Worcester, MA --- Sophomore Mercedes Arnold (Mira Loma, CA) lined up first in the triple jump (10.47 meters) and second in the long jump (4.88m) to highlight eight Division III New England qualifying times as the Women’s Outdoor Track and Field team opened the season with a second place finish at the Worcester City Meet hosted by WPI.
The Engineer’s won the meet with 216 points followed by WSC’s total of 147 as Division II Stonehill finished in third with 140.5.
Other New England Championship qualifiers included junior Andrea Ouellette’s (Salisbury, MA) second place leap in the triple jump (10.24m), first-year Leah Walczak’s (Whitinsville, MA) second-best time in the 400 (1:00.58) and classmate Cathy Chude’s (Marlboro, MA) third place toss in the shot put (10.56m). Freshman Kayle McElroy (Rutland, MA) also punched her ticket in the 400 meter hurdles (1:09.12) and the javelin (34.35m) while sophomore Nicole Lemelin (Beverly, MA) added sixth in the 100 (13:33).
Sophomore Maura Withington (West Palm Beach, FL) capped off her day by eclipsing the school record in the 3,000 meter steeplechase (12:45.80) with a first place finish. Freshman Rose Mathieu (Somerville, MA) also had a solid meet as she took fourth in the long jump (4.57m), and fifth in both the triple jump (9.59m) and 400 meter run (1:05.73).
Arnold and Walczak also placed fourth (27.55) and sixth (28.57) in the 200, respectively, while Withington added ninth in the 800 (2:40.91).
Freshman Kristen Brunelle (Dracut, MA) threw fourth in the shot put (10.56m) and sixth in the discus (28.82m) in her first meet of the year while junior Christina Bisbee (Attleboro, MA) tacked on eighth in the hammer (30.98m). First-year Court McCarthy (Worcester, MA/St. Peter-Marian) recorded fifth in the pole vault (2.00 m) as McElroy rounded out the field in 12th in the shot put (9.10m).
Second-year Meg Plant (Franklin, MA) notched eighth in both the 800 (2:37.90) and 1,500 (5:20.22) while freshman Brittany Grueter (Foxboro, MA) placed fourth in the 10,000 (43:05.59).
The Lancers did well in the 100 meter hurdles as rookie Steph Muse (Chemlsford, MA), Ouellette, freshman Natlie Marchi (Northbridge, MA), Chaude and McElroy finished sixth (17.90), seventh (18.07), eighth (18.43), ninth (18:53) and tenth (19:37) in the 100 meter hurdles, respectively.
In the 100 meter run, sophomore Sarah Rafferty (Uxbridge, MA) registered seventh (13.46) as she was followed by freshman Alicia Ryan’s (Townsend, MA) eighth place finish (13.53).
The 4x100 meter relay team took first with a time of 51.48.
Worcester State continues its season when they head to Fitchburg State next Saturday.