Blue Track and Field Competes at BU and Smith

WELLESLEY, Mass. -- The Wellesley College track and field team competed at a pair of meets this weekend, sending eight athletes to the Boston University Terrier Invitational on Friday, and then competing at the Smith College Benyon Invitational on Saturday.

At Smith, Wellesley placed fourth overall out of 10 schools, posting a pair of victories and 12 top-five finishes at the event. At BU, Blue first-year Mary Keenan hit a top-25 national time in the 3,000-meter race to lead the Blue.

Keenan's race highlighted five Wellesley performances at BU that qualified Blue athletes to championship meets. Keenan ran a 10:13.30 in the 3,000, qualifying her to compete at the New England Division III and ECAC Championships. 

Also qualifying to both championship events, were first-year Isabella Narvaez who ran a 59.50 in the 400m, sophomore Sharon Ng, who ran a 2:21.54 in the 800m, and first-year Sara Vannah, who ran an 18:43.77 in the 5000m. Junior Kathleen Hanlon also hit an ECAC qualifying time at BU, running a 1:02.45 in the 400m dash. 

Wellesley totaled 83 points at Smith, behind only Merrimack, WPI, and Keene State. Leading the way for the Blue were sophomore Priyanka Fouda, and the 4x400m relay team of Hanlon, junior Kendra Waters, Narvaez, and Ng, who earned victories at the event. 

Fouda won the 3,000m race, recording an ECAC qualifying time of 10:43.26. She led a team of four Wellesley top-five finishers in the event, which also included first-year Meg Kelly (10:53.29), sophomore Alessandra Gavin (10:5528) and sophomore Carolyn Chelius (11:29.45). 

In the 4x400m relay, Hanlon, Waters, Narvaez, and Ng, paired up to record a winning time of 4:13.31. Wellesley's other relay entry also competed well, as the 4x800m team of sophomore Heather Smith, first-year Edie Sharon, Kelly, and first-year Kathryn Leahy, combined for a third place time of 10:24.38. 

Other top-five finishers at Smith included sophomore Caitlin Bailey, senior Sheena Dupuy, first-year Emma Scalisi, senior Ali Grzywna, and senior Skye Roberts. Bailey recorded a runner-up finish in the 600m run(1:44.67), and fourth in the 60m hurdles, recording a low time of 9.90. Dupuy was second in the long jump (4.72m), while also hitting a new school record with a time of 8.45 in the 60m dash. 

Scalisi finished third overall in the triple jump, recording a leap of 10.17m. Grzywna and Roberts rounded out the top-five finishes, with fourth place efforts. Grzywna ran a 20:01.00 in the 5000m and Roberts ran a 3:19.57 in the 1000m. 

Wellesley track and field is back in action on Saturday, heading to New Hampshire for the Dartmouth Classic.