NEW YORK & STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. – Highlighted by junior Samiyah Little breaking the school record in the weight throw, the East Stroudsburg University women's track and field team had a successful day at both the Lions Indoor and STAC Spartan Invitationals on Friday at the 168th Street Armory and Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex.
On her second attempt of the day, Little launched the weight 17.72m (58-1 ¾) to eclipse the school record mark of 16.92m (55-6 ½) set by Me'Saj Cross in 2020 as well as her personal-best throw of 15.48m (51-11 ¾) at last year's Bison Open and Multi. The junior went on to earn a runner-up finish in the event as well as an NCAA provisional mark, which currently ranks 12th in Division II.
PSAC Automatic Qualifiers
A handful of Warriors recorded PSAC automatic qualifying times and marks in the season-opener including Destiny Thompson (60m), Bri Hennett (3000m), Nickolina Annelli (pole vault), Elizabeth Makar (weight throw) and Little (weight throw).
Lions Indoor Invitational
Running Highlights
After Makayla Smith advanced to the finals in the 60m hurdles (9.69), the freshman notched an eighth place finish in the finals after clocking a time of 9.68.
After clocking a PSAC automatic qualifying and fastest time (7.70) in the 60m prelims, Thompson returned to the finals with a fourth place finish after crossing the line in 7.81.
In the 500m, freshman Aaliyah Cancel recorded a fourth place finish with a time of 1:20.33 in her ESU debut.
The Warriors closed out the day on the track with a ninth place finish in the 4x400m as Cancel, Chloe Domurat, Kayla Horning and Anna Roth registered a time of 4:14.25.
Field Event Highlights
Little captured a second place finish in the weight throw following her school-record toss of 17.72m (58-1 ¾), while two-time All-American Makar finished fourth with a PSAC automatic qualifying mark of 16.25m (53-3 ¾) on her final attempt.
Annelli captured a first place finish in the pole vault as she cleared the bar at a PSAC automatic qualifying height of 3.60m (11-9 ¾) on her final attempt, while freshman Reese Ruggiero finished eighth with a mark of 3.15m (10-4).
In the high jump, senior Elyssa Pemu matched her season-best height and finished in a tie for fourth after eclipsing the bar at 1.57m (5-1 ¾) on her first attempt.
Junior Madison Horahan notched an eighth place finish in the shot put with a throw of 11.54m (37-10 ½) on her final toss.
ESU concluded the field events with the triple jump as freshman Anna Roth took ninth with a leap of 10.63m (34-10 ½) on her first attempt.
STAC Spartan Invitational
Running Highlights
Hennett, who was honored as the 2023 PSAC Freshman of the Year for cross country, picked up right where she left off as the freshman took fifth in the 3000m after crossing the line in an ESU freshman record time of 10:29.71. Hennett surpassed Corinne Fitzgerald's previous mark of 10:42.43 set in 2010. Freshmen Payton Falkenstein (10:48.59) and Carla Bautista (10:49.07) finished seventh and eighth respectively, while graduate student Holly Chambers (10:50.58) rounded out the top-10.
Field Event Highlights
In her ESU debut, freshman Trinity Lucas finished just outside the top-10 for the shot put in 11th with a throw of 10.91m (35-9 ½).
Up Next
ESU is back on the road next Saturday as the Warriors travel to Lehigh's Rauch Fieldhouse for the Moravian Invite at 10 a.m.
