HAVERFORD, Pa. - The Haverford College women's track and field team returned to competition on Saturday, hosting the McElligott Invitational inside Alumni Field House. Haverford saw many good performances on the day despite the limited number of teams competing due to weather conditions.
The meet started with the 4x200 meter relay. The team of Naomi Fukuda, Jahsaiah Moses, Isabel Thornberry, and Rachel November crossed the finish line in first ahead of a contingent from Bryn Mawr. Haverford has now run the 4x200 meter relay twice this year. Saturday's finishing time of 1:51.05 bettered the relay's previous season-best of 1:54.69 set back on December 4. In addition, Thornberry ran the fastest split of the team, clocking in at around 26.8 seconds on the third leg of the race.
Thornberry used that 200 meter split to set her up for success in the 400-meter dash. She took home the overall victory in the quarter-mile with a time of 1:01.02. Thornberry has now shown her versatility on the track, having now run 400, 500, and 800-meter races this year along with the 4x200 relay. Lauren Tanel earned first place overall in the mile, crossing the finish line in 5:30.22. The time was good enough for a personal record. The senior's previous best was 5:34.37, a mark clocked just two weeks ago at the Armory in New York City. Tanel continues to drop her mile time as she has set a PR in three straight attempts this season.
Fukuda followed the 4x200 win with a third-place finish in the 60-meter dash. The senior finished the race with a standout time of 8.48 seconds, good enough for a personal best. Alice Creed was also in the race finishing with a personal best time of 8.95. Creed participated in the pole vault, taking home another victory and once again getting over the 2.70m (8 feet, 10.25 meters) height in her third attempt on the afternoon.
Keeping with the sprinting events, Shahla Mukhtar took on the 200-meter dash and won her heat with poise. She would finish sixth overall with a time of 30.41, with Taylor Seid finishing just off her time running a 33.59 in her collegiate debut. In the 60 meter hurdles, Moses walked away with second place after crossing the finish line in 11.11 seconds.
Five Fords were entered in the 800-meter run. Dominique Monroy finished the highest out of the bunch with a time of 2:32.75. Ella Fleming (2:39.02), Annemarie Wood (2:40.84), Hedy Goodman (2:46.25), and Selena She (2:48.78) rounded out the performances for Haverford.
The meet ended with the 4x400 meter relay, as Haverford earned another first-place finish, their fifth of the day. Again, the same team of Fukuda, Moses, Thornberry, and November were on relay duty, clocking 4:16.25, six seconds in front of the closest competition.
Women's Track & Field is next set to compete in the Tufts Cupid Challenge in Medford, Mass., on Saturday, February 5, 2022. Action on the day is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m.