WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. – The East Stroudsburg University women's track and field team concluded the Monmouth Spring Opener on Saturday by recording six PSAC automatic qualifying marks at Kessler Stadium.
Posting conference qualifying marks of time in their respective events for ESU was Destiny Thompson (200m), Carla Bautista (1500m), Payton Falkenstein (5000m), Megan Elgrim (3000m steeplechase), Nickolina Annelli (pole vault) and Anna Roth (triple jump).
Running Highlights
Enroute to a third place finish in the 5000m, Falkenstein eclipsed a 21-year-old freshman record in the event as the first-year student ran a time of 17:50.91 to surpass Vanessa Andes' mark of 18:02.90 held since 2003. Freshman Kelly Martin took 12th with a time of 18:51.72.
On her way to a 16th place finish in the 1500m, Carla Bautista clocked a PSAC automatic qualifying time of 4:54.92 to lead four other Warriors which included Holly Chambers (5:04.91 – 28th), Gabriela Orama (5:12.89 – 32nd), Kiera Wimbush (5:26.60 – 36th) and Jada Williams (5:54.72 – 43rd).
In the 3000m steeplechase, Elgrim posted a personal-best and PSAC automatic qualifying mark to finish third, while Alycia Smith was right behind in fourth place at 12:50.71.
Bautista led five freshmen in the 800m as she took fourth place after crossing the line in 2:23.48. Hannah Skelly rounded out the top-10 at 2:26.86 while Orama (2:29.15), Tara Haring (2:32.79), Wimbush (2:35.96) and Abby Kolb (2:43.71) finished 14th, 16th, 19th and 21st respectively.
Thompson paced five Warriors in the 200m as the graduate student finished eighth place with a conference qualifying time of 25.40. Ariel Kyle (26.11 – 8th), Aaliyah Cancel (26.58 – 21st), Alyssa Vogt (27.59 – 40th) and LeAnn Grier (28.23 – 47th) also competed for ESU.
Thompson was back on the track for the 400m, where she took ninth place after crossing the line in 1:00.36, while Carolina Kaczmarek (1:08.61) took 37th.
In the 100m, Vogt (13.36) finished 26th and Grier (13.52) took 31st in the 100m dash, while Makayla Smith (16.03) and Elyssa Pemu (16.67) were 13th and 17th place respectively in the 100m hurdles.
Smith finished just outside the top-10 in the 400m hurdles as the freshman was 11th with a time of 1:10.03.
In the 4x100m relay, the combination of Chloe Domurat, Thompson, Kamya Edmonds and Kyle recorded a time of 48.27 to finish in fourth place.
Field Highlights
Annelli finished as the runner-up in the pole vault as the senior cleared the bar at a PSAC automatic qualifying height of 3.55m (11-7 ¾) on her second attempt, whole freshman Reese Ruggiero took 11th at 3.05m (10-0).
In the triple jump, Roth took fourth place with a conference mark of 11.07m (36-4) on her first leap, which ranks 10th all-time in school history, while fellow classmate Samantha Rosado took sixth at 10.94m (35-10 ¾).
Senior Olivia Sforza notched a fourth place finish in the javelin with a throw of 34.81m (114-3) and Trinity Lucas took 16th at 23.27m (76-4).
Edmonds paced a trio of Warriors in the triple jump as the senior leaped 5.37m (17-7 ½) on her second attempt to take fourth place.
Lucas turned her attention to the shot put where the freshman rounded out the top-10 at 9.20m (30-2 ¼).
In the high jump, Pemu finished 11th after clearing the bar at 1.50m (4-11), while Edmonds eclipsed 1.45m (4-9) in her first time ever competing in the event.
Up Next
ESU is back on the road next Friday and Saturday as the Warriors travel to the two-day Millersville Metrics
