Lancers Women's Track and Field Leave Mark at Jerry Gravel Invitational

Worcester, MA. — The Worcester State University Women's Track & Field team delivered a strong and spirited performance at the Jerry Gravel Invitational, hosted by Westfield State University, collecting a series of top-five finishes across nearly every discipline. From the sprints to the field events, the Lancers showcased remarkable depth and competitive fire, with standout performances from first year and upperclassmen alike.

The sprint events were headlined by a dominant outing from junior Alexis Strong (Southington, CT), who posted a blazing time of 27.50 seconds to claim 4th place in the 200m. Strong also competed in the long jump and will be featured later in this recap. Her presence in multiple events underscores her value as one of the team's most versatile competitors.

In the 100m, sophomore Arianna Farrell (Wilmington, MA) led the Lancers with a 7th-place finish at 13.78 seconds, edging out teammates first-year Ayla McGrail (Charlton, MA) and first-year Peyton Watkins (Salisbury, MA), who finished 9th (13.84) and 10th (13.92), respectively. The trio of sophomore and first-year sprinters raced within striking distance of one another, signaling strong competition within the roster and boding well for the Lancers' sprint corps as the season developed.

Junior Meghan Driscoll (Mansfield, MA) rounded out the top-12 in the 100m with an 11th-place finish at 14.33, while first-year Leah Bordenca (Westford, MA) clocked in at 14.39 for 13th. First-year Gabriella Colitti (Raynham, MA) competed in both the 100m and 200m, gaining valuable early-season experience.

In the 200m, sophomore Emily Bodwell (Lakeville, MA) delivered an impressive performance, finishing 7th with a time of 28.26 seconds. Junior Mia Guinto (West Boylston, MA) added a 13th-place finish in 30.22, while first-year Rebecca Gardner (Killingly, CT) contributed a 15th-place time of 30.72.

The 400m saw Mia Guinto return to the track, posting a 7th-place finish at 68.20 seconds, while first-year Makenna Perro (Brookfield, MA) ran just behind in 8th at 69.13.

In the 100m Hurdles, Arianna Farrell continued her strong day, earning a 3rd-place finish in 17.94 seconds, while Rebecca Gardner followed closely in 4th at 18.89. Having two Lancers finish in the top four of a hurdles event is a testament to the team's depth and coaching in the technical sprinting disciplines.

The 400m Hurdles was perhaps even more impressive. First-year Lilah DeLongchamp (Worcester, MA) put together a remarkable first-year performance, earning 2nd place with a time of 1:18.15. Right behind her, sophomore Gracie Van Akin (Belmont, VT) took 3rd in 1:21.17, giving Worcester State a remarkable 2nd-and-3rd sweep in the event. It was an outstanding showing for both athletes and a glimpse of what could be a formidable hurdles tandem for years to come.

The Lancers fielded a deep contingent in the middle and long distance events, and the results reflected a team that is building strong across all distances.

The 800m was a highlight, led by First-year Janine Betcher (Fontana, CA), who delivered the single best individual finish of the entire meet for Worcester State with a 2nd-place time of 2:27.01 — an exceptional performance from a first-year in what was clearly a competitive field. Senior Bridget O'Malley (Leominster, MA) added an 8th-place finish at 2:34.89, while first-year Caydence Carr (Upton, MA) rounded out the Lancers' scorers in 9th at 2:35.29. Senior Claudia Symonick (Auburn, MA) (13th, 2:42.92), senior Leah Berg (Worcester, MA) (14th, 2:45.20), first-year Abby Matta (West Bridgewater, MA) (15th, 2:53.13), and first-year Lauren Flanagan (Milford, MA) (16th, 2:58.86) all contributed across the rest of the field, reflecting outstanding roster depth in the 800m.

In the 1,500m, senior Kelsey Gendreau (Seekonk, MA) and senior Jillian McMenemy (Westborough, MA) competed, finishing 14th (5:53.36) and 16th (5:58.10), respectively, showing tenacity and competitive grit as veterans of the program.

Sophomore Samantha Edwards (East Longmeadow, MA) handled the 5,000m solo for Worcester State, finishing 8th with a time of 21:02.85.

The 3,000m Steeplechase was another marquee moment for the Lancers. Senior Leah Berg (Worcester, MA) delivered an outstanding performance in what is one of the most technically demanding events in track and field, earning 2nd place with a time of 12:59.75. Hot on her heels was first-year Anna Serafini (Leominster, MA), who claimed 3rd in 13:12.82. Berg and Serafini's combined 2nd-and-3rd finish mirrored the Lancers' success in the 400m Hurdles and speaks to a culture of depth and competitive excellence within the distance corps.

Worcester State fielded relay squads in both the 4x100m and 4x400m. The 4x400m, composed of Bordenca,  Delongchamp, Symonick,  Matta,  Gardner, and Van Akin, earned a 6th-place finish with a time of 5:04.29, a solid relay result from a squad that combines the talents of several of the team's top performers across the sprint and hurdle disciplines.

In the High Jump, junior Lauren Condike (East Longmeadow, MA) cleared 1.40 meters to finish 2nd. The Pole Vault saw two first-years represent Worcester State with encouraging results. First-year Gabriella Fischel (Westport, CT) vaulted 2.29 meters to take 3rd, while first-year Peyton Watkins (Salisbury, MA) cleared 2.14 meters for 4th. 

Strong capped off her terrific multi-event day in the Long Jump, finishing 3rd with a mark of 5.21 meters. Van Akin also competed in the long jump, posting a 15th-place mark of 4.28m, continuing to contribute across multiple events.

Bodwell rounded out the jumps by competing in the Triple Jump, finishing 10th with a mark of 9.40 meters.

The throws events might have been Worcester State's most dominant discipline at the entire invitational, with multiple Lancers challenging for the podium across all four events.

In the Shot Put, first-year Jenna Lopez (West Springfield, MA) turned in the single best individual placement for Worcester State across all events, claiming 1st place with a throw of 10.69 meters. Junior Jadah Stokes (Chicopee, MA) backed her up with a 3rd-place effort at 10.19 meters, while senior Ava Piccolo (Tewksbury, MA) added a 7th-place throw of 9.47 meters. Sophomore Angela Crognalo-Torrez (Walpole, MA) finishing 10th with an 8.26m, First-Year Makenna Perro in 11th at 8.01m mark, and senior Zoe Callahan (Arlington, MA) in 18th with a 6.56m rounded out a deep Lancer contingent in the shot put.

The Discus continued the theme of Worcester State excellence in the throws, with junior Morgan Merrell (Leicester, MA) earning 4th place with a throw of 32.77 meters and Piccolo contributing a 7th-place mark of 30.36 meters. Sophomore Charlotte Collins (Weymouth, MA) finished 9th at 27.52m, Jadah Stokes placed 10th with a 25.19m, and Crognalo-Torrez rounded out the group in 17th at 15.53m.

The Hammer was arguably Worcester State's most collectively strong throwing event of the day. Merrell led the way once again, finishing 3rd with a hammer throw of 41.13 meters, followed closely by Piccolo in 4th at 37.19 meters. Stokes added a 7th-place throw of 34.89 meters, Collins placed 8th at 33.80 meters, and Lopez came in 12th at 31.39 meters.

The Javelin produced yet another impressive collective haul as Piccolo led Worcester State's charge with a 4th-place throw of 25.21 meters, and Perro was right there in 5th at 24.61 meters. Angela Crognalo-Torrez followed in 7th at 23.99m, Lauren Condike in 8th with 19.35m, and Zoe Callahan rounded things out in 10th at 15.94m.

The Lancers return to action next Friday at Eastern Connecticut for the Bonnie Edmondson Classic.