Melinda Wilson Named Captain of RPI Track & Field Team

2016 Nov 30

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) student-athlete Melinda Wilson of Nahant 01908 has been named a captain of the track & field team. This is the first year she will serve in that role.

Wilson (Swampscott HS) has competed in a number of events in both track and field. Last season she ran in the 200 meters and 4x200 and 4x400 relays while also throwing the shot put, javelin, discus and hammer. During the indoor season, the mechanical engineering major helped the 4x200 team to a second place finish at the Liberty League Championship Meet (1:50.48) and the 4x400 to third (4:19.68). She also competed in the shot put, placing fifth with a distance of 10.71 meters. Wilson went on to establish three personal bests in outdoor, reaching 11.25 meters in the shot, 39.49 meters in the discus and 46.09 meters in the hammer. She was first in the discus at the Upstate Classic, where she set a PR, and second in the hammer at the Capital District Classic with her personal best. She was also runner-up in the hammer (43.88) and fourth in the discus (36.56) at the league meet. Wilson competed in all four events at the New York State Championship Meet, including her personal record effort in the shot put, before throwing the hammer and discus at the ECAC Championship.

The Engineers begin the season on Saturday at Utica College. Rensselaer returns to Utica on January 14 before traveling to Ithaca College on January 21.

Founded in 1824, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is America's oldest technological research university. For nearly two centuries, the Institute has been a driving force behind breakthroughs in engineering and science in virtually every arena-from transportation and infrastructure to business, medicine, outer space, and cyberspace.

As it approaches its bicentennial anniversary, the Institute continues to define The New Polytechnic, a new paradigm for teaching, learning, and research that uses advanced technologies to enable fresh collaborations across disciplines, sectors, and regions, in order to answer the global challenges of our day.