Blue Track & Field Takes Seventh at NEWMACs; Sweeps All-Conference Honors in Steeplechase

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Sophomores Ella Whinney (Madison, Wis.) and Simone Beauchamp (Aurora, Colo.) swept All-Conference honors in the 3000m Steeplechase as the Wellesley College track & field team took seventh place in the team standings at the 2024 NEWMAC Track & Field Championships on Saturday at Springfield College's Blake Track.

MIT claimed the NEWMAC team championships with 260 points. WPI took second (131.5 points), followed by Coast Guard in third (113 points), Wheaton in fourth (94 points) and host Springfield in fifth (61.5 points). Babson (49 points) was sixth while Wellesley (44 points), Mount Holyoke (33), Smith (27) and Salve Regina (4 points) took 7-10 in the team standings, respectively. 

Whinney, a 2024 USTFCCCA All-American and All-Region performer in the Steeplechase, placed first with a time of 10:49.07 to earn NEWMAC First Team All-Conference honors. Beauchamp was second in 11:08.50 to claim Second Team All-Conference. The All-Conference recognition was the first for both runners on the track. Whinney's time ranked 11th in the NCAA following the race, while Beauchamp put up the 27th overall time in the event. 

Wellesley's 4x100m relay of seniors Ria Goveas (Bangalore, India), Eriko Darcy (Chicago, Ill.), Taylor Quaye (Los Angeles, Calif.), and Junior Merete Ogah (Austin, Texas) followed with a sixth place finish (50.62). Later on in the day, Ogah also earned the Blue points in the 200m, finishing seventh in 25.86. Quaye added a 16th (26.89) place finish in the 200m while Darcy was 10th in the 400m, clocking in at 1:00.90. Sophomore Sara Maeve Klingensmith (Chapel Hill, N.C.) also competed in the 200m, taking 18th with a time of 27.03.

Klingensmith, sophomore Charlie Barron (Chattanooga, Tenn.), Darcy and Whinney later scored fourth in the 4x400m Relay with a time of 4:08.10. The time was the Blue's best in the event this season and cracked the top 100 in Division III.

Junior Emily Doyle (Mobile, Ala.) recorded a distance of 32.86m to earn a couple points with a seventh place in the Discus Throw. Doyle later snagged 15th in the Shot Put with a distance of 9.68m. Sophomore Kenya Francis (Atlanta, Ga.) had a distance of 9.87m to place 13th in the Shot Put. She later finished 18th in the Discus Throw with a distance of 26.15m. Sophomore Dova Koretsky (Pepperell, Mass.) also threw in the Shot Put, claiming 28th with a distance of 7.51m. 

Barron was Wellesley's top finisher in the 400m, earning the Blue a point with an eighth place time of 1:00.57. 

Junior Erin Dickinson (Papillion, Neb.) collected 10th place in the Triple Jump with a distance of 10.21m.

Sophomore Claire Peng (Chapel Hill, N.C.) had a personal-best time of 2:22.72 to finish 11th in the 800m. Senior Bianca Lee (Hong Kong, China) was 20th with a time of 2:32.78.

In the 5000m, first year Fiona Hanrahan (Falmouth, Maine) led the Blue with a time of 19:10.44 to take 14th. Sophomore Megan Cunningham (Portland, Maine) finished 18th in the same event with a time of 19:54.85. Classmate Elise Lanahan (Greenville, S.C.) was right behind in 19th with a time of 20:02.91.

Juniors Jesenia Lopez (Fontana, Calif.) and Alicia Naranjo-Champion (El Monte, Calif.) competed in the 1500m. Lopez took 21st with a time of 5:38.08. Naranjo-Champion placed 23rd with a time of 5:59.23.

Next up, Wellesley will compete at the New England DIII Championships on May 3-4.