Women's Indoor Track Kicks Off Season At UMass Boston Open

Jasper Earns First MASCAC Track Athlete of The Week Honors of the Season

Roxbury Crossing, MA --- Senior Alyssa Jasper (Rockland, MA) had a trio of postseason qualifying finishes as she highlighted several strong performances for the Worcester State women's track and field team on Saturday afternoon at the non-scoring UMass Open, which was held at the Reggie Lewis Center.

Jasper had the top finish in the 60 meter hurdles to stamp her ticket to the Open New England Championships (9.30) before adding third in the shot put (38-2.75/11.65m) with an ECAC Division III Championship standard and fourth in the 200 meters (26.63), which was good for a Division III New England time and a new career-best.

Her 60 meter hurdles time was the fifth best in Division III this weekend and the tied for the top spot among New England institutions with Lauren Pumphrey (E. Hamden, CT) of WPI.

For her outstanding day, Jasper received a nod as this week's MASCAC Track Athlete of the Week.

Others who qualified for the Division III New England's in the first meet of the campaign were junior Hanna Carson (Natick, MA) who placed fourth in the shot put (37-10.75/11.55m) and classmate Francesca Casasanta (Milford, MA) cleared 11th in the high jump (5-1/1.55m).

In the weight throw, junior Molly Downing (Dedham, MA) and sophomore Elizabeth McCormack (Gloucester, MA) were sixth (39-10.75/12.15m) and seventh (39-2.50/11.95m), respectively, as junior Dalena Le (Worcester, MA/Doherty) notched eighth in the 400 (1:03.75) and ninth in the triple jump (33-5.75/10.20m) for a new personal record.

The 4x400 meter relay team of Le, who was the third leg, junior Eva Bunszell (Bridgewater, MA) at lead-off, freshman Danielle Bavoux (Medway, MA) second and senior Alexandria McMahon (E. Longmeadow, MA) teamed for sixth with a time of 4:14.32.

Freshman Rachel Lauzon (Carver, MA) and classmate Gabby Mancini (Melrose, MA) were seconds off each other in ninth (3:30.60) and 10th (3:41.50) in the 1,000 meters and first-year teammate Sarah McIsaac (Weymouth, MA) was 10 seconds off the Division III New England 800 mark in 15th (2:37.88).

Senior Brittany Hodgerney (Leicester, MA) timed 14th in the 60 (8.28), McMahon clocked 14th in the 200 (27.12) and Bunzell registered 11th in the 400 (1:04.30).

Junior Maddie Benson (Attleboro, MA) ended her day 15th in the 60 meter hurdles (10.08) while Jasper was also 12th in the long jump (15-9.5/4.81m).