HAVERFORD, Pa. - The Haverford College women's track & field team hosted the Seamus McElligott Invitational Saturday inside the Alumni Field House. The meet was the first home-meet of the 2023-24 indoor season.
The first home meet also was the annual Play With Pride Meet, which celebrated Haverford's LGBTQ+ community members and supported advocacy by and for the LGBTQ+ community. Play with Pride events occurred this past week on campus, including Play with Pride Men's and Women's basketball games on January 25, as well as the Men's and Women's Play With Pride Squash matches on January 27.
The McElligott Invitational actually started on the evening of Friday, January 26, as four throwing events took place inside the Schwartz Athletic Center on the campus of Widener University.
In the women's shot put on Friday night, Sophomore Sarah Wilcher launched the shot put a whopping 12.3 meters (40 feet, four-and-a-quarter inches), placing second overall. The astounding hurl marked another new personal-best for the sophomore, and the third-best all time indoor mark in school history, beating out her previous record of 40 feet and three inches.
Making her shot put debut, Ella Fleming placed 10th in the event, tossing 6.99 meters (22 feet, 11.25 inches). In the weight throw, Wilcher was the lone competitor for the Scarlet and Black, tossing 11.5 meters (37 feet, seven-and-a-quarter inches) to finish 14th overall.
Women's shot put action also took place on Saturday, January 27, inside the Alumni Field House, as Haverford had two competitors throw in the event. Junior Summer Ryan placed 13th, with a distance of 8.72 meters (28 feet, seven-and-a-half inches). Her teammate Rachita Kumar, launched the shot put 7.88 meters (25 feet, 10.25 inches), establishing a new personal-record to place 20th overall in the competition.
Over at the pole vault, Alice Creed cleared a distance of 2.75 meters (Nine feet and a quarter inch), to snag third place in the competition. In the jumping pit, first-year jumper Grace Hannigan made her debut in the long-jump, grabbing 12th place after leaping a distance of 4.60 meters (15 feet, 1.25 inches).
Krysta Nichols achieved a new personal-record in the mile, crushing her previous time of 5:49.86 by four seconds to cross the final line in 5:45.30, securing eighth place. Not too far behind Nichol was Poppy Chrisman who made her debut in the event. Chrisman raced to a 5:57.94 finish, placing 13th.
Just like Nichols, Audrey Carter also achieved a new personal-best in the mile, completing the trek in 6:01.83, beating her previous time by just under an amazing 15 seconds. The improved time for Carter, landed her 15th place. Senior Theresa Haupt made her debut in the competition as well, ending the race with a time of 6:07.88 to finish right behind Carter in 16th place. Other notable finishers in the mile for the Scarlet and Black were Judy Xie (24th-place, 6:35.82) and Claire Parsons (25th place, 6:37:80), both of whom made their first appearances in the event.
Competing for the first time in the 800 meters, Savannah Shaw flew around the track, crossing the finish line with a time of 2:26.18, taking fifth place overall. Just behind Shaw was Anastaysia Jacobs, who ran in the 800 meter race for the first time. Jacobs completed the dash in 2:30.41, claiming seventh place. Another 800 meter debutant, Anna Berry, finished in ninth with a time of 2:32.91, while Carly Priest wrapped up the top ten, slotting in 10th place with a time of 2:33.87.
A pair of sophomores reached new heights in the 800 meters, as Jesse Hausman (17th, 2:39.01) and Sophia Furman (18th, 2:41.47) earned new personal bests. Ella Fleming (27th place, 2:51.09) and Maya Holmes (28th place, 2:51.35) completed the Haverford contingent in the race. Holmes' time of 2:51.35 earned a new personal best for the junior.
Isabel Thornberry was the only Haverford runner to compete in the 400 meter, and the senior absolutely smashed it. Thornberry's time of just 59.90 seconds claimed first-place and a new personal-record for the Louisville, Colorado native. The blazing time is also fifth best all-time in Haverford history in the indoor 400 meter.
Olivia D'Aulerio moved up the Haverford record books as well in the 200 meter, tying for third all-time with Jessica Lopez '21 with a scorching time of 26.26, to grab second-place. D'Aulerio's finish beats her previous time in the 200 meters by just .06 seconds, achieving a new personal record.
Recent 200 meter regular Nadine Tang also competed in the event, sliding into 16th place with a time of 29:20. Just behind Tang, was Shahla Mukhtar in 19th place, dashing to a time of 29.30. After completing the long jump Hannigan raced in the 200 meter, achieving a new personal-best time of 30.03 to take 23rd. Not too far behind Hannigan, was Summer Ryan who earned 31st with a time of 31.91.
Over at the hurdles, Fleming was the only Ford competing, as the junior raced to a seventh-place finish with a time of 11.05.
The first heat of the 60 meter dash saw D'Aulerio pace the field with a time of 8.17. The time was good for fifth place and tied for seventh all-time in Haverford history. Heat three saw Nadine Tang cross the finish line with a time of 8.49 seconds, beating her previous time by .17 seconds for a new personal best. The new time for Tang garnered 17th place. Heat seven saw Adriana Cruz-Soto make her debut in the sprint, ending the race with a time of 8.61 to claim 21st place.
Last but not least, the Fords were one of three teams to compete in the 4X200 relay. The team of Tang, Olivia D'Aulerio, Cruz-Soto, and Isabel Thornberry darted to a first-place victory with a time of 1:49.38
Next up for the Fords, is a trip up to the Armory in New York, N.Y. for the NYU DIII Invitational. The competition is slated to begin at 5 p.m. on Friday, February 2.