Fitchburg State Takes On Pioneer Invite
4X100m relay team of Woolley, Zbikowski, Remie and Steele post DIII NE qualifying time of 53.45 seconds
NORTHAMPTON, Mass. – The Fitchburg State University women's outdoor track and field team competed in the 2016 Pioneer Invitational, hosted by Smith College this afternoon.
Junior Morgan Steele paced the Falcons, placing second overall in the hammer throw with a second place DIII NE qualifying toss of 41.49m as well as adding a sixth place effort in the shot put with MASCAC qualifying throw of 10.14 meters.
The 4x100 meter relay team of Steele, sophomores Annie Woolley and Amanda Remie and junior Sadie Zbikowski notched a DIII New England qualifying time of 53.45 seconds, while sophomore Shawna Ryan turned in a post-season qualifying time of 76.61 seconds in the 400m hurdles with an eighth place finish.
On the track, Woolley registered a PR and MASCAC qualifying time of 27.08 seconds in the 200m as well as placing fourth in the 100 meter with a post-season qualifying time of 13.34 seconds, while in the 1500m sophomores Nicole Gaffney (5:05.88) and Casey Taylor (5:28.73) qualified for MASCAC's.
Senior Jessica Mangan notched an eighth place effort in the 5000 meter with a post-season qualifying time of 20:27.17, while Zbikowski added a MASCAC qualifying time of 66.45 seconds in the 400 meter.
In the field, Zbikowski registered a DIII NE qualifying vault of 3.06m with a second place finish in the pole vault, while sophomore Michaella Vecchiarelli placed sixth in the pole vault with a MASCAC qualifying mark of 2.60m.
Freshman Molly Atkinson continued her solid start to the season, placing second in the javelin with a DIII NE qualifying toss of 35.50m, while junior Emilee Felton (33.37m) and newcomer Jaquelyn Manyak (27.43m) qualified for MASCAC's in the javelin.
In the discus, Atkinson (28.03m) and classmate Soraya Auguste (27.15m) qualified for MASCAC'S, while sophomore Holly Sessler placed sixth overall in the high jump with a post-season qualifying mark of 1.42m.
Junior Melody Francis collected a sixth place finish in the triple jump with a MASCAC qualifying jump of 9.65m, while in the long jump, Francis (4.60m) and Atkinson (4.29m) qualified for MASCAC's to round out the top Falcon efforts on the afternoon.
The Fitchburg State women's outdoor track & field team return to action next Saturday as it hosts the 2016 Eric Loeschner Memorial Invite at Elliot Field, starting at 10 a.m.
