Wellesley Track & Field Competes at Two-Day Silfen Invitational

NEW LONDON, Conn. -- Wellesley College track & field totaled five New England Division III Championship qualifying times at the two-day Connecticut College Silfen Track & Field Invitational at the David and Lyn Silfen Track.

The Blue racked up all five of their NE DIII qualifying times during Friday evening's elite distance events, also registering three personal records. In the 3000m Steeplechase, senior Edie Sharon (Winchester, Mass.) and junior Taylor Fortnam (Portola Valley, Calif.) took fourth and sixth in 11:32.76 and 11:48.83, respectively. For Fortnam, the time was a personal record.

Senior Sara Vannah (Amherst, Mass.) added a personal record in the 5000m, finishing 21st in 19:39.38. Senior Alice Zhou (Sunnyvale, Calif.) qualified for both the NE DIII and open New England championships when she ran to a time of 38:09.97, finishing as the runner-up in the 10,000m. Sophomore Catherine Xie (Newton, Mass.) also finished in the top-ten with a personal record time of 40:44.97.

The rest of the Blue squad took to the track and infield on Saturday, registering six top-ten finishes, including a pair each by sophomore Cathy Chen (Parsippany, N.J.) and by senior Emma Scalisi (Waltham, Mass.). Chen was fifth (16.68) in the 100m Hurdles and seventh (1:11.92) in the 400m Hurdles. Also representing the Blue in each event, sophomore Jenn Harris (Vestal, N.Y.) took 22nd (18.67) in the 100m Hurdles and 14th (1:16.42) in the 400m Hurdles.

Scalisi was fourth in the Triple Jump with a leap of 10.38m and also took ninth in the Long Jump at 4.77m. Junior Priscilla Lee (Anaheim, Calif.) added a 16th place leap of 4.47m in the Long Jump. Lee added a top-ten mark in the High Jump, clearing 1.43m. Chen and Lee also teamed up with first year Lauren Dines (Tenafly, N.J.) and senior Isabella Narvaez (Cali, Colombia) to help the Blue take 10th in the 4 x 100m Relay (54.87).

Dines was the Blue's top-finisher in the 100m Dash, taking 25th (13.89), and the 200m Dash in 29.67. Classmate Yashna Shivdasani (Mumbai, India) added a time of 14:34 in the 100m (31st). Junior Isabella King (Cincinnati, Ohio) led the way in the 800m run, finishing 21st in 2;26.65, while first year Fiona Harrigian (San Marino, Calif.) had the top Wellesley time in the 1500m, taking 25th in 5:23.02. King was also 14th in the Javelin (28.08m).

Sophomore Helen Andersen (Madison, N.J.) had the top Wellesley mark in both the Shot Put and the Hammer, taking 23rd (9.16m) in the shot and 16th (33.77m) in the hammer. First year Crystalina Guo (Montgomery, N.J.) added a 19th (25.46m) place finish to lead the Blue in the discus and was also 19th in the hammer at 31.49m. Senior Susannah Perkins (Ottsville, Pa.) and first year Silvie Coheleach (Bernardsville, N.J.) rounded out the Wellesley competitors in the throws, with Perkins finishing 28th (8.50m) in the shot and 24th (20.91m) in the hammer, and Coheleach taking 20th in both the discuss (25.02m) and the hammer (30.70m).  

Next up, Wellesley will take part in the annual Aloha Relays next Saturday, April 22, at Bowdoin College.