Boston, MA --- Junior Brittany Hodgerney (Leicester, MA) and classmate Amanda Caldarone (Danvers, MA) both qualified for the ECAC Division III Championships in their respective events as they helped lead the Worcester State women's indoor track and field team this evening at the Boston University Valentine Invitational.
The Lancers used the opportunity of BU's famed bank track to put up some solid splits before competing at the MASCAC/Alliance Championships next weekend at Southern Maine.
The non-scoring meet featured strong competition from around the region that included schools from all three Divisions and several local track clubs.
Hodgerney placed 104th – 25th among Division III schools – in the 200 (26.57) and Caldarone had the best leap of her campaign with 20th in the long jump (16-11.50/5.17 meters) for the second-best mark for a Division III competitor.
Senior Christy Deininger (N. Attleboro, MA) also had a stellar evening by placing 23rd in the 60 meter hurdles (9.15) and 38th in the 60 (8.08) – which were clocked at season-bests. Her time in the hurdles was second overall for a Division III athlete and her short sprint in the 60 was fourth lowest among divisional standouts.
Hodgerney also added 56th in the 60 (8.18 – 12th Division III) while Caldarone was 66th in the 60 meter hurdles (9.95 – 16th Division III).
In the 400, sophomore Emily Riehl (Trumbull, CT) placed 102nd (1:00.82) and junior Alexandria McMahon (E. Longmeadow, MA) was right behind in 104th (1:01.00) as both stamped their ticket to the Division III New England Championships.
Freshman Jessica Krafft (Milford, NH), classmate Aliya-Marie Melville (Worcester, MA/South), junior Alyssa Jasper (Rockland, MA) and sophomore Nichole Tillery (Auburn, MA) placed 141st (27.22), 146th (27.24), 155th (27.37) and 172nd (27.66), respectively. The times for Krafft, Tillery and Melville are collegiate personal-best splits.
The 4x400 meter relay of Reihl leading off, Jasper second, McMahon at anchor and junior Kim West (Harvard, MA) in the third spot took home 38th overall (4:08.57) for an ECAC Championship standard.
In the field, senior Hannah Werneth (N. Yarmouth, ME) was 21st in the shot put (37-10/11.53m) and second-year Hanna Carson (Natick, MA) chalked up 27th (36-02.25/11.03m).
Sophomore Dalena Le (Worcester, MA/Doherty) had a personal best mark in the triple jump (33-7/10.24m) for 39th place and classmate Francesca Casasanta (Hopkinton, MA) rounded out the competators with 32-9.50 (10.00m) with a finish of 41st.
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