Posted: Feb 03, 2018

Andersen, Mahlandt Lead Wellesley Track & Field at Cupid Challenge

Junior Helen Andersen set a new program record in the weight throw (Frank Poulin).

MEDFORD, Mass. – Junior Helen Andersen (Madison, N.J.) set a new program record in the weight throw and sophomore Taylor Mahlandt (Ephrata, Pa.) finished with a New England Division III Championship qualifying time in the 5000m to lead Wellesley College track & field on Saturday at the Tufts Cupid Challenge.

Andersen finished sixth in the weight throw with a toss of 12.67m (41' 7") on her second attempt. The mark eclipses her own program record of 12.47m, set at last year's Cupid Challenge and matched earlier this season at the Wheaton Lyons Invitational. Anderson was also eighth in the shot at 10.01m. Sophomore Crystalina Guo (Montgomery, N.J.) was the top Wellesley finisher in the shot, taking fifth with a mark of 10.34m. Guo added a mark of 10.33m in the weight throw.

Mahlandt took eighth in the 5000m in 18:26.05 to qualify for the NE DIII Championships later this month (Feb. 17). The Wellesley sophomore was the first of three Blue finishers in the event, with senior Clare Salerno (Johnson, Vt.) taking 21st (20:03.38) and junior Catherine Xie (Newton, Mass.) finishing 22nd (21:10.90).

For the second week in a row, sophomore Tatenda Rameau (Syracuse, N.Y.) was the top Wellesley finisher in the 60m, 200m, and the long jump. Rameau finished in the top-ten in the 60m (8.32), and was sixth (27.50) in the 200m. In the long jump, Rameau's mark of 4.66m was good for 11th place.

Competing in the long jump for the first time this season, first year Rachel Berets (Belmont, Mass.) took 14th in the long jump with a leap of 4.52m. Berets was also 20th in the 200m, finishing behind Ramaeu and first year Hana Sugioka (Newbury Park, Calif.) in 13th (28.64). Berets and Sugioka also finished 10th (10.22) and 11th (10.29), respectively, in the 60m hurdle prelims.

Seniors Leilani Stacy (Collierville, Tenn.) and Taylor Fortnam (Portolla Valley, Calif.) and junior Jenn Harris (Vestal, N.Y.) paced the Blue in the middle distance events. Stacy was 19th (1:14.35) in the 400m, while Fortnam was 17th (2:28.81) in the 800m and Harris took 19th (2:02.76) in the 600m. Fortnam was also the top Wellesley finisher in the mile, taking 12th in 5:27.55, and helped the Blue to a time of 10:49.24 in the 4 x 800m relay.

Rounding out the day for the Blue, sophomore Fiona Harrigian (San Marino, Calif.) took 22nd (11:22.04) to lead Wellesley in the 3000m and senior Priscilla Lee (Anaheim, Calif.) cleared 1.44m in the high jump.

Wellesley is scheduled to compete at Boston University's David Hemery Valentine Invitational next Friday and Saturday, February 9-10, as well as the Gordon Kelly Invitational at MIT next Saturday.