RESULTS
When and Where: April 29, 2017 – Easton, Mass. (Stonehill College)
Result: Southern New Hampshire University – 43 (6th/11)
Sophomore Ashley Elder (Bristol, Conn.) captured the discus throw and finished first amongst NCAA Division II competitors in the hammer throw, while senior Sahara Brown (Center Barnstead, N.H.) took the top spot in the javelin for the fifth consecutive meet on Saturday as the Southern New Hampshire University women's track and field team finish sixth at the 10th Annual Skyhawk Invitational on the campus of Stonehill College.
Elder dominated in the discus and outdistanced her next closest competitor by more than three full meters to earn 10 points. Her throw of 44.04 meters (144 feet, 6 inches) was the farthest of any student-athletes Divisions I, II or III, qualified her for the New England championships and cleared second place by 3.10 meters (9 feet, 2 inches). Brown also took part in the discus, and checked in at No. 13 with a 32.84-meter (107 feet, 9 inches) showing. Senior Melissa Handy (Durham, Conn.) was third for the Penmen with a throw of 30.74 meters (100 feet, 10 inches).
Elder turned in a personal record in the hammer throw en route to a third-place finish overall and the top Division II mark. She whirled the weight 44.32 meters (145 feet, 5 inches), which garnered eight points and was behind only Grace Jones of the University of Rhode Island (48.65 meters) and Jonee Harrison of Bryant University (46.88 meters). Freshman Leah Carfagno (Billerica, Mass.) also competed in the hammer throw, and posted a top-25 performance and personal best of 24.71 meters (81 feet, 1 inch).
Brown set a new personal record and provisionally qualified for the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field National Championships with her javelin throw of 44.76 meters (146 feet, 10 inches). Brown best her previous benchmark of 43.07 meters, and qualified for the New England Outdoor Championships and garnered 10 points. Junior Ashlee Carper (Plattsburgh, N.Y.) slotted in next for Southern New Hampshire at No. 17 with a throw of 30.15 meters (98 feet, 11 inches). Carfagno cracked the top 20 with a 25.71-meter (84 feet, 4 inches) showing, and junior Amber Herrington (Burlington Township, N.J.) fired the spear 14.05 meters (46 feet, 1 inch) to come in at No. 25.
Southern New Hampshire continued its strong performance in the throws with the shot put, as five Penmen set new personal bests in the event. Handy topped the list of SNHU student-athletes with a new PR of 10.87 meters (35 feet, 8 inches), which was good enough for No. 13 overall. Carper followed with a new personal record of 10.10 meters (33 feet, 1.75 inches) to slide in at No. 15 before freshman Jalisa Allen (Foxboro, Mass.) generated an official distance of 9.10 meters (29 feet, 10.25 inches) to finish in the top-20. Carfagno was one spot behind Allen with a new best of 8.92 meters (29 feet, 3.25 inches), and Herrington joined junior Yawa Agbenowossi (Manchester, N.H.) in the two ensuing places with PR throws of 8.57 meters (28 feet, 1.5 inches) and 8.53 meters (28 feet), respectively.
Freshman Alanna Murphy (Nashua, N.H.) earned eight points for the Penmen in the triple jump after propelling herself 11.67 meters (38 feet, 3.5 inches). She also led the SNHU contingent in the long jump after a 5.27-meter (17 feet, 3.5 inches) showing, which was the fourth-best finish in Division II and 10th highest overall. Sophomore Kylie Lorenzen (Holliston, Mass.) was just behind her in both, as she was No. 5 in DII and No. 11 overall with a distance of 5.22 meters (17 feet, 1.5 inches). Herrington was next on the board for Southern New Hampshire in 4.89 meters (16 feet, one half inch), which was a personal record, and sophomore Sydney Blais (Pascoag, R.I.) rounded out the group with a 4.63-meter (15 feet, 2.25 inches) outing.
The Penmen racked up eight additional points in the relays, as both the 4x100-meter team and the 4x400-meter team finished in the top-three amongst Division II competition. The 4x400 team of Herrinton, Lorenzen freshman Jill Couto (Newton Junction, N.H.) and Blais totaled a time of four minutes, 6.58 seconds to finish fifth overall, second in Division II and earn five points. The 4x100 squad of Murphy, graduate student Gitara King (Manchester, N.H.), Blais and Lorenzen navigated the track in 50.03 seconds to secure three points after coming in seventh overall and third in DII.
The hurdles feature the establishing of three new personal benchmarks, as Murphy and freshman Natalie Gallagher (Windham, N.H.) had career performances. Murphy was second in Division II and No. 12 overall in the 100-meter hurdles in a time of 15.38 seconds, a new personal record and just .20 seconds from the overall top-10. Gallagher also netted a PR in the event in 16.74 seconds, and she set a new personal best in the 400-meter hurdles in one minute, 12.03 seconds.
Four Southern New Hampshire student-athletes turned in career-best performances in the 200-meter dash. Senior Skyler Shugrue (Worcester, Mass.) led the way for the Penmen in 27.43 seconds, a new personal record, and Blais added a PR of her own as she was one spot behind her in 27.48 seconds. King followed Blais in 27.63 seconds before Carper and freshman Megan Eugene (Everett, Mass.) went back-to-back in 28.69 and 28.78 seconds, respectively. Senior Megan Brown (Derry, N.H.) and junior Taylor Downs (West Lebanon, N.H.) rounded out the SNHU competitors with personal bests of 31.92 seconds and 33.92 seconds, respectively.
Freshman Jill Dieterich (Commack, N.Y.) posted a top-10 time and the second-fastest time in Division II in the 3000-meter run, as she cruised around the track in 11 minutes, 17.05 seconds to generate a new personal best. Couto also nabbed a top-five Division II finish and a PR in the 800-meter run in two minutes, 21.10 seconds. Junior Maddie Bardier (Pembroke, N.H.) checked in behind Couto in the 800-meter run in 2:40.95, and Eliane Cabral (Parts Unknown, Mass.) was behind Bardier with a personal record time of 3:17.13.
Three additional personal bests fell in the 100-meter dash, as Blais, Shugrue and Eugene turned in the fastest times of their careers. Blais led the charge in 13.14 seconds, which was No. 14 overall and one spot ahead of Shugrue, who's PR of 13.18 put her at No. 15. King checked in at No. 19 in 13.32 before Eugene clocked a personal record of 13.89. Megan Brown rounded out the Penmen contingent with an official time of 14.76.
The final two personal records set on Saturday took part in the 400-meter dash and the 1500-meter run. Eugene posted yet another PR in the 400-meter dash, as she generated a time of 1:05.63. Megan Brown also took part in the event and was just behind her in 1:16.54. The 1500-meter run saw senior Laura O'Hanlon (Dedham, Mass.) lead the pack in five minutes, 4.60 seconds. Bardier was next in for the Penmen in 5:16.21, and Cabral added a personal best time of 6:49.35 to complete the SNHU performance list.
Notes:
- Boston College captured the team title with a combined score of 217 points. The University of Rhode Island was next with 163 points, and the Rams were followed by the College of the Holy Cross (89.5), Stonehill College (83) and Boston University (44.5)
- Senior Devanee Ebert (Reading, Mass.) competed in the 5000-meter run, and completed the event in 22 minutes, 58.24 seconds.
- Carper also took part in the high jump and set a new personal best by clearing 1.35 meters (4 feet, 5 inches).
What's Next:
Southern New Hampshire is back in action Friday (May 5) when it heads to the Northeast-10 Conference Championship at Stonehill College.
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