Two Skyhawks provisionally qualified for NCAA's, while three school records were broken
2020 USTFCCCA NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field All-Region
Freeman |
Hurtado |
Howard |
Mason |
Callahan |
Lightbody |
Colarusso |
Sexton |
Ward |
Giusti |
Lyons |
Smith |
Litwa |
O'Keefe |
EASTON, Massachusetts (March 27, 2020) – Fourteen members of the Stonehill College women's track and field team combined for 17 All-East Region honors from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches' Association (USTFCCCA).
The awards recognize each region's top five performers in individual events and top three teams in relay events. Stonehill's women totaled 17 and the men earned five, as junior Michel-Ange Siaba led Stonehill with three honors. Among the Northeast-10 Conference, there were 154 total awards given out, as 70 were tabbed on the men's side and 84 were awarded to women's teams.
Stonehill's 4000-meter distance medley relay team took home a first-place finish at the Northeast-10 Indoor Track & Field Championships with a time of 12:17.07. The quartet included seniors Alyssa Freeman and Claire Hurtado, junior Jillian Howard, and sophomore Claire Mason. Freeman ran an unofficial 1200-meter time of 3:44.5 and then handed the baton off to Hurtado for an unofficial 59.4-second 400-meter split. Mason was the fourth leg, clocking in an unofficial time of 2:20.6 in the 800-meter leg, anchoring with Howard's unofficial time of 5:12.8 in the mile. This is the 13th time in 19 years and third-straight year that the Skyhawks have won the 4000-meter distance medley relay.
With the relay team, Hurtado earned her third-career USTFCCCA honor, while Mason collected her first All-East Region recognition.
Freeman was one of three Skyhawks to earn two All-East Region honors. Along with the 4000-meter distance medley relay team, she clocked in a career best time of 5:05.01 at the NE10 Indoor Championships in the one-mile run, where she finished third overall for a NE10 All-Conference honor. These two honors bring her track & field All-Region total to six, and nine in her career.
Classmate Jordan Callahan tallies her fifth and sixth All-East Region honors in her career and third and fourth track & field accolades as she ran the 3000- and 5000-meter runs in career best times. She clocked in a time of 10:14.58 at the Boston University Last Chance Qualifier in the 3000-meter run and 17:53.65 at the NE10 Indoor Championships in the 5000-meter run. Her time in the 3000-meter run was 21-seconds better than her previous career best, while her 5000-meter time was 17-seconds faster than her previous career best.
Howard was the third Skyhawk to earn two honors, as one came from running with the 4000-meter distance medley relay team and the second came as she ran the 3000-meter run. Howard clocked in a career best time in the 3000-meter run with a time of 10:18.84 at the Boston University John Thomas Terrier Classic. This time was 17-seconds faster than her previous career best. In her career, she now has four All-East Region honors, with three of them being for track & field.
Freshman Haley Lightbody who was named NE10 Indoor Field Rookie of the Year earned her first USTFCCCA All-East Region honor as she cleared a season best mark of 11 feet, 9.75 inches in the pole vault, just .25 inches off the school record. This height earned her the NE10 individual title and her first NE10 All-Conference and All-East Region honors, while also provisionally qualifying for the NCAA Division II Indoor Championship. Senior Ashley Colarusso tallied her ninth USTFCCCA award, as she took second at the NE10 Championship and cleared a career best height of 11 feet, 6.25 inches at the BU David Hemery Valentine Invitational this season. To round out the pole vaulters, junior Alexandra Sexton tallied her fourth USTFCCCA All-East Region honor in her career after clearing a season best height of 11 feet, 3.25 inches at the NE10 Championships as she finished third at the meet.
In the high jump, senior Madison Ward earned her seventh USTFCCCA award as she took home second at the NE10 Championships with a career best, new school record and NCAA provisional qualifying mark of 5 feet, 6 inches. Junior Kathleen Giusti, also in the high jump, was named to the USTFCCCA All-East Region team for her second career honor as she cleared a height of 5 feet, 3.25 inches at the Beantown Challenge.
