccio has been a part of 17 of Villanova's 36 all-time titles at the Penn Relays. She won one title as a Wildcats student-athlete in 1987, helped guide Villanova to eight titles during her tenure as an assistant coach (1994-97, 1998-00) and has now won eight Championship of America titles as a head coach (2000-present).
  • Junior Angel Piccirillo won her fifth career title at the Penn Relays with today's win in the DMR. Piccirillo is the 11th athlete from the Wildcats with at least five career Penn Relays victories. Her previous wins came in the 2013 distance medley relay, the 2013 4x800 meter relay, the 2014 4x1500 meter relay and the 2014 4x800 meter relay.
  • Senior Stephanie Schappert and junior Michaela Wilkins each won their third career Penn Relays titles. Schappert was a winner last season in both the distance medley relay and the 4x1500 meter relay, while Wilkins has been a part of three straight DMR championships. Wilkins is the second Villanova athlete to run the 400 meters leg of at least three straight DMR championship teams. Michelle Bennett ran the 400 meters on four straight winning relays from 1988-91.
  • The Wildcats have won the distance medley relay 14 times at the Penn Relays. No other team has won the title more than five times (Tennessee).
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Players Mentioned

Angel Piccirillo

Angel Piccirillo

Cross Country/Distance
Junior
Stephanie Schappert

Stephanie Schappert

Cross Country/Distance
Senior
Michaela Wilkins

Michaela Wilkins

Sprints
Junior

Players Mentioned

Angel Piccirillo

Angel Piccirillo

Junior
Cross Country/Distance
Stephanie Schappert

Stephanie Schappert

Senior
Cross Country/Distance
Michaela Wilkins

Michaela Wilkins

Junior
Sprints