Lancers Come up Big at BSU Invite Behind Strong Stokes Showing

Worcester, MA- In a prep meet that would provide the Track and Field team their first in depth look at their MASCAC Championship site in two weeks, the Worcester State Women's Track and Field team was ready to set their marks and put the conference on watch. The Lancers were led by sophomore Jadah Stokes (Chicopee, MA) who led the day with one first place and two second place finishes on the day.

Worcester State would set the stage early as they claimed first and third in the triple jump with first year Emily Bodwell (Lakeville, MA) taking top marks on a 9.59m landing and sophomore Lauren Condike (East Longmeadow, MA) taking third with an 8.93m landing. With the sandpit back in action for the long jump sophomore Ciara Adu-Addo (Worcester, MA) would claim first on a 5.15m landing with fellow sophomore Alexis Strong (Southington, CT) claiming third with a 5.04m leap. Condike would also claim 5th in the high jump off a 1.41m leap in the event. 

The field would remain hot for the Lancers as they hit the throwing circle as well with Stokes taking first with an 11.91m in the shot put followed by graduate student Sthanisha Moreau (Taunton, MA) in second with a 10.34m. Landing in fifth was sophomore Luana Grau-Moura (Marlborough, MA) with an 8.81m as first year Charlotte Collins (Weymouth, MA) would take home seventh with an 8.63m just edging out Angela Crognalo-Torrez (Walpole, MA) in ninth with a 8.10m mark. Stokes would continue to find success in the hammer claiming second on a 34.19m just ahead of senior Arianna Constant (Leominster, MA) in 33.26m and Collins in fourth on a 32.62m mark. Moreau would claim fifth with a 30.96 with Grau-Moura taking eight on a 28.06m. Sophomore Morgan Merrell (Leicester, MA) would come home with a ninth place finish on a 25.60m measure with junior Ava Piccolo (Tewkesbury, MA) grabbing 11th with a 22.06m. Stokes would wrap up her throwing day with an additional second place finish in the Discus on a 29.59m launch to lead the action packed Lancer group. Piccolo would take fourth at 26.99m with Moreau just millimeters behind at 26.94m for fifth and Grau-Moura on their tail with a 26.46m for sixth. Collins would claim seventh on a 25.71m toss while Merrell claimed 8th on a 24.08m with Crognalo-Torrez wrapping it up with a 12th at 21.55m.

Wrapping up the field events would see the quartet for Javelin as Crognalo-Torrez would take home second on a 30.05m mark just ahead of Constant with a 29.41m for third and Piccolo with a 27.04m for fourth. Junior Ava Vasquez (Methuen, MA) would claim sixth on a 24.89m mark.

Junior Leah Berg (Worcester, MA) would lead things off on the track for the Lancers as she recorded a new personal best time of 13:05.29 in the 3000m Steeplechase. Juniors Kelsey Gendreau (Seekonk, MA), Claudia Symonick (Auburn, MA) and Jillian McMenemy (Westborough, MA) would then take further charge of the track with a 2,3,4 finish in the 1500m. Gendreau would cross in a time of 5:39.23, with Symonick in 5:53.39 for a new personal record and McMenemy at 6:07.75. Closing out the distance portion of the track on the day was first year Samantha Edwards who reached a new personal record in the 5000m for a time of 20:45.86 and a second place finish. 

Hitting the sprint circuit of the track found Adu-Addo claiming fifth in the 100m with a time of 12.92 while Strong claiming seventh on a time of 12.99. Senior Carly Gilson (Grafton, MA) would finish in 11th with a 13.52 just crossing ahead of Bodwell in 12th at 13.63. Sophomore Meghan Driscoll (Mansfield, MA) would finish in 16th with a 13.91 ahead of Condike in 18th on a 14.40 and fellow sophomore Mia Guinto (West Boylston, MA) in 19th at 14.84. Strong would hit the track at the end of the day in the 200m with a 10th place showing on 27.14 in the 200m just beating out Gilson at 27.60 who crossed in 12th. Bodwell would take home 18th with a time of 28.57 and Driscoll in 21st with a 29.69. Guinto claimed 23rd on a time of 30.64 while first year Gracie Van Akin (Belmont, VT) would cross in 24th at 33.32.

In the mid range sprint of two laps around the track, junior Bridget O'Malley (Leominster, MA) would lead the pack with a second place finish in a time of 2:33.90 while Berg claimed fifth in 2:45.26 just sprinting out fellow junior Aubrey Tunnera (Marlborough, MA) who finished in 2:48.80. Symonick would also just edge out teammate first year Cassandra Dirsa (Bolton, MA) with a 2:51.24 for eight to Dirsa's 2:52.17 for ninth. 

Closing out the track and the meet for the Women was the 4x400m team made up of Gilson, Guinto, O'Malley and Tunnera who claimed 2nd on a time of 4:56.23.

Worcester State is back in action next Friday when they journey down to Eastern Connecticut for the Bonnie Edmondson Classic.