Seahawks to compete in regional championships

NEWPORT, R.I. - Seven Seahawks have qualified for the New England Division III Track and Field Championships to be held at Springfield College on Friday, May 6 and continuing through Saturday, May 7.

On Friday, Chrissy Fraga (Milford, Mass.) will start her competition on the seven-event heptathlon. Starting with the 100m hurdles, Fraga will continue with the high jump, shot put and 200m on Day 1. Saturday morning will see her contest the long jump and javelin before finishing with the 800m. Each event awards a point total based on the result of each event. The points for each event are totaled at the end to determine overall placing. Fraga is looking to improve on her tenth place finish in last year's meet.

On Friday evening three Seahawks will toe the line for the grueling 10,000 meters. The six-plus mile event requires 25 laps of the track. Victoria Varone (Providence, R.I.), Shannon Holden (Hingham, Mass.) and Alex Demeo (Burlington, Mass.) will be battling 24 other runners.

In addition to the second day of the heptathlon, Saturday will also feature Erin Gunther (Sayville, N.Y.) in the triple jump, Natalie Kopiec (Manchester, Conn.) in the 400m hurdles, and Raquel Pouliot (Coventry, Conn.) in the 800m.

Salve Regina will also enter three quartets in the relays. Fraga, Taylor Donaldson (Clinton, Conn.), Kopiec and Erin McCarthy (Walpole, Mass.) will contest the 4 x 100m relay, while Aubrey Palmquist (Bristol, Conn.), Alexa Cipkas (Granby, Conn.), Ann Mozzer (Agawam, Mass.) and Holden will compete in the 4 x 800m relay. The meet will close with Pouliot, Donaldson, Kopiec, and Devin Smith (Ipswich, Mass.) looking to improve their own school record in the 4 x 400m relay.

Seven individually qualified athletes are the most that Salve Regina has sent to the New England Track and Field Championships for over a decade and the 14 strong contingent is a participation record.