The University of Rhode Island women’s track and field team traveled to Storrs, Connecticut to take part in the University of Connecticut Northeast Challenge and Worcester, Massachusetts to participate in the College of the Holy Cross Invitational over the weekend.
On Friday in Connecticut, the Rams took home two podium finishes. Third-year Katie Welsh cleared 3.60 meters in the pole vault to receive second place, and second-year Charlotte Moscovici surpassed the same mark in more attempts to finish in third place.
Along with Welsh and Moscovici, first-year Madelynn Gall took home seventh with a mark of 43.85 meters in the discus, second-year Olivia Priest finished eighth in the pole vault with a mark of 3.48 meters and first-year Allison Vigue took ninth in the pole vault by clearing 3.36 meters.
The highlight of the day for the Rams was fifth-year Megan Wood’s winning throw of 49.48 meters in the discus, marking the third-best throw in program history.
“We were fortunate with the weather this weekend,” URI Head Coach Laurie Feit-Melnick said. “We had a small group go to UConn, and that was basically throwers and pole vaulters, which led to a very successful day.”
On Saturday at Holy Cross, the Rams secured 149 points total as a team, with four individual event wins and a relay victory.
It was a big day for the runners, beginning in the 400-meter, with fifth-year Sydney Federico taking home the win with a time of 55.02 seconds, just slightly beating out Holy Cross’ fourth-year Haley Murphy by .12 seconds. Third-year Lily Saul also brought home a victory for the Rams, capturing the 800-meter by nearly three full seconds with a time of 2:06.60.
In the 4×100-meter, first-year Nyah Santana, Federico, second-year Abigail Colella and third-year Odette van Wyk won with a time 45.84 seconds, beating out Holy Cross by over half a second. Staying in the relay, Colella, Saul, Santana and third-year Joyce London placed second in the 4×400-meter with a time of 3:49.20.
Along with the victories in the 400m, 800m and the relay races, the Rams took home nine more podium finishes, helping URI secure third place overall at the invitational.
“We had two solid meets,” Feit-Melnick said. “I definitely feel like we took advantage of a good weather situation, but everyone has to continue to work hard and take care of themselves, and we’ll keep getting better every day.”
With only two more events and just a couple of weeks before the Atlantic 10 Conference Championship, Feit-Melnick and the rest of the team have their sights set on improving their standing from the indoor championship.
“We are definitely looking forward to the championship,” Feit-Melnick said. ”We feel like things are coming together, but it comes from everyone contributing. You have to be on top of everything and take care of yourself to give our team the best shot at the championship to hopefully place higher than we did indoors.”
The Rams will continue to prepare for the championship this week as they travel to Philadelphia on Thursday, April 23 for the University of Pennsylvania Relays and to New Britain, Connecticut on Friday for the Blue Devil Invite.
