NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Southern Connecticut State University women's track and field coach John Wallin has announced that senior Ashley Bell (Riverhead, N.Y.) and junior Kimberly Johnson (Lisbon, Conn.) will serve as team captains for the 2011-12 season.

Bell has been a standout student-athlete for the Owls over the past three years. As a junior, Bell was a Northeast-10 Conference Women's Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field All-Academic Team selection and a New England champion in the 4x100 relay during the outdoor season. She was also selected All-Region in the 60 meters (indoors), 100 meters (outdoors), 4x100 relay (outdoors) and 200 meters (indoors and outdoors) and All-New England in the 60 and 200 meters (indoors) and the 4x100 relay (outdoors). She was also a Northeast-10 Conference Outdoor Champion in the 4x100 relay as a freshman and sophomore.

She currently holds the 15th best time in the nation in the 60 meter dash with a time of 7.75 seconds achieved at the Yale Season Opener on Dec. 3.

Johnson has made her mark in the pole vault thus far as an Owl and has also thrived in the classroom. As a sophomore, she was named to the Northeast-10 Conference Women's Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field All-Academic Teams. Athletically, she was an All-American in the pole vault (indoors), USTFCCCA Regional Field Athlete of the Year (indoors), All-Region in the pole vault (indoors and outdoors), All-New England in the pole vault (indoors and outdoors) and the Northeast-10 Conference champion in the pole vault (indoors and outdoors). She was also All-New England in the pole vault outdoors as a freshman.

She is currently the fifth ranked pole vaulter in the nation, clearing a height of 3.71 meters at the Brother Jasper Invitational on Dec. 9.

Bell and Johnson will lead the Owls back into competition this weekend for the Great Dane Classic to be held in New York, N.Y. on Jan. 20 with the first events to start at 9 a.m.