Photo Courtesy of Frank Poulin Sports Photography
La Crosse, WI --- Senior Briana Wise (Worcester, MA/Burncoat) and sophomore Alyssa Jasper (Rockland, MA) both competed on the last day of the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
Jasper had a heave of 131-3 (40.01m) for 12th overall as her finish bested her standing of 15th at last years national meet.
Wise placed ninth in the finals of the 200 meters with a time of 25.22. It marked the fourth-best split on the campaign for Wise, who wrapped up an outstanding senior year in her second-consecutive outdoor championship.
With five Lancers competing in this years championships, the Blue and Gold tied the record for the most participants they have ever sent to the NCAA Outdoor meet which was equaled last season and set by the men's program during the 1975 campaign.
Friday's Release | Brockton Enterprise Feature On Alyssa Jasper
La Crosse, WI --- Junior Christy Deininger (N. Attleboro, MA) placed 14th overall in the 100 meter hurdles with a split of 14.46 for a new program standard to help lead the Worcester State women's track and field team on the second day of the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships hosted by Wisconsin-La Crosse.
Deininger had the third-fastest time out of the five competitors from New England in the field. She improved her standing at the NCAAs from last season that saw her place 18th (14.57), which equaled her campaign best in 2012.
In other action on the track, senior Briana Wise (Worcester, MA/Burncoat) finished the 100 meters in 16th (12.28).
Wise actually had the same result as senior Laurie Jenkins (Columbia, CT) of Springfield, but Jenkins edged her out for the second fastest time among regional participants by 0.033 of a second.
La Crosse, WI --- Senior Briana Wise (Worcester, MA/Burncoat) qualified for the finals of the 200 meters with eighth place in the preliminary round at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships this evening hosted by the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.
As the only competitor from New England in the 200, Wise clocked a time of 24.57 which was the fourth-fastest time in the third heat as she moves on to Saturday's finals at 6:10 PM EST. Wise returned to this years NCAA meet as the National Runner-Up in search of the Worcester State's third individual national title.
Earlier on the track, the 4x100 meter relay team of Wise, junior Christy Deininger (N. Attleboro, MA) along with sophomore teammates Brittany Hodgerney (Leicester, MA) and Liz Bodensieck (Raynham, MA) placed 12th overall with a time of 48.06 – just 0.30 seconds off from stamping their ticket the finals in two days.
On Saturday, Wise will have to run near her school-record time of 24.28 to compete for the 200 meter crown as the top six times were below 24.35, which included Tiarra Goode (Huntsville, AL) of Birmingham-Southern who timed a 23.96 for the best overall time.
Right behind Wise in this year's race was defending champion, senior Mary Mahoney (Ashtabula, OH) of Mount Union, who tied for ninth (24.58). Goode was third overall at last year's national outdoor meet.
The 4x100 relay is the third Worcester State relay team to ever compete at the NCAA Division III Track & Field Championships as Deininger, Wise and Hodgerney all returned from last year's qualifying team. They join the elite company of Dan Ceminski and Lancer Hall of Famers Rich Riley, Art Belmonte and Mark Bockus who all helped set the Mile Relay program standard at the NCAAs in 1975 (3:16.00).