Blue Track & Field Takes Sixth at NEWMAC Championship

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - Wellesley College track & field earned multiple top-three finishes to place sixth in this year's New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Championship hosted by MIT at the Sherie and Don (1961) Morrison Track.

Host MIT claimed their 13th NEWMAC title on Sunday, leading the competition with 243.5 points. The Engineers were followed by Coast Guard in second with 138 points, and WPI in third with 135 points. Springfield (102), Babson (55), Wellesley (47), Wheaton (39), Smith (23.5), and Mount Holyoke (18) rounded out the field.

Senior Ellie Murphy-Weise (San Francisco, Calif.) made the NEWMAC All-Conference Second Team in the 3000 meter steeplechase by running an 11:19.40 to claim second. First year Simone Beauchamp (Aurora, Colo.) had a personal best 12:01.40 in the event to take fourth.

Sophomore Aoife Fitzgerald (Paxton, Mass.) grabbed the bronze in the 400 meter hurdles with a 1:06.85 that was not only her best, but only .59 seconds off of Wellesley's program record. Senior Claire Anderson (Denver, Colo.) was third in the 5000 meter race with a time of 17:51.68

Fitzgerald and first year Charlie Barron (Chattanooga, Tenn.) both had PRs in the 400 meter race with a 1:00.44 and 1:00.65 to collect sixth and seventh in the event.

First year Ella Whinney (Madison, Wis.) placed fourth in the 1500 meter race with a personal best 4:40.90. Whinney later took 10th in the 800 meter event with a 2:22.73 while first year Aleah Ghiasuddin (Newburyport, Mass.) was just behind in 11th with a new best 2:23.02. Barron, Whinney, Ghiasuddin, and Fitzgerald ran a 4:09.77 for fourth in the 4x400 meter relay to earn points for Wellesley.

Sophomore Ria Goveas (Bangalore, India), first year Sara Maeve Klingensmith (Chapel Hill, N.C.), junior Taylor Quaye (Redondo Beach, Calif.) and sophomore Merete Ogah (Austin, Texas) had a season best 50.35 relay to earn seventh place. Klingensmith also has a personal record in the 200 meter dash with a 26.86, good for 13th place.

Junior Emily Doyle (Mobile, Ala.) was eighth in the discus throw with 31.39m. Senior Ariel Traver (Palo Alto, Calif.) set a PR in the triple jump with 10.45m to place ninth.

Wellesley will compete in the New England Division III Championships next Friday and Saturday at Springfield College.