Skyhawks Shine at Tufts Stampede

Ferrarini, Bernazzani claim individual victories; Olin tops own program record in the pole vault

  
Maura Ferrarini was a double winner Saturday at Tufts. (PHOTO BY Richard Orr)

MEDFORD, Mass. (February 6, 2011) – The Stonehill College women’s track and field team delivered a strong showing Saturday at the Tufts University Stampede, hosted at Tufts’ Gantcher Center. The Skyhawks posted 12 top-five finishes overall, led by two wins from junior Maura Ferrarini (Springfield, Mass./Cathedral).

Ferrarini posted a season-best 5:16.39 to place first overall in the mile. Right behind her was classmate Jill Alves (Whitman, Mass./Whitman-Hanson), taking second in 5:19.30, while junior Kristen Mahoney (Weymouth, Mass./Weymouth) and senior Lindsey Booth (Franklin, Mass./Franklin) followed with 10th- and 15th-place finishes in the event.

Ferrarini, Alves, Booth, and junior Christen Carrier (Manchester, N.H./Manchester Central) also teamed up to win the 4x800m relay in 9:54.90, Stonehill’s best time of the season in the event and eight seconds faster than the runner-up Tufts squad.

Sophomore Katie Bernazzani (Norwood, Mass./Norwood) and freshman Katie Polakowski (Essex Junction, Vt./Essex) finished 1-2 in the 60m hurdles, as Bernazzani claimed her first individual victory of the season in 9.52 seconds. After each won their preliminary heat, Bernazzani edged Polakowski by 0.04 seconds in the final.

Freshman Meaghan Olin (Goshen, N.Y./Goshen) posted a top field performance as she bested her own school record in the pole vault, breaking the program mark for the second time in as many meets. Olin cleared nine feet, 0.25 inches to place fourth overall in the event, nearly a full foot higher than her 8’0.5” leap at the University of New Hampshire last month.

Senior Amanda Tripodi (Darien, Conn./Darien) was the top collegiate finisher in the 3000m run, placing second in 10:42.34 and knocking eight seconds off her previous time in the event, at January’s UNH meet.

Sophomore Caroline McBride (North Reading, Mass./North Reading) led four Skyhawks in the 5000m run with a fourth-place finish in 18:42.61. Coming in at seventh, eighth, and ninth were freshman Emily Regan (Hanson, Mass./Whitman-Hanson) in 18:54.80, sophomore Stephanie Wilson (Wayzata, Minn./Hopkins) in 19:03.20, and sophomore Erin Carmone (Riverside, R.I./East Providence) in 19:03.77.

Stonehill returns to action on Friday at the Boston University Valentine Classic, hosted at the BU Track and Tennis Center beginning at 3:00 p.m.