Temple University Athletics
Women’s Cross Country/Track and Field Add Nine to 2021-22 Rosters
8.17.21 | Women's Cross Country, Women's Track and Field
PHILADELPHIA – Temple women's track and field head coach Elvis Forde has announced the signing of nine talented student-athletes that will join the women's cross country and track and field teams. The signees include Abigail Cole, Mia Dubac, Brooke Edwardson, Amira Green, Kwanda Knight, Julianne Kopec, Allyson Metzger, EJ Onah and Christal Pommells.
"I'm very excited about these newcomers and how they can impact our program," expressed coach Forde. "This year has been unique in regards to recruiting, having to do a lot of it virtually, but we are excited to have these young ladies join us at Temple and hit the ground running."
Abigail Cole is a distance runner out of Bradford, R.I. She will compete with both Temple's cross country and track and field teams. Cole was the team captain both junior and senior seasons at Chariho High School. The incoming rookie earned All-Academic in both cross country and track her senior year along with being named All-Class and All-Division in cross country. She was undefeated in cross country her junior year while earning All-Class and All-State. In 2020, Cole was the indoor track and field division champion in the 1000m, 1500m and 3000m. Her sophomore year, she garnered All-Division, All-Class and All-state honors in both cross country and track and field while also being selected to the Providence Journal All-State team. Cole currently holds the Chariho school record in the 3000m, 3200m, 2-mile and 4x800. The National Honor Society student intends to study Bioengineering at Temple.
"Abigail is someone who has competed consistently near the front of her state and has been a steady contributor to her program as well," stated cross country head coach James Snyder. "She fits really well with the values of our program and her academic credentials speak for themselves. She's earned the President's Scholarship at Temple through the admissions department, which is our most prestigious academic award."
A native of Clifton, N.J., Mia Dubac will race with both the Owls' cross country and track and field teams. Her senior year at Clifton High, Dubac was a cross country conference champion. Following the 2019-20 seasons, Dubac was named First Team All-Passaic County, First Team All-Conference and First Team All-North Jersey in both cross country and indoor track. The distance runner was the indoor conference champion in both the 3200m and 1600m her junior season. Dubac earned First Team All-County and First Team All-Conference in cross country, indoor and outdoor her sophomore year while garnering First Team All-North Jersey recognition in cross country. Her sophomore year, she was the county champion in the 5K (XC), 3200m (indoor), 3200m (outdoor) and the conference champion in the 5K (XC), 3200m (indoor), 1600m (indoor), 800m (indoor) and 3200m (outdoor). Dubac collected First Team All-County in both cross country and outdoor her rookie season along with First Team All-League in cross country. Another National Honor Society member, Dubac plans on studying Neuroscience at TU.
"Mia is longer-distance focused," commented Snyder. "She is someone who has earned All-State credentials in cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field. She will be a great addition to our program."
Brooke Edwardson, a native of Kimberly, Wisc., will compete with both the cross country and track and field squads at TU. Edwardson was the 2020 State Cross Country Runner-Up. The distance runner was named First Team All-Conference and First Team All-State her sophomore, junior and senior seasons in cross country. She finished third in both the state and conference cross country meets her sophomore year. On the track, Edwardson earned both First Team All-State and All-Conference in the 1600m and 3200m her sophomore season. Her rookie season, she was tabbed First Team All-State and All-Conference in the 3200m. Edwardson will look to major in Environmental Science when she arrives on Broad Street.
"Brooke was the runner up at the Wisconsin state cross country meet this year, but also has some very competitive times on the track, where she was All-State in the mile and the 1600m during her sophomore year outdoors," expressed coach Snyder. "She's the quintessential long distance runner and someone who I think can really help solidify our scoring potential on the courses."
Amira Green is a jumper from Levittown, Pa. that will compete with the TU track and field team. She won the high jump at the 2021 PIAA District 1 AAA Championships and finished 10th at the 2021 PIAA State meet. In 2019, Green won bronze in the high jump at the district championships. She finished just outside the top three in the high jump at the district meet her rookie season with a fourth-place finish. Green will study mathematics and education at Temple.
