Skyhawks saw six first place-finishes
Lyons competed in the weight throw and shot put, finishing first in the shot put (PHOTO BY: Lewis Glass/SportsPix |
MEDFORD, Massachusetts (January 26, 2019) – The Stonehill College women's track & field team took home first place out of 19 teams at the Branwen Smith-King Invitational, hosted by Tufts University on Saturday.
The Skyhawks totaled 157 points, while host Tufts placed second with 130 points and Amherst College totaled 97 points, good for third place. Massachusetts Institute of Technology finished fourth overall with 88 points and Worcester Polytechnic Institute rounded out the top five with 58 points.
Five Skyhawks including Madison Ward, Shayla Lyons, Makenzie Cyr, Sinead O'Brien, and Alyssa Freeman took home individual titles. Ward also matched the NCAA Division II provisional mark in the high jump, while four Skyhawks bypassed New England Championship marks.
Stonehill had two teams in the 4x800-meter relay, as the 'A' team consisting of Jillian Caiazzi, Kelly Higgins, Freeman, and Anna Lastra finished first with their time of 9:37.04 setting a new meet record. The 'B' team including Claire Hurtado, Adrienne Santoro, Isabella Kennedy, and Siobhan O'Keefe placed third with a time of 10:08.28.
Ward matched the NCAA Division II provisional qualifying mark in the high jump for her first time in her career. The junior cleared a height of 5ft, 5.75 inches, which also broke the previous school record of 5ft, 5.25 inches.
Lyons competed in the weight throw and the shot put, placing third and first, respectively. Lyons tossed the shot put a distance of 40ft, 1.25 inches while she threw the weight throw a career best distance of 46ft, 9.50 inches.
Cyr clocked in a new meet record and career best time in the 5000-meter run, qualifying her for New England's |
Cyr was the individual winner in the 5000-meter run. She clocked in a career best time of 18:14.51, which set a new meet record and qualified her for New England's. Sophia Anderle followed the senior with a runner-up finish with a career best time of 18:20.99. The Skyhawks also placed fifth through seventh and ninth in the event.
O'Brien won her first-collegiate individual title clocking in a time of 26.99-seconds in the 200-meter sprint. The junior also finished fourth overall in the 60-meter finals with a time of 8.19-seconds after placing fourth in semifinals with a career best time of 8.16-seconds. Sophomore Fiona Jordan was the next Skyhawk across the finish line in the 200-meter with a time of 27.65-seconds, good for eighth, and a point towards Stonehill's overall total.
Junior Freeman placed first in the 800-meter race with a time of 2:22.05, while freshman Claire Mason was the next Skyhawk, placing sixth with a time of 2:27.18 in the 800-meter race.
Stonehill's four other high jumpers posted points for the Skyhawks following Ward's performance, as Jessydoris Iwuala placed third with a height of 5ft, 3inch and Callie Lindsey matched that height taking home fourth with a career best clearance. Courtney Daggett finished fifth with a height of 5ft, 1 inch and Kathleen Giusti also cleared the same height, taking home seventh.
Zoe Smith qualified for the 60-meter hurdles with her time of 9.19, and then followed up in the finals clocking in a career best time of 9.17. Smith also competed in the triple jump placing 17th out of 22 with a mark of 30ft, 6.50inch
Casey Gannon qualified for New England's in her first event this season, clocking in a career best time of 9.20-seconds in the 60-meter hurdles, good for third. The sophomore also ran in the 500-meter run clocking in a time of 1:01.92, good for seventh place. Savanna Macaluso followed Gannon in the 60-meter hurdle finals, placing fourth with her time of 9.37-seconds and Abigail Creamer finished sixth with a time of 9.75-seconds.
O'Brien competed in the 200-meter run, earning her first individual title, and finished fourth in the 60-meter dash (PHOTO BY: Lewis Glass/SportsPix) |
Hurtado earned points for the Purple & White in the 600-meter run, clocking a time of 1:46.99, taking home seventh out of 29 competitors.
Both pole vaulters also scored points for Stonehill, as junior Ashley Colarusso cleared a height of 10ft, 11.75inch, taking home fifth and sophomore Alexandra Sexton finished seventh with a mark of 10ft, 6 inches.
Junior Kelly Higgins ran the mile with a time of 5:22.51, taking home seventh and earning points for the Skyhawks. Freshman O'Keefe clocked in at 5:25.98, rounding out the top 10.
Sophomore Jillian Howard and junior Kacie Higgins both finished in the top 10 of the 3000-meter run. Howard competed in her first meet in the Purple & White clocking in at 10:46.87 in the 3000-meter run placing sixth, while Higgins finished eighth with a career best time of 10:53.47.
Stonehill returns to the track this weekend as its qualified competitors will compete at the New England Indoor Track & Field Championships at the Reggie Lewis Track & Athletic Center from Friday, February 1 to Saturday, February 2.
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