The University of Rhode Island women’s track and field team headed north on Interstate 95 to Worcester, Massachusetts to compete in the Holy Cross Invitational on Saturday, finishing third of seven teams.
The Rams totaled 97 points in the third-place finish. The host of the event, College of the Holy Cross, won the event with 180 points with the University of Massachusetts Amherst not too far behind in second place with 167 points.
Whether it was due to injuries, illnesses, weather or just having a dual meet scheduled, the Rams weren’t able to get most of their top scorers all in one place according to URI Head Coach Laurie Feit-Melnick. The stars aligned on Saturday though, as Rhody was able to compete as a (mostly) whole team for the first time this outdoor season.
“It was nice,” Feit-Melnick said. “It was really the first time this season we had almost everyone there.”
The scoring for the Rams was led by second-years Lily Saul and Jacqueline Edoro. Saul won the 800 meter in 2:11.05 and Edoro won the triple jump with a distance of 30’ 0.25”.
Saul was coming back from an illness that had sidelined her for the last two weeks of competing.
“It felt really good being back,” Saul said. “I think my favorite part was how our 4×400 meter team did so well and we ran a season-best so I was really happy about that.”
The 4×400 meter relay team of Saul and fourth-years Virsavia Goretoy, Sydney Federico and Amyah Santana finished in second place with a time of 3:53.07. They finished less than a second behind first-place finisher Holy Cross. Federico competed in the 400 meter as well, earning sixth place with a time of 58.21.
Goretoy also competed in the long jump, where she finished second place with a distance of 18’ 6.5”. Fifth-year Erynn Field secured eight points for the Rams with her second-place finish in the weight throw, tossing it 164’ 11”.
Third-year Kayla Clark came in third place in the 100 meter hurdles, and ran her collegiate best time of 14.48 seconds.
The Rams had four pole vaulters score a total of 13.5 points for the team. Fourth-year Caroline Larkin finished tied for third clearing a height of 10’ 11.75” adding five and a half points to the Rams’ total. Second-year Katie Welsh and first-year Olivia Priest also cleared 10’ 11.75” earning a fifth and sixth place finish, respectfully. Welsh earned four points while Priest earned three. Third-year Sophie Hagymas earned the Rams one point with her finish of a tie for seventh place going 10’ 6” in the air.
First-year Alyssa Yankee came in sixth place in the shot put throwing the shot put 123’ 7”.
The Rams 4×100 meter team of Goretoy, Federico, Santana and first-year Hileni Mor crossed the finish line in 48.96 seconds, which was good enough for fourth place in the event.
Four Rams had scoring finishes in the 1500 meter. Second-year Sofia Piccone led the group with a fourth-place finish of 4:44.42, third-year Erin Hurley got four points for her sixth-place finish of 4:47.29, first-year Madeline Till was a second behind Hurley for seventh place finishing in 4:48.69 and second-year Olivia Skapczynski got one point for the Rams with a ninth place finish of 4:53.96.
Second-year Linsey Arends, who finished seventh with a time of 2:17.08, and third-year Elise LePage, who finished eighth with a time of 2:17.22, competed in the 800 meter with Saul.
Second-year Alexis Zarr leaped 4’ 9.75” in the air for eighth place in the high jump. Fourth-year Brynne Wright competed in the 2000 meter steeplechase and finished eighth with a time of 8:37.75.
Moving forward, the Rams have a busy week ahead of them with their athletes going through finals, a dual meet this upcoming weekend and the Atlantic 10 Championships next weekend.
“The [spring] semester is always harder than the [fall] semester,” Saul said. “But I think what helps me is time management, putting my track practice around my school schedule.”
The Rams will look towards a dual meet scheduled this week with the Penn Relays in Philadelphia from Thursday to Saturday, and the Skyhawk Invitational in North Easton, Massachusetts on Saturday.