Wellesley Track Opens Silfen Invite With Multiple PRs in Elite Distance Events

NEW LONDON, Conn. -- Senior Taylor Fortnam (Portola Valley, Calif.) was fifth in the 3000m Steeplechase and classmate Isabella King (Cincinnati, Ohio) took 12th in the 1500m as five members of the Wellesley College track & field team established collegiate-best times during the elite distances races on Friday evening at the Silfen Invitational, hosted by Connecticut College. 

Fortnam was fifth with a new collegiate-best time of 11:31.29, finishing less than two seconds behind fourth place in the first of the distance events on Friday evening at Silfen Track. King finished just four seconds back of the lead and less than two seconds out of second in her section to finish 12th overall in the 1500m with a personal record time of 4:47.79. Both times were also New England Division III Championship qualifying marks for Fortnam and King. 

Sophomore Taylor Mahlandt (Ephrata, Pa.) added a collegiate best time of 18:10.28 in the 5000m. The lone Wellesley competitor in the event on Friday evening, Mahlandt was 10th in the field of 27. Mahlandt also registered an NE DIII Qualifying time with her finish. Junior Catherine Xie (Newton, Mass.) and first year Carolyn Price (Koloa, Hawaii) finished 13th (42:40.48) and 14th (42:41.64), respectively, in the 10000m. For Xie, the time was a new collegiate-best and for Price the race was her first collegiate appearance in the event.

Wellesley track & field continues competition at the Silfen Invitational tomorrow morning.