University of New Haven senior track star Shannon Gagne injured her hamstring in the warm-up session of New England Track and Field Championships on Saturday morning and had to withdraw from the meet leaving her NCAA titles hopes in jeopardy.
Gagne set the New England record in the 200 meters on Friday with a time of 23.89. She also ran her fastest time of the year in the 400 meters (54.89).
But, wamring up for the 4x100 meter relay on Saturday Gagne pulled up with an injury.
“She said she was in significant pain so we had to pull her out of the meet,” New Haven coach Kevin LaSure said. “We’ll see how she feels tomorrow.
“I really think it just scared her and she’ll be OK but we won’t know for a little while.”
LaSure said he will officially enter her in the NCAA Division II championship which begin on May 26 in Cal-State Stanislaus. He then will have a couple of days to withdraw her name if she can’t compete.
Gagne was recently named the Division II Track and Field Athlete of the Year. She won four Northeast-10 Conference titles after winning three NCAA indoor titles. She was the favorite in the 200-meters and had planned on running in the 400 meters and the long jump.
“I think Shannon is more worried about qualfying for the U.S.A. Championships in June,” LaSure said. “She should be taking things one week at a time instead of looking that far ahead.”
New Haven freshman Ada Udaya also tweaked her hamstring on Saturday but still won the 100 and 200 meter races.

Senior sprinter Shannon Gagne led the way at the New England Track and Field Championships by breaking a 19-year old record in the 200 meter dash and qualifying first with a time of 23.93 seconds. The Meriden native also qualified first in the 400 meter dash, while freshman Ada Udaya qualified first in the 100 meter dash.

Gagne posted the best time, by over a second and a half, in the 400 prelims with 54.89 showing. Udaya qualified first with a time of 11.88 seconds in the 100 meter, while also qualifying second in the 200 meter dash with a time of 24.28 seconds.

Other top performers from the second day of the New England Championships included Shraya Manick in the hammer throw with a throw of 46.50 meters. Monica Yanez also placed 14th in the 400 meter hurdles.

The third and final day of the New England Championships, will feature the finals in the sprints as well as additional field events and the relay events on the track. Check back Saturday evening for complete results from the final day.

WEST HAVEN — Shannon Gagne doesn’t believe in bad luck or superstitions. She doesn’t leave anything to chance.

The University of New Haven sprinter from Meriden will be the featured performer at the New England Track and Field championships at Southern Connecticut State’s Jess Dow Field this weekend.



Gagne will be heavily favored in the 200 and 400 meters. She’ll also compete in the long jump and two relays for the Chargers. It’s a busy weekend for the 23-year-old who has set her sights on the multiple NCAA Division II championships next month.

Gagne became the first person to win national crowns in both the 200 and 400 in a single NCAA Division II Indoor Championship. She won the 400 meters by a little over a second with a 54.03 clocking and then returned to the track an hour-and-thirty later to claim the 200 meter crown in 23.66, edging out Lincoln freshman Judith Riley for the title. Gagne scored 30 points total in the meet, leading New Haven to a 32-point, fourth-place team showing. Gagne also won the national crown in the long jump.

Her progression has been stunning and she was recently named that National Athlete of the Year by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. Not bad for a girl who came to New Haven intending on only competing in the long jump, her staple in high school.

“I was always fast, but I wasn’t that talented,” she said. “Coach LaSure noticed I how fast I was and started training me in sprinting. You have to have some natural ability, but it’s been a lot of work.”

Gagne’s track teammates joke about her future in criminal justice. She is a 3.90 student hoping to go into a phase of national security.

“They always say imagine me chasing down a criminal,” Gagne said. “They’d have no chance.”

But there is no joking about her future in the sport. Gagne said she never imagined she could break the 25-second mark in the 200 meters. That seems like ages ago as she is one of the top seeds in the Division II with a best time of 23.59. Continued...

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“I remember when I was at the ECAC’s and I broke 24 seconds,” she said. “And then coach told me how many mistakes I made. It was like an epiphany. I felt I could even do better.”

And she has. Gagne keeps lowering her times to jaw-dropping standards. She’s the No. 1 seed in Division II in the 200 and the favorite in the 400 running just over 54 seconds. LaSure said her mere presence has put New Haven on the map.

“I got a call from Miami University and they were interested in competing against us. They wanted to know who was coming and I told them Shannon and they said, ‘Why don’t you come down here? We’ll host you.’”

Gagne’s elite training schedule is geared toward cracking a College National qualifying time of 23.25 seconds in the 200. She doesn’t expect to run that fast this weekend as she hasn’t tapered her training for this event. But don’t be surprised if she still blows the field away at New Haven this weekend.

“The other day she jogged it in 23.87,” LaSure said. “She’s never been better.”

LaSure is also sure that Gagne will win the NCAA title.

“She’s going to win, he said. “She’s fantastic.”

But what makes LaSure even prouder of his superstar is Gagne’s work ethic.

“I know that no matter what happens Shannon’s going to compete,” LaSure said. “Anything can happen. Anyone can be beat.

“But we’ve done our homework. Shannon is ready and there’s nothing left to chance. She’s as prepared as she can be.”

Gagne will finish graduate classes in the summer and is planning her wedding shortly thereafter. She jokes about being able to outrun her fiance. “We used to train together, but I can kill him now.”

Then again, there are few people in the nation who can stay with her.