Seahawks take six firsts at Wesleyan invitational

MIDDLETOWN, Conn. - Six Seahawks placed first in their events and six others took second place as Salve Regina University women's track and field performed well in the non-scoring meet held under cloudy and intermittently rainy skies.

Additionally, a school record was broken and another Seahawk has qualified for the New England Championships.

Natalie Kopiec (Manchester, Conn.) captured the two hurdle races, clocking a 17.15 in the 100m hurdles and 69.72 seconds in the 400m hurdles. Devin Smith (Ipswich, Mass.) copped the high jump crown in only her second collegiate attempt. The final result was settled only after a jump-off as Devin and a jumper from Pace were both without misses until 1.50m (4'11"). Smith settled for a winning jump of 1.45m (4'9').

Madison Stanley (Warwick, RI) bested all her competitors in the triple jump as she hopped, stepped and jumped to the tune of 10.91m (31'9.5"), only one centimeter off her school record breaking and New England Division III Championship qualifying effort of a week before. Following Stanley in second place was teammate Erin Gunther (Sayesville, NY) with a similar New England Division III Championship qualifying mark of 10.75m (35'3.75").

In the Discus Katie Simoniello (Killingworth, Conn.) twirled her implement to a first place distance of 29.34m (93'3").

Alex Demeo (Burlington, Mass) started the running events off with a personal best and winning performance in the 5000m of 18:55.25. Demeo and fellow distance ace Victoria Varone (Providence, RI) have already qualified for the New England Division III Championship in the grueling 10,000m.

Garnering second place berths were Raquel Pouliot (Coventry, Conn) with a seasons best 2:23..66 in the 800m, Stanley in the 200m (27.04), Varone in the 5000m (19:26.69). Tiffany Davila eclipsed her own school hammer mark in placing second with a heave of 36.97m (121'3") while Elicia Nemirow (Warwick, RI) launched her javelin 28.91m (94'10) also good for second place.

Additionally, the 4x400m relay team of Smith, Stanley, Pouliot and Annie Mozzer (Agawam, Mass.) sped to a 4:26.52 clocking, good for another second place.

"The team is rounding into shape", opined head coach Matt Hird. "Our athletes are starting to hit the performances they expect to achieve after the execrable weather of the early spring and warmer temperatures and their training are starting to show good results. We have qualified five individuals for the New England Division III Champions with more knocking on the door."

"Next week we compete in the conference championships at Portsmouth High School as we try to defend the championship we won last year. It will be a dog fight but I know our outstanding student-athletes will be up to the challenge."