"Amira is a local athlete that we're excited to have join us," said coach Forde. "She is a good high jumper that we expect to come in and be a fast learner and get stronger in the weight room so she can make an impact on our program."
Kwanda Knight arrives in North Philly after two years with Central Arizona College's track and field squad. Knight was the 2021 NJCAA Regional Champion in the 100m hurdles, 400m hurdles, 4x100m relay and 4x400m relay. She finished third in the 400m hurdles at the 2021 NJCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships with her personal-best mark of 1:02.47. The Spanish Town, Jamaica native will pursue studies in law at Temple.
"Kwanda has had some success at her previous school," expressed Forde. "We're excited for her to come here and help give us some points in the long hurdles. We expect her to make an immediate impact on the short hurdles indoor and the long hurdles on the outdoor circuit."
Julianne Kopec is a four-year letter winner in both field hockey and track from Red Bank Catholic High School in Red Bank, N.J. She will compete with Temple's field hockey team in the fall and join the track and field team for the indoor and outdoor seasons. Kopec was the state, county and conference 1600m indoor champion her junior season, while also winning the county's 800m race. Also that year, she was an All-Conference honoree for both field hockey and track, First Team All-Group for track and Third Team All-State for field hockey. Her sophomore year, Kopec collected All-Conference honors in both field hockey and track and field, was named First Team All-Group in track and was the state indoor track 1600m champion. She ended her rookie year with the Caseys with a First Team All-Conference nod in track and Second Team All-Conference award in field hockey. Kopec will major in Criminal Justice at TU.
"Julianne is a super exciting athlete to have in our group," expressed coach Snyder. "During the 2019-20 track season, she was a top-15 in the country in both the 800m and in the mile so her marks were among the best in high school running. She's someone who will fit in really well with our middle distance track and field ladies. I know the field hockey team is super pumped to have her on their roster as well. We expect Julianne to be competing to make finals in the 800m and mile and be a leg on our distance medley relay right away. I think she's someone who can only add to the strength of our middle distance runners."
Allyson Metzger is a four-year letter winner in track and field at Villa Maria Academy in Malvern, Pa. Metzger was team captain both her junior and senior years. In 2021, the West Chester, Pa. native was team MVP, 2021 AACA Champion in the long jump, second-place finisher in the 200m at the AACA Championships and third-place runner in the 100m. Metzger was awarded the Andrea Thompson Memorial Award at graduation for commitment and dedication to VMA Athletics. She will study business at TU.
"Allyson is another local kid who has a good work ethic and wants to commit to our team," stated coach Forde. "We're really looking forward to having her in our program and see what she can do within the next couple of years."
EJ Onah arrives at Temple following three seasons at the University of Albany. Onah is a four-time America East Champion (2021 outdoor long jump, 2020 indoor long jump, 2019 outdoor long jump, 2019 indoor long jump) and a four-time All-Conference honoree. The jumper was also the 2020 ECAC indoor long jump champion. In the same year, the Ithaca, N.Y. native was named a USTFCCCA All-Academic honoree. In 2019, Onah was named a USATF Junior All-American. She will pursue a Masters in Sports Business at TU.
"EJ comes in after having a tremendous amount of success at her previous school," expressed coach Forde. "She's used to winning and we hope that she brings that winning attitude to our program."
Christal Pommells is a sprinter out of Pasadena, Md. Pommells has multiple titles under her belt, including 2021 200m state champion, 2020 300m county champion and 2019 county champion in the 55m, 100m, 200m and 400m. She earned All-County honors both her sophomore and junior seasons. Pommells will look to major in Criminal Justice when she arrives in North Philly.
"Christal comes in with some great sprinting credentials," commented Forde. "She can help add some depth to our relay teams so long as she puts in the work and continues to evolve as a sprinter."
