LANCASTER, Pa. - The Haverford College women's indoor track & field team competed on day one of the Centennial Conference Championships on Saturday at Franklin & Marshall. With finals of multiple events on the docket, early points were there for the taking. A handful of Fords put in solid performances to score points while others made statements in the preliminary rounds.
Katie Hirsche was the top finisher on the day for the Fords. Her third-place performance in the 5,000 meters secured a crucial six points for Haverford. Hirsche crossed the finish line in 17:54.86, four seconds off her personal best. The sophomore narrowly missed second place to Johns Hopkins' Triya Roy who finished in a time of 17:52.54. Hirsche will also be competing in the 3,000 meters on day two of the Championships.
Women's weight throw finals entertained the fans in attendance with some impressive throws. Among the top performers was Haverford's Sarah Wilcher. The first-year thrower obliterated her personal best on the year to finish fourth, earning four points. Wilcher's throw reached 13.58 meters (44 feet, 7 inches) which easily bettered the previous best of 12.82 meters (42 feet, 0.75 inches).
The 60-meter dash took center stage on day one. The preliminary heats saw five athletes break the eight-second mark in race, with the fastest coming from Johns Hopkins' standout Lauren Phillips. For Haverford, solidifying their places in the 60-meter finals was the duo of Jahsaiah Moses and Olivia D'Aulerio. Moses ran a personal best of 8.03, just missing out on the group of sub-8 sprinters. Her time placed her in a tie for fourth on Haverford's all-time list for the event.
D'Aulerio, who has also been setting the track on fire in 2023, finished as the seventh-best qualifier with 8.05, also matching her personal best. Both will compete in tomorrow's final looking to score valuable points and go toe to toe with the conference's best.
Haverford took part in three relay events on day one at F&M. The distance medley relay just missed out on the scoring positions, finishing ninth. The team of Annemarie Wood, Rachel November, Isabel Thornberry, and Dominique Monroy finished with a time of 13:26.78.
In Haverford's second crack at relay points, the team grabbed five as the 4x200 meter relay team finished fourth. D'Aulerio and Moses were once again in action for what is a busy weekend for them both. In the 4x200, they were teamed up with Shahla Mukhtar and Isabel Thornberry. The quartet ran a season-best 1:46.12.
Lastly, Haverford's 4x800 meter relay team of Carly Priest, November, Wood, and Monroy finished sixth to grab three points. After the baton made its way around the track 16 times, the scoreboard read 10:25.65 as the team grabbed the final points available on the day.
After day one, the Fords sit in a tie for sixth place, scoring 19 points. With finals across a variety of events scheduled for Sunday, Haverford will look to move up the team standings. In events like the 60-meter dash, 200 meters, and 400 meters, the Fords can pick up a lot of points in a hurry. Sunday's Centennial Conference Championships day two is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m.