Three School Records Fall At Jim Sheehan Invitational
Fitchburg, MA --- The Worcester State women’s outdoor track team smashed a trio of school records this afternoon at the Jim Sheehan Memorial Invitational as they finished in fifth place out of 17 teams with 78 team points.
Fitchburg, MA --- The Worcester State women’s outdoor track team smashed a trio of school records this afternoon at the Jim Sheehan Memorial Invitational as they finished in fifth place out of 17 teams with 78 team points.
Sophomore standout Mercedes Arnold (Mira Loma, CA) was the lone first place finisher in the triple jump (11.26 meters/36-11.50ft) as she was .10 meters away from qualifying for the NCAA Division III Indoor Championships before she placed second in the long jump to eclipse the school’s mark in the event (5.44 meters/17-10.25).
Sophomore Andrea Ouellette (Salisbury, MA) was right behind Arnold as she placed third in the triple jump (11.03 m).
Second-year Leah Walczak (Whitinsville, MA) crossed the line in second as she smashed the school record in the 400 meters (59.28). The previous standard (59.79) was held by WSC Hall of Famer Elke Aun and it was set in 1996.
Freshman Kayle McElroy (Rutland, MA) distinguished herself by placing second in the 400 meter hurdles (1:09.06) and fifth in the 100 meter hurdles (16.34) while classmate Steph Muse (Chelmsford, MA) added fourth in the 100 hurdles (16.19) and fifth in the 400 hurdles (1:10.78). Muse and McElroy each qualified for the ECACs in the 100 meter hurdles.
The hurdlers were rounded out by first-year Natlie Marchi (Northbridge, MA) who clocked sixth in the 400 with a time of 1:10.86 while the sprinters were paced by teammate Rose Mathieu (Somerville, MA) tallied fifth in the 400 (1:01.40).
Walczak, Mathieu, Marchi and Muse would then close the meet with a school record time in the 4x400 meter relay (4:13.32) which was good for third place.
Arnold finished her day by taking 13th in the 100 (13:46) and 15th in the 200 (27.81) while Walczak notched 14th in the 200 (27.77).
Sophomore Mara Kralian (N. Grafton, MA) had a solid performance in her return to the track as she rounded out the sprinters by finishing ninth in the 100 (13.16) and 11th in the 200 (27.22).
The women’s distance runners were propelled by sophomore Maura Withington (West Palm Beach, FL) who recorded fifth in the 3,000 meter steeplechase while rookie Brittany Grueter (Foxboro, MA) was seventh in the 5,000 meters (20:48.57).
First-year Erin Donohue (Saugus, MA) timed 17th in the 1,500 (5:13.23) while sophomore Meg Plant (Franklin, MA) recorded 20th in the 800 (2:38.25) and 26th in the 1,500 (5:21.30).
In the field McElroy hurled seventh in the javelin (28.78m) while
freshman Kristen Brunelle (Dracut, MA) chipped in
with ninth in the shot put (10.70m) and 14th in the discus
(30.25m). Junior Christina Bisbee (Attleboro, MA)
also chalked up 18th in the hammer (28.78m).
Bates was the top finisher with 144.50 points followed by Division II UMass Lowell (119.50), Colby (118) and Wheaton (87) as WSC was the top school within the New England Alliance and MASCAC institutions who participated.
Next Saturday the Lancers will travel to UMass Dartmouth.