The Temple cross country season will begin on Friday, Sept. 3 with the Temple Invite at Belmont Plateau.
"I'm very excited about these newcomers and how they can impact our program," expressed coach Forde. "This year has been unique in regards to recruiting, having to do a lot of it virtually, but we are excited to have these young ladies join us at Temple and hit the ground running."
Abigail Cole is a distance runner out of Bradford, R.I. She will compete with both Temple's cross country and track and field teams. Cole was the team captain both junior and senior seasons at Chariho High School. The incoming rookie earned All-Academic in both cross country and track her senior year along with being named All-Class and All-Division in cross country. She was undefeated in cross country her junior year while earning All-Class and All-State. In 2020, Cole was the indoor track and field division champion in the 1000m, 1500m and 3000m. Her sophomore year, she garnered All-Division, All-Class and All-state honors in both cross country and track and field while also being selected to the Providence Journal All-State team. Cole currently holds the Chariho school record in the 3000m, 3200m, 2-mile and 4x800. The National Honor Society student intends to study Bioengineering at Temple.
"Abigail is someone who has competed consistently near the front of her state and has been a steady contributor to her program as well," stated cross country head coach James Snyder. "She fits really well with the values of our program and her academic credentials speak for themselves. She's earned the President's Scholarship at Temple through the admissions department, which is our most prestigious academic award."
A native of Clifton, N.J., Mia Dubac will race with both the Owls' cross country and track and field teams. Her senior year at Clifton High, Dubac was a cross country conference champion. Following the 2019-20 seasons, Dubac was named First Team All-Passaic County, First Team All-Conference and First Team All-North Jersey in both cross country and indoor track. The distance runner was the indoor conference champion in both the 3200m and 1600m her junior season. Dubac earned First Team All-County and First Team All-Conference in cross country, indoor and outdoor her sophomore year while garnering First Team All-North Jersey recognition in cross country. Her sophomore year, she was the county champion in the 5K (XC), 3200m (indoor), 3200m (outdoor) and the conference champion in the 5K (XC), 3200m (indoor), 1600m (indoor), 800m (indoor) and 3200m (outdoor). Dubac collected First Team All-County in both cross country and outdoor her rookie season along with First Team All-League in cross country. Another National Honor Society member, Dubac plans on studying Neuroscience at TU.
"Mia is longer-distance focused," commented Snyder. "She is someone who has earned All-State credentials in cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field. She will be a great addition to our program."
Brooke Edwardson, a native of Kimberly, Wisc., will compete with both the cross country and track and field squads at TU. Edwardson was the 2020 State Cross Country Runner-Up. The distance runner was named First Team All-Conference and First Team All-State her sophomore, junior and senior seasons in cross country. She finished third in both the state and conference cross country meets her sophomore year. On the track, Edwardson earned both First Team All-State and All-Conference in the 1600m and 3200m her sophomore season. Her rookie season, she was tabbed First Team All-State and All-Conference in the 3200m. Edwardson will look to major in Environmental Science when she arrives on Broad Street.
"Brooke was the runner up at the Wisconsin state cross country meet this year, but also has some very competitive times on the track, where she was All-State in the mile and the 1600m during her sophomore year outdoors," expressed coach Snyder. "She's the quintessential long distance runner and someone who I think can really help solidify our scoring potential on the courses."
Amira Green is a jumper from Levittown, Pa. that will compete with the TU track and field team. She won the high jump at the 2021 PIAA District 1 AAA Championships and finished 10th at the 2021 PIAA State meet. In 2019, Green won bronze in the high jump at the district championships. She finished just outside the top three in the high jump at the district meet her rookie season with a fourth-place finish. Green will study mathematics and education at Temple.
"Amira is a local athlete that we're excited to have join us," said coach Forde. "She is a good high jumper that we expect to come in and be a fast learner and get stronger in the weight room so she can make an impact on our program."
