RESULTS
When and Where: January 30, 2016 – Gorham, Maine (University of Southern Maine)
Result: Southern New Hampshire University (5th – 54.5)
Junior Laura O'Hanlon (Dedham, Mass.) captured the 3,000-meter run as the Southern New Hampshire University women's track & field team placed fifth overall Saturday at the University of Southern Maine Invitational III.
The Penmen totaled 54.5 points to finish behind Southern Maine (184.4), Bates College (169), Assumption College (91) and Smith College (90.4).
O'Hanlon ran the 3,000 meters in a time of 10 minutes, 54.99 seconds to edge the runner-up by 38-hundredths-of-a-second.
In the relays, SNHU's 4x200-meter relay squad of freshman Sydney Blais (Pascoag, R.I.), junior Skyler Shugrue (Worcester, Mass.), senior Gitara King (Manchester, N.H.) and freshman Mary Claffey (Burlington, Conn.) finished fourth in a time of 1:53.96 – just under four-and-a-half seconds off the pace. The 4x400 team of Claffey, freshman Gabby Richardson (Litchfield, N.H.), King and Shugrue checked in fourth at 4:28.41. The Penmen "B" team of sophomore Amber Herrington (Burlington Township, N.J.), Blais, freshman Maddie Holt (Seabrook, N.H.) and sophomore Maddie Bardier (Pembroke, Mass.) grabbed the fifth spot with a time of 4:38.11.
Richardson came in sixth in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:34.90, while King and Shugrue finished seventh and eighth, respectively, in the 55-meter dash with sprint times of 7.90 and 7.93.
Blais produced a seventh-place showing in the long jump with a leap of 4.57 meters, while Holt was right behind in eighth at 4.51. Holt's better showing came in the triple jump, where she was fifth with a distance of 9.45 meters. Bardier was close to follow with an eighth-place measurement of 8.67. Claffey also earned points for the Penmen in the high jump with an eighth-place mark of 1.43 meters.
In other field events, freshman Ashley Elder (Bristol, Conn.) finished fourth in the shot put with a heave of 11.34 meters and submitted a sixth-place toss of 12.87 meters in the weight throw. Junior Melissa Handy (Durham, Conn.) was sixth in the shot put (10.51m), while sophomore Melissa Melanson (Goffstown, N.H.) placed fourth in the weight throw (13.30m).
Notes:
-In the long jump, the Penmen quartet of Shugrue, Herrington, Claffey and Bardier placed ninth, 13th, 16th and 18th, respectively, with marks of 4.39 meters, 4.15, 3.92 and 3.81.
-Herrington was also 10th in the high jump with a leap of 1.38 meters.
-Freshman Rael Gallucci (Wilmington, Mass.) finished 10th in the 600-meter dash at 2:13.91.
Up Next:
The Penmen are back in action Saturday, March 26 when they compete at the Wesleyan University Spring Classic.
For the latest on Southern New Hampshire University athletics, follow the Penmen via social media on Twitter, Facebook, Youtube and Instagram. Sign up to receive text message alerts and e-mail newsletters about your favorite Penmen teams here.