Three more seniors earned USTFCCCA honors, as Shayla Lyons earned her seventh award in her career with a career best and new school record distance of 43 feet, 10 inches in the shot put at the BU David Hemery Valentine Invitational. Zoe Smith tallied her fourth-career All-East Region award with a career best and new school record in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.83-seconds at the NE10 Indoor Championships where she finished second overall.
Senior Jesica Litwa picked up her first USTFCCCA All-East Region honor in her career as she threw a career best mark of 50 feet, 9.25 inches in the weight throw at the URI Sorlein Invitational. Sophomore Siobhan O'Keefe earned her second-career All-East Region accolade and first in track & field as she ran a career best time of 17:58.97 in the 5000-meter run at the New England Indoor Championships.
Stonehill concluded the indoor season with their seventh-straight NE10 Indoor Track & Field Championship, where the women have now won 14-straight Championships with cross country, indoor and outdoor track & field. Over the past 20 NE10 Championships, the Stonehill women have won 19 of them.
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Stonehill's 2020 USTFCCCA Indoor Track & Field All-East Region Honorees:
Jordan Callahan, Senior (Plymouth, Massachusetts/Plymouth North)
3000-meter run – 10:14.58/Boston University Last Chance Qualifier – career best
5000-meter run – 17:53.65/NE10 Indoor Championships – career best
Ashley Colarusso, Senior (Tewksbury, Massachusetts/Tewskbury)
Pole Vault – 11 feet, 6.25 inches/BU David Hemery Valentine Invitational – career best
Alyssa Freeman, Senior (Billerica, Massachusetts/Billerica)
One-mile run – 5:05.01/NE10 Indoor Championships – career best
Distance Medley Relay – Distance Medley relay – 12:17.07/NE10 Indoor Championship
Kathleen Giusti, Junior (Merrimack, Massachusetts/Pentucket Regional)
high jump – 5 feet, 3.25 inches/Beantown Challenge– season best
Jillian Howard, Junior (Weston, Massachusetts/Weston)
3000-meter run – 10:18.84/BU John Thomas Terrier Classic – career best
Distance Medley relay – 12:17.07/NE10 Indoor Championship
Claire Hurtado, Senior (Newington, Connecticut/Newington)
Distance Medley Relay - Distance Medley relay – 12:17.07/NE10 Indoor Championship
Haley Lightbody, Freshman (Reading, Massachusetts/Reading)
Pole vault – 11 feet, 9.75 inches/NE10 Indoor Championships – career best/NCAA Provisional Qualifier
Jesica Litwa, Senior (Seymour, Connecticut/Seymour)
Weight throw – 50 feet, 9.25 inches/URI Sorlein Invitational – career best
Shayla Lyons, Senior (Westerlo, New York/Bishop Maginn/Berne-Knox Westerlo)
Shot put – 43 feet, 10 inches/BU David Hemery Valentine Invitational– career best/school record
Claire Mason, Sophomore (East Lyme, Connecticut/East Lyme)
Distance Medley Relay - 12:17.07/NE10 Indoor Championship
Siobhan O'Keefe, Sophomore (West Newbury, Massachusetts/Pentucket Regional)
5000-meter run – 17:58.97/New England Indoor Championships – career best
Alexandra Sexton, Junior (Los Gatos, California/Los Gatos)
Pole Vault – 11 feet, 3.75 inches/NE10 Indoor Championships – season best
Zoe Smith, Senior (Rochester, Massachusetts/Old Rochester Regional)
60-meter hurdles – 8.83/NE10 Indoor Championships – career best/school record
Madison Ward, Senior (Holliston, Massachusetts/Holliston)
High Jump – 5 feet, 6 inches/NE10 Indoor Championships – career best/school record/NCAA Provisional Qualifier
