Lancers Start Strong as Women Shine at Suffolk Relays

Worcester, MA- The Worcester State women made their presence felt at the Reggie Lewis Center, turning in a day full of podium finishes, personal breakthroughs, and impressive depth at the Suffolk Relays. From the sprints to the throws, the Lancers continued to build early-season momentum with standout efforts across all event groups.

Junior Alexis Strong (Southington, CT) delivered one of the team's top performances of the day, qualifying for the finals of the 60m with an 8.16 before finishing 6th overall. Strong carried that momentum into the long jump, where she exploded for a 5.18m leap, securing an outstanding 2nd-place finish among a deep field.

First-year Janine Betcher (Fontana, CA) continued her strong collegiate start, placing 7th in the triple jump (9.25m) and adding a 15th-place finish in the long jump (4.44m). Sophomore Emily Bodwell (Lakeville, MA) also came up big with a 4th-place finish in the triple jump (9.89m), further highlighting Worcester State's strength in the horizontal jumps.

Senior Bridget O'Malley (Leominster, MA) headlined the middle-distance crew with a terrific run in the 800m, finishing 2nd overall in 2:35.48.

In the 1,000m, the young Lancers duo impressed where first year Caydence Carr (Upton, MA) placed 6th (3:28.45) and Janine Betcher doubled back with a 7th-place finish (3:45.53).

Worcester State's distance unit brought incredible depth to the 3,000m, placing five runners inside the top 14. First year Anna Serafini (Leominster, MA) led the charge with a stellar 5th-place finish in 11:38.51. Senior Leah Berg (Worcester, MA) and sophomore Samantha Edwards (East Longmeadow, MA) worked together beautifully to finish 6th and 7th, respectively.
Senior Kelsey Gendreau (Seekonk, MA) would finish eight in a time of 11:58.93 and senior Claudia Symonick (Auburn, MA) would claim 13th with a 13:05.04 to  round out a dominant showing.

In the mile, Symonick also added a top-10 finish, placing 10th in 6:31.10, with first-year Lauren Flanagan (Milford, MA) close behind in 13th.

The Lancers were equally strong in the throws, where Junior Jadah Stokes (Chicopee, MA) delivered a powerhouse performance. Stokes claimed 1st place in the shot put, launching 12.23m, and followed it with a podium finish in the weight throw, taking 3rd with a mark of 13.28m.

First-year Jenna Lopez (West Springfield, MA) had a big breakthrough as well, earning 3rd place in the shot put (10.38m), while senior Ava Piccolo (Tewksbury, MA) added strong marks in both the shot with an 11th place finish on a  9.36m mark and weight throw with a 19th place finish on a 9.48m.

The Lancers showcased exciting young talent with a deep group competing in the 200m. First year Peyton Watkins (Salisbury, MA) led the team with a 25th-place finish in 29.67, followed closely by fellow first years Ayla McGrail (Charlton, MA) and Leah Bordenca (Westford, MA). First year Lilah Delongchamp (Worcester, MA) and the rest of the squad added valuable early-season marks.

In the 400m, junior Mia Guinto (West Boylston, MA) finished 17th with a strong 69.61, while teammates Gracie Van Akin (Belmont, VT) and Makenna Perro (Brookfield, MA) were close behind, continuing to build endurance and consistency for the season ahead.

Worcester State will return to action in 2026 with a return to Suffolk for the Suffolk Ice Breaker Challenge on January 18th.