Cathy Chen recorded an NE DIII qualifying time in the 100m Hurdles (Frank Poulin).
Cathy Chen recorded an NE DIII qualifying time in the 100m Hurdles (Frank Poulin).
Posted: Apr 13, 2019

Chen, Andersen Lead Wellesley Track & Field at Silfen Invitational

NEW LONDON, Conn -- Seniors Cathy Chen (Parsippany, N.J) and Helen Andersen (Madison, N.J.) each recorded a pair of top-ten finishes to lead Wellesley College track & field on Saturday at the Silfen Invitational, hosted by Connecticut College.

Chen earned the first two team points of the event for the Blue when she placed seventh in the 100m hurdles, finishing with a time of 16.04. She then followed up that performance in the 400m hurdles, earning another two team points with a sixth place finish in 1:07.66. Chen's 100m hurdle time was an NE DIII Qualifier and was just off her school record time of 15.63, set last week at Coast Guard.

Wellesley finished 18th overall in the team standings with seven points, getting four from Chen and three from Andersen. Andersen just missed out on earning team points in the hammer throw with a ninth place finish on a toss of 39.12m. However, she capitalized in the shot put, earning three points with a distance of 11.59m. Andersen's mark in the shot was good for sixth overall, an NE DIII qualifier, and lowered her own school record in the event.

First year Ava Yokanovich (Stillwater, Minn.) had an impressive showing across both of her events. First, in the 400m, as she placed tenth out of 44 competitors with a time of 1:01.10. She followed that with a 27.85 time in the 200m, good for 25th place out of 77.

Also in action for the Blue: sophomore Rachel Berets (Belmont, Mass) set a new PR in the long jump with a distance of 4.78m, while classmate Ava Shipman's (Makawao, Hawaii) time of 2:28.76 was the best Wellesley showing in the 800m. Sophomore Aiyanna Smith (Brooklyn, N.Y.) was the top Wellesley finisher in the 100m with a time of 14.03. And, junior Keer Sun (Pine Brook, N.J.) set a new outdoor PR in the high jump, clearing 1.50m.

The squad returns to competition next Saturday, April 20, in Lewiston, Maine at Bates College for the Aloha Relays in their final tune up before the NEWMAC Championships on April 27th at Springfield College.