Posted: Apr 21, 2012

Longvall, Pfund capture titles

Victoria Beardwood (left), Coach Richard Ratcliff (center), and Rebecca Longvall share a laugh before Longvall won the javelin throw.

NEW LONDON, Conn. - Freshmen MaryElizabeth Pfund (Tenafly, N.J.) and Rebecca Longvall (Boylston, Mass.) scored victories in the 100m hurdles and the javelin respectively and led the Seahawks to an eighth place finish with 48 points at the Silfin Invitational held by Connecticut College.

Opening the scoring parade were sophomores Ema Waldschmidt (Verbank, N.Y.) and Danielle Schioppo (North Haven, Conn.) who both recorded personal bests in the 3000m Steeplechase. Waldschmidt was third in 12:59.57 and Schioppo recorded 13:32.71 for fourth.

Next was the 4x100m relay team of Kelsey Jacobsen (Albany, N.Y.), Pfund, Kelsey Knight (Amherst, N.H.) and Tara Ruddy (Sparta, N.J.) which sped to a sixth place finish in 52.93.
Pfund eclipsed the field in the hurdles race in 17.11 and was followed across the finish line in second place by Knight with a time of 17.64. Sophomore Karli Nuñez (Hampton Bays, N.Y.) also scored in a barrier race, finishing fifth in the 400m hurdles in 1:19.32.

The field eventers were also busy as Longvall recorded a collegiate best in winning the javelin with a heave of 114'11 and Victoria Newcomb (Hanson, Mass.) finished eighth in the discus with a collegiate best toss of 92'5.

"All in all it was a great day," remarked head coach Matt Hird. "Ten of our athletes recorded collegiate career bests and some by considerable margins. The team is really coming around."

The Seahawks compete next Saturday at the Commonwealth Coast Conference Invitational at Gordon College.