Kwanda Knight arrives in North Philly after two years with Central Arizona College's track and field squad. Knight was the 2021 NJCAA Regional Champion in the 100m hurdles, 400m hurdles, 4x100m relay and 4x400m relay. She finished third in the 400m hurdles at the 2021 NJCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships with her personal-best mark of 1:02.47. The Spanish Town, Jamaica native will pursue studies in law at Temple.
"Kwanda has had some success at her previous school," expressed Forde. "We're excited for her to come here and help give us some points in the long hurdles. We expect her to make an immediate impact on the short hurdles indoor and the long hurdles on the outdoor circuit."
Julianne Kopec is a four-year letter winner in both field hockey and track from Red Bank Catholic High School in Red Bank, N.J. She will compete with Temple's field hockey team in the fall and join the track and field team for the indoor and outdoor seasons. Kopec was the state, county and conference 1600m indoor champion her junior season, while also winning the county's 800m race. Also that year, she was an All-Conference honoree for both field hockey and track, First Team All-Group for track and Third Team All-State for field hockey. Her sophomore year, Kopec collected All-Conference honors in both field hockey and track and field, was named First Team All-Group in track and was the state indoor track 1600m champion. She ended her rookie year with the Caseys with a First Team All-Conference nod in track and Second Team All-Conference award in field hockey. Kopec will major in Criminal Justice at TU.
"Julianne is a super exciting athlete to have in our group," expressed coach Snyder. "During the 2019-20 track season, she was a top-15 in the country in both the 800m and in the mile so her marks were among the best in high school running. She's someone who will fit in really well with our middle distance track and field ladies. I know the field hockey team is super pumped to have her on their roster as well. We expect Julianne to be competing to make finals in the 800m and mile and be a leg on our distance medley relay right away. I think she's someone who can only add to the strength of our middle distance runners."
Allyson Metzger is a four-year letter winner in track and field at Villa Maria Academy in Malvern, Pa. Metzger was team captain both her junior and senior years. In 2021, the West Chester, Pa. native was team MVP, 2021 AACA Champion in the long jump, second-place finisher in the 200m at the AACA Championships and third-place runner in the 100m. Metzger was awarded the Andrea Thompson Memorial Award at graduation for commitment and dedication to VMA Athletics. She will study business at TU.
"Allyson is another local kid who has a good work ethic and wants to commit to our team," stated coach Forde. "We're really looking forward to having her in our program and see what she can do within the next couple of years."
EJ Onah arrives at Temple following three seasons at the University of Albany. Onah is a four-time America East Champion (2021 outdoor long jump, 2020 indoor long jump, 2019 outdoor long jump, 2019 indoor long jump) and a four-time All-Conference honoree. The jumper was also the 2020 ECAC indoor long jump champion. In the same year, the Ithaca, N.Y. native was named a USTFCCCA All-Academic honoree. In 2019, Onah was named a USATF Junior All-American. She will pursue a Masters in Sports Business at TU.
"EJ comes in after having a tremendous amount of success at her previous school," expressed coach Forde. "She's used to winning and we hope that she brings that winning attitude to our program."
Christal Pommells is a sprinter out of Pasadena, Md. Pommells has multiple titles under her belt, including 2021 200m state champion, 2020 300m county champion and 2019 county champion in the 55m, 100m, 200m and 400m. She earned All-County honors both her sophomore and junior seasons. Pommells will look to major in Criminal Justice when she arrives in North Philly.
"Christal comes in with some great sprinting credentials," commented Forde. "She can help add some depth to our relay teams so long as she puts in the work and continues to evolve as a sprinter."
The Temple cross country season will begin on Friday, Sept. 3 with the Temple Invite at Belmont Plateau.
Players Mentioned
Distance
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Distance
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Distance
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Jumps
/ Women's Track and Field
Hurdles/Sprints
/ Women's Track and Field
Mid-distance
/ Women's Track and Field
Jumps/Sprints
/ Women's Track and Field
Jumps
/ Women's Track and Field
Sprints
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