Samantha Francis Hometown: Kingston, Jamaica High School: Wolmer's High School For Girls Position: Jumps Birthdate: 09/21/1990 Experience: So./So.

On Francis: The leader of the Villanova group of jumpers who has the ability to make an impact both at the BIG EAST and the national levels ... Consistent scorer at the BIG EAST meets who won her first conference title as a sophomore ... Came into Villanova with great high school experience and has built on that experience over the past two years.

2012 Outdoor: BIG EAST individual champion in the triple jump with a leap of 12.61 meters at the conference meet ... First Villanova athlete to win an outdoor conference title in a field event since 2000 ... Also earned All-BIG EAST honors for the first time in her career and her jump of 12.61 meters was her top mark of the season ... Followed up her BIG EAST effort with a fifth place finish and a jump of 12.51 meters at the ECAC Championship ... Tallied four jumps of 12 meters or better during the season ... Individual winner in the Championship section at the Colonial Relays (12.07m) and placed seventh at the Hurricane Alumni Invitational (12.01m) ... Individual winner at the Big Five Invite (11.76m) to start the season and came in 10th in the Eastern section at the Penn Relays (11.66m) ... Competed once in the long jump and registered a mark of 5.45m in a 10th place finish at the Hurricane Alumni Invitational.

2012 Indoor: Qualified for the BIG EAST Championships and the ECAC Championship in the triple jump with a distance of 11.99 meters at the NYC Gotham Cup, where she was the runner-up ... Tallied an 11th place finish at the conference meet (11.96m) ... Came in sixth at the Great Dane Classic (11.84m) and 22nd at the New Balance Collegiate Invitational (11.81m) ... Runner-up at the season-opening Jack Pyrah Invitational (11.35m) and also came in 13th in the 55 meters (7.51) at that meet.

2011 Outdoor: Advanced to the NCAA East Regional and scored team points at the BIG EAST Championships ... Her top mark of the season was 12.67 meters in a fourth-place finish at the ECAC Championship and nearly matched her personal best distance set in high school ... Came in seventh at the BIG EAST Championships (12.37m) and finished 31st at the NCAA East Regional (12.22m) ... Finished sixth in the Eastern section at the Penn Relays ... Delivered her second-best jump of the season with a distance of 12.44 meters at the Hurricane Alumni Invitational, where she was the runner-up ... Individual champion at the Colonial Relays and runner-up at the Mason Spring Invitational ... Also qualified for the BIG EAST Championships in the high jump and came in 11th place at the conference meet ... Set a new personal best height of 5.65 meters at the Hurricane Alumni Invitational, where she tied for eighth place ... Placed fourth at the Mason Spring Invitational and was fifth at both the Big Five Invite and the Colonial Relays.

2011 Indoor: Scored team points with a fifth-place finish at the BIG EAST Championships (12.05 meters) ... Came in second at the Jack Pyrah Invitational and fifth at the NYRR II meet.

Wolmer's High School For Girls: Silver medalist in the triple jump in 2010 at the ISSA Boys & Girls Athletics Championships ... Also was a 2009 bronze medalist in the triple jump at the Penn Relays ... Presented with her school's Certificate of Excellence each year since 2004 for both track & field as well as academics ... Certificate of Excellence in 2008 for achieving high CSEC results ... Recipient of the Blue Report Award each year since 2006 ... Vice Captain of the track team, a school prefect and Assistant Games Captain.

Personal: Born 9/21/90 ... Daughter of Hortense Derby and niece of Joan Fairweather ... Has three sisters and three brothers ... Undeclared major in the school of Liberal Arts.

PERSONAL BESTS

55 Meters             7.51                   2011 Jack Pyrah Invitational
Long Jump             5.65 Meters            2011 Hurricane Alumni Invitational
Triple Jump           12.68 Meters           High School

CAREER AWARDS (Outdoor Track)

BIG EAST Champion                            2012 (Triple Jump)
All-BIG EAST                                 2012 (Triple Jump)
CAREER AWARDS (Academics)

BIG EAST Academic All-Star                   2010-11

BIG EAST TOP 8 FINISHES

Triple Jump           1st                    2012 Outdoor
Triple Jump           5th                    2011 Indoor
Triple Jump           7th                    2011 Outdoor