Women’s Track and Field Wins Four Events at Tufts Spring Fling Home Meet
Issue   |   Tue, 04/10/2018 - 20:38
Photo courtesy of Amherst Athletics
Leonie Rauls ’18 was part of a strong performance in the 1500- meter race, finishing fourth, while Danielle Griffin ’18 placed first out of 31.

This weekend at Lehrman Stadium, Amherst played host to the fourth annual Spring Fling Meet. The women’s track and field team faced seven teams, including Wesleyan, Williams, Middlebury, and Brandeis. The Mammoths placed third overall.

Notably for Amherst, first-year Sophia Friedman finished first in the 200-meter sprint. Her race, just north of a minute in duration, ended in a photo finish with Sydney Packard of Worcester Polytechnic Institute, but Friedman prevailed by seven hundredths of a second. Fellow first-year Jordan Rhodeman finished behind Friedman in fifth, with a time of 1:01.86, while Molly Carleton ’19 and Lexi Stern ’20 finished in eighth and 16th respectively.

In the 800-meter run, Christina Scartelli ’19 placed sixth, followed by Grace Haase ’21 in11th , Katie Krum ’21 in 13th and Rachael Ruderman ’21 in 15th.

In the 1500-meter run, mid-distance ace Danielle Griffin ’18 finished in just under five minutes to claim first. Sarah Gayer ’21 and Leonie Rauls ’18 demonstrated Amherst depth, finishing in third and fourth respectively. The Mammoths’ performance in the event earned them 14 points toward the team total.

In the 5000-meter run, the dynamic first-year duo of Haley Greene and Olivia Polischeck finished third and fourth respectively, showcasing a promising future in the distance events.

Kristin Ratliff ’20 won the 3000-meter steeplechase, finishing a full minute ahead of her competitors.

Three Amherst teams competed in the 4x400-meter relay, and the quartet of Friedman, Rhodeman, Jenny Mazzella ’20 and Julia Asin ’19 finished first. In the field events, Becki Golia ’18 and Kaitlyn Seigel ’20 both finished second in the high jump, leaping over a mark of 1.54 meters in a rare tie.

In the triple jump, Yrenly Yuan ’19 finished second of five. She bounded a total distance of over 10 meters, falling just seