Women's track and field kicks off spring season with non-scoring meet

After an unofficial meet in South Carolina, the women's outdoor track season was given an official start at last weekend's Husky Invitational hosted by Northeastern University. The non-scoring competition gave the team an opportunity to pick up where the indoor season left off within an outdoor arena.

In true New England spring form, the conditions on the track were not the most agreeable for running and throwing. Gale force winds made some times slower than seed times entered before the meet and curtailed some throws made. However, many Jumbos put forth impressive efforts, with some recording marks and times that will put them well into the postseason.

"It was a really good starting point for the team as a whole. Gale force winds that affected both track and field. We don't want to make excuses but the wind was not ideal," assistant coach Sarah Deeb said. "It was good to get out on a track in New England where the weather isn't really sunny and warm [like it was for the meet in South Carolina]."

Perpetuating a theme of continuous weekly improvement shown by the throwing squad throughout the indoor and now outdoor seasons, junior tri-captain Jessica Gauthier broke her own school record in the hammer throw. Gauthier's throw was the fourth farthest in a field of 21, with her toss of 134' 2'' breaking a school record she set the week before.

Sophomore Katie Antle and junior Kate Gluckman made lobs of 40' 0.5'' and 38', respectively, putting them at 7th and 8th overall. Antle joined junior Gwen Campbell in making impressive throws in the discus. Given that the discus was one of the last events to take place, results for the event were not yet posted as of yesterday, but Antle sent the discus sailing for about 122' and Campbell went just over the 119' mark.

"The throwers had a great meet and they'll only get better as the season progresses," Deeb said.

Also building upon initial efforts made in South Carolina during spring break, the 3000 meter steeplechase contenders put their best foot forward. Seniors Danielle Perrin and Mary Nodine went one-two, with times of 11:39.54 and 11:42.57, while event-newcomer freshman Emily Pfeil finished her first steeplechase in 12:52.70.

With these times, the trio has qualified for the steeplechase event in the Div. III Championship meet. Senior Ashley Peterson, a newcomer to the 10K race, rounded out a field of five competitors with a time of 42:19.13. In her first attempt in the event, Peterson also qualified for the Div. III meet.

The multi-events also gave performances that produced results that will propel three Jumbos into the postseason. As a conglomerate of seven events, the heptathlon requires athletes to record qualifying times and marks in the 100 hurdles, high jump, shot put, 200, long jump, javelin, and 800.

In order to qualify for the postseason, heptathletes must compete in any combination of the seven events over two consecutive meets. Over spring break at Coastal Carolina University and the recent Husky Invitational, sophomore Melissa Graveley, junior Amy Spiker, and freshman Megan Sears have all accrued points totals in the seven requisite events that make them eligible for postseason action. Sears is clear through ECAC qualifications, while Graveley and Spiker have made the marks necessary to compete in the Division I New England meet.

Within the jumps, sophomore Sika Henry cleared 5'2" in the high jump to rank 6th amongst the competition. The mark qualified Henry through ECAC's in the high jump. Graduate student Sarah Leistikow, still possessing a season of eligibility due to injuries sustained during her undergraduate tenure, vaulted to 9th in the long jump with a distance of about 15.1'.

Freshman Rachel Bloom had a banner day in the sprints, taking part in the 100 and 200 as well as anchoring the 4x100m and 4x400m relay teams. The 4x400 team -- which also included freshman Katie Gadkowski, Henry, and junior Emily Bersin -- took top honors, winning the event in 4:02.88. Bersin made the Div. I qualifying mark in the 400m hurdles (1:06.01) in her 4th place finish in the event.

Bloom placed third in both the 100 and the 200, making it through ECAC qualifications in the 100 (12.78) and through the most stringent Div. I New England qualifications in the 200 (25.98). Gadkowski joined Bloom in the 100, attaining the Div. III qualifying time with her 12th place finish in 13.51. Sophomore Claudia Clarke also met the Div. III mark with her 400 performance, finishing 9th overall in 1:02.65.

"I think we're doing really well, people are working really hard and early season performances indicate that we are going to have a good season," Deeb said. "People need to improve and they will, it's a good place to be on Mar. 29th. We are all going to have to be a little patient, it's not May yet, but the returners are starting at a much better point than they did last year."

The squad looks to work on technique and attempt more postseason marks this Friday at Springfield. Initially, the meet was scheduled to take place at Trinity in the form of the Trinity Invitational, but the Bantams are behind schedule in getting their track resurfaced and so the event got re-routed to Springfield. Springfield, Wesleyan, and Mount Holyoke will be some of the teams in attendance that will provide the Jumbos with some competition in this low-key event.