Lancers Prep For Championships at Tufts Sunshine Classic

Worcester, MA- The Worcester State Women's Track and Field was back in action today at the Sunshine Classic at Tufts University in a last touch up meet before the MASCAC Championship next week in Fitchburg. The 4x100 relay team continued their success led senior Maureen Grady (Douglas, MA), senior Bridget Maunsell (West Boylston, MA), senior Heather Turner (Ashland, MA) and senior Elena Pellegrini (Ashland, MA) as did fellow senior Riley Sanderson (Leominster, MA) in the Javelin. 

The success started early for the Lancers with a 51.12 second finish for second place in the 4x100m relay, a staple of success on the season for Worcester. Grady and Pellegrini would continue their 100m success in the individual race as well, with Pellegrini crossing in third with a time of 12.91 as Grady came in two spots behind at 13.13 seconds. Grady was not just successful on the track today, as she captured 6th in the long jump with a leap of 4.81m. Leaping along with Grady in the event were junior Eryca Lopes (Ayer, MA) who landed in the 11th spot at 4.55m and fellow senior Avonia Herbert (Sharon, MA) whose jump placed her in the 8th spot after marking a 4.75m leap. 

All classes were showing their prowess today as first year Leah Berg (Worcester, MA) led the way in the 1500m with an 11th place 5:40.96, followed seven second behind by senior Erica Hanlon for 12th, with a time of 5:47.23. Sophomore Caroline Gilson (Grafton, MA) and first year Jillian McMenemy (Westborough, MA) returned for another 400m race with Gilson just edging ahead for a 12th place finish at 70.76 as McMenemy crossed in a time of 85.16 for 13th. First year Nina Fonteix (Elancourt, FR) continued her success from the last meet, with a 9th place finish in the 800m, crossing in a time of 2:34.42. 

First year Erin Condon (East Bridgewater, MA) jumped two spots since her last 400m hurdle race, this time coming away with a third place finish in a time of 75.93 seconds. Pellegrini and Maunsell continued their relay success in the 200m as they crossed in 4th and 7th place in the event. Pellegrini would record a 26.74 second race while Maunsell crossed at 27.01. The 5000m saw senior Caitlin Conneely (Tewksbury, MA) continuing her speed with a 7th place finish in a time 21:17.57 in the pure endurance race of track. 

The 4x400m team made up of Fonteiz, Condon, Gilson and Hanlon showed impressive speed coming in 6th in a time of 5:04.41 in the competitive end to the track events. 

The field events did not disappoint this afternoon as Sanderson managed to record a mark of 37.75m in the Javelin with sophomore Arianna Constant (Leominster, MA) coming in fourth with her 30.20m throw. Constant also placed 12th in the hammer in the afternoon with a 26.31m measurement. Rounding out the impressive trio was senior Taylor Solimine (Hudson, MA) who marked a distance of 26.40m. Senior Avonia Hebert (Sharon, MA) had another strong showing in the triple jump with her 5th place finish after reaching 10.81m while junior Eryca Lopes (Ayer, MA) landed in 7th with a 10.03m jump. 

The Women's Track and Field team returns to action on April 29th when they travel to Fitchburg State in a bid to claim the MASCAC Crown at the 2023 MASCAC Championship.