RESULTS
When and Where: February 18, 2017 – Boston, Mass. (Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center)
Result: Southern New Hampshire University – 12th/12 (11)
Freshman Jill Dieterich (Commack, N.Y.) registered three top-10 finishes and three personal records on Saturday, as the Southern New Hampshire University women's track and field team took part in the 2017 Northeast-10 Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships. The Penmen totaled 11 points on Saturday to finish No. 12 overall.
Dieterich helped in generating all of Southern New Hampshire's 11 points, as she was part of the third-place distance medley relay team that generated six points, the sixth-place 4x800-meter relay team which produced three points, and her seventh-place showing in the 800-meter run added the final two points.
SNHU's strongest showing came from its relay teams, which posted top-10 finishes in each of their three events. The DMR team of Dieterich, junior Amber Herrington (Burlington Township, N.J.), freshman Jill Couto (Newton Junction, N.H.) and classmate Madison Brand (Valhalla, N.Y.) was third overall in a time of 12 minutes, 55.57 seconds, which is a program best in the race. The 4x800-meter relay team of Couto, junior Maddie Bardier (Pembroke, N.H.), Dieterich and Brand also turned in a PR in 10:06.84, which was good enough for sixth. The 4x400-meter relay team, which was made up of Herrington, sophomore Sydney Blais (Pascoag, R.I.), senior Skyler Shugrue (Worcester, Mass.) and freshman Alanna Murphy (Nashua, N.H.) clocked an official time of 4:15.04 to finish No. 10.
Dieterich and Couto also generated top-10 finishes and personal bests in the 800-meter run and the 500-meter run. Dieterich was seventh with a personal record of two minutes, 25.44 seconds in the 800-meter, while Couto cruised to a ninth-place showing in the 500-meter with a time of 1:21.87.
Sophomore Ashley Dennis (Coventry, R.I.) set a new personal standard in the 5000-meter run, and Brand narrowly missed out on her second top-10 of the evening in the mile run. Dennis crossed the line in 20 minutes flat, a personal best, and Brand navigated the track in 5:30.85, which put her at No. 12 overall and a mere three seconds outside the top-10.
Shugrue and freshman Savannah Reinitzer (Litchfield, N.H.) rounded out the track events for the Penmen in the 200-meter dash and the 400-meter dash. Shugrue clocked a time of 28.07 seconds in the 200-meter, while Reinitzer completed the 400-meter in 1:09.86.
Sophomore Ashley Elder (Bristol, Conn.) led the way for Southern New Hampshire in the field events, as she finished No. 13 in both the shot put and the weight throw. Elder tossed the shot put a distance of 11.48 meters (37 feet, 8 inches), and whirled the weight 13.34 meters (43 feet, 9.25 inches). Senior Melissa Handy (Durham, Conn.) also took part in the shot put, and her throw of 10.38 meters (34 feet, .75 inches) was good enough for No. 22 in the event. Junior Melissa Melanson (Goffstown, N.H.) competed in the weight throw, and her 12.07-meter (39 feet, 7.25 inches) performance put her at No. 21.
In the jumps, SNHU featured two student-athletes in the top-20 and a third who put forth a new personal best. Murphy turned in the highest finish in the triple jump after traveling 10.40 meters (34 feet, 1.5 inches) to slot in at No. 15. Herrington cleared 1.47 meters (4 feet, 9.75 inches) on the high jump to come in at No. 19, and junior Ashlee Carper (Plattsburgh, N.Y.) generated a new personal record in the long jump after a 4.65-meter (15 feet, 3.25 inches) showing.
Notes:
- Stonehill College captured the women's team title with a combined 151 points. Southern Connecticut State University finished second with 135 points, and the Owls were followed by Adelphi University (89), American International College (75.50) and the University of New Haven (66.50).
What's Next:
The Penmen return to the Reggie Lewis Center on Friday (February 24) for the New England Championships, which will conclude on Saturday, February 25.
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