This past weekend, the women's track and field team competed in its final regular season meet at the MIT Spring Invitational, hoping to bolster its qualifying marks before the championship season begins. The team claimed two individual event victories, earned several other top-three finishes and left feeling ready for the upcoming NESCAC Championships.
"It was a good day, and we had some good performances," senior tri-captain Katherine Tang said. "Right now we're mostly getting ready for NESCACs, and this was our one last chance to improve on or get qualifying times, and just build on our momentum with people running different events."
As has been the story throughout the season, there was plenty for the Jumbos to feel good about at MIT.
On the track side, sophomore Anya Kaufman kicked off the invitational in style by winning the 10-meter dash with a final time of 12.74 seconds, giving the team one of its two individual event victories. Kaufman also participated in the 4x100-meter relay alongside sophomore LaTishaCurtiss, junior Samantha Bissonnette and freshman Christina Harvey as part of the 'A' squad, which placed first with a time of 49.26 seconds. Sophomore Laura Peterson earned the team's other individual victory with a time of 4:48.19 in the 1,500-meter run.
Sophomore Jana Hieber, coming off a victory in the heptathlon last weekend, earned a top-three finish in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 1:03.86. Senior Caroline Melhado also held her own in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, finishing in the top three with a time of 12:41.61.
While their individual times at the non-scoring invitational were impressive, the Jumbos are focused on working together as they gear up for the conference meet.
"We have a team," Tang said. "We all go into NESCACs as a team, and we're going to win as a team."
On the field, familiar faces led the way. In the absence of junior Kelly Allen, sophomore Robin Armstrong was the runner-up in the discus with a final throw of 115-4. She also placed in the top five of the hammer throw, with a final distance of 133-9, just behind classmate Kayla Fory, who finished fourth with a toss of 134-3. Junior RonkeOyekunle finished second in the shot put with a heave of 40-4.
Senior Heather Theiss added to the team's success by clearing 11-5 3/4 in the pole vault, good for third place.
"I think we've got some good confidence," senior tri-captain Anya Price said. "We've been able to compete with athletes from other divisions and we've faced a high level of competition this season. Now it's just a matter of taking that confidence and, knowing that we can really [make an] impact at the NESCAC meet, focusing on contributing in individual events."
In addition to observing Saturday's event, Price and Allen represented the Jumbos at the Larry Ellis Memorial Invitational hosted by Princeton on Friday. Price placed 27th in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a personal-best time of 11:11.51, ranking her in the top 20 nationally.
After finishing third at the NESCAC meet last year, the Jumbos are gunning for the conference's top spot.
"We're confident that we'll place in the top three [at NESCACs], so it's just a matter of beating out those other two teams ahead of us," Price said. "We have the confidence and the talent, we just have to see how things shake out.
The NESCAC Championships will be held on Saturday at Bates.
