BOSTON, Mass. - A school-record performance by the 4x800-meter relay team moved the Navy women's track team into second place at the end of Saturday's opening day of the Patriot League Indoor Track & Field Championship at the Track & Tennis Center in Boston.
Navy totaled 53 points through five events and trails defending-champion Boston (59) by six points with 13 events remaining to be decided Sunday.
The 4x800-meter relay race was the final event contested on Saturday. The team of
Lexi Ensor,
Julia Blake,
Reilly Nussbaum and
Mia-Claire Kezal placed third with its school-record time of 8:48.30. That effort surpassed the previous mark of 8:50.44 set in 2022.
"It was a very good way to end the night with a school record," remarked Navy Director of Track & Field
Jamie Cook. "Coach (Kim) Lewnes was very strategic on who to use in the relay, and it paid off."
"We qualified a lot of people in the track events, which is the objective on the first day. Tomorrow is a new day and we will see where we are."
In addition to the bronze medal won by the relay team, silver medals were won by
Sophie Compton in the 5,000 meters and
Sara McConnell in the pentathlon.
Track Events
Compton claimed the second-place finish in the 5,000 meters with a personal-best time of 16:46.38, the fifth-fastest mark in program history. She also advanced to the mile final after placing second in the semifinal in 4:49.15.
Sophia Richter won her 400-meter semifinal in a time of 54.41, the fourth-fastest time in school history, to advance to Sunday's final. She later posted the third-fastest 200-meter time in program history (24.281) to qualify for the final in the event.
Jia Anderson also advanced to the 200 final as she tied her season-best time of 24.52 to place sixth, while
Julienne Warner claimed the eighth and final qualifying spot in 24.63.
Navy qualified three athletes for the 60-meter final.
Caroline Rey led the group with a third-place semifinal time of 7.56, which tied the second-fastest mark in program history. Also, Warner placed fifth (7.633) and Anderson finished in sixth place (7.636).
In the 60-meter hurdles, Anderson paced the Midshipmen with a second-place semifinal time of 8.46. Rey (8.69) and Zoe Eastman-Grosssel (8.84) each recorded career-best times to finish fourth and seventh, respectively, and also advance to the final.
Kezal led Navy in the 800-meter semifinals with a personal-best 2:08.07 to finish in fifth place and qualify for the final. Her time ranks fourth in program history.
Field Events
Olivia Baird placed fourth in the pole vault as she cleared 3.80 meters (12-05.50).
Sophia Hill also cleared 3.80 meters, but placed fifth based on attempts.
Elisa Ramos and
Aurora Cieslukowski tied for sixth place after each cleared 3.70 meters (12-01.50) on their first attempt.
In the long jump,
Bennett Pidro recorded a personal-best and season-best mark of 5.75 meters (18-10.50) to finish in fifth place.
Zoie Tesi placed seventh with a jump of 5.60 meters (18-04.50).
Nalina Smith finished eighth in the weight throw with a mark of 16.57 meters (54-04.50).
Multi Events
McConnell earned her first Patriot League Indoor Championship medal with her second-place pentathlon effort of 3,527 points. Highlighting her effort, she tied for first place in the high jump with Lehigh's Anna Troutman, clearing a career-best 1.66 meters (5-05.25) and placed third in the 800 meters with a personal-best time of 2:21.20.
Pidro placed fourth with 3,495 points, ChiChi Obasi finished in fifth place with 3,249 points and
Morgan Blackford took eighth place with 3,156 points.
Patriot League Indoor Championship Day One Team Scores
1. Boston: 59
2. Navy: 53
3. Army: 42
4. Lehigh: 29
5. Bucknell: 20
6. Holy Cross: 18
7. Colgate: 8
8. Loyola (Md.): 4
9. Lafayette: 1
10. American: 0
