Women's Track & Field Opens Strong at Wesleyan

MIDDLETOWN, Conn. - Backed by several outstanding efforts, including three New England Division III Provisional qualifying marks, the UMass Dartmouth women's track & field team had a solid opening day at the Wesleyan Winter Invitational on Saturday. The Corsairs saw 19 Top-10 finishes on the day, paced by a third and fourth-place finish from rookie Kiki Melick in the 60-meter and 200-meter dash events.

Melick posted a New England D3 Provisional qualifying mark in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.22 in her collegiate debut. Also finishing strong in the event was classmate Eshaya Lauder, who crossed in 8.34 for fifth overall. Fellow rookie Kiariana Williams finished 10th overall with a mark of 8.40 to round out the top three finishers. Melick went on to take fourth in the 200-meters with a mark of 27.27, while Williams posted a time of 29.27 to earn 21st overall in the event.

In the 400-meter dash, senior Grace Russell posted seventh overall with a time of 1:06.90, while in the 600-meters, sophomore Sara Lopez posted 10th overall with a mark of 1:50.22. Rookie Isabelle Chekares also competed in the 600, earning 17th overall with a time of 2:02.32. Rookie Nicole Mota was in action in the 800-meters, finishing fifth overall in 2:52.38, while senior Tori Schweitzer was 10th in the 1,000-meters with a time of 3:26.36. Sophomore Ashlyn Byrnes also finished strong with a time of 3:35.32, taking 13th in the 1,000 event.

Graduate student Julia Latura was the top finisher in the 1-Mile, taking 10th overall in 5:37.08, while juniors Sophie Owen and Sarah Lynch earned 11th (5:37.15) and 12th (5:37.32), respectively. In a packed field for the 3,000-meters, graduate student Emily Philbrook led the way, earning seenth overall in 11:21.24. Rookie Alexah Pedder posted eighth in 11:38.61, while junior Serena Carnes was 11th in 12:14.27. Sophomore Alexia Gonsalves crossed in 12th with a mark of 12:14.34, while rookie Elena Aponte was 13th in 12:14.69. Junior Liv DeSimone, sophomore Lylah Thibeault and rookie Raeleigh Levesque went on to earn 17th (12:32.12), 18th (12:38.60) and 19th (12:48.73), respectively.

Rookie Adama Bangura was 13th in the 60-meter high hurdles with a time of 10.64, while classmates Elizabth Fagundes and Laylaa Plaisir were 16th (12.09) and 17th (12.98), respectively. Rounding out the track action were the 4x400-meter relays, which saw the Corsairs A squad take sixth overall in 4:35.04. Comprising that group was Latura, Schweitzer, Lynch and Lopez. The B squad of Owen, Chekares, Pedder and Aponte were ninth in 4:53.26, while Levesque, Mota, Thibeault and Philbrook took 10th in 4:58.64. Rounding out the event was the C squad of Byrnes, DeSimone, Gonsalves and Carnes - earning 11th in 5:12.99.

Shifting to the field events, senior Isabella Taccogna powed seventh overall in the high jump with a mark of 1.45 meters (4' 9"), while rookie Grace Hawranik captured fourth overall in the pole vault with a height of 2.60 meters (8' 6.25"). Lauder earned third overall in the long jump with a New England Division III Provisional mark of 5.23 meters (17' 2"), while in the shot put, rookie Kearston Nelson also hit a provisional NED3 mark. She earned third overall in the event with a distance of 11.61 meters (38' 1"). Sophomore Olivia Seutter was 10th in the shot put with a throw of 9.93 meters (32' 7"), while rookie Addy Keller was 11th overall with a mark of 9.36 meters (32' 4.25").

Junior Emily Hesketh powered to fourth overall in the weight throw with a throw of 13.28 meters (43' 7"), while sophomore Abby O'Leary was 12th with a makr of 10.93 meters (35' 10"). Classmate Caroline Lander posted 16th with a throw of 9.41 meters (30' 10"). 

UMass Dartmouth returns to action next weekend, traveling to Brandeis University on Saturday for the Reggie Poyau Memorial Invitational on January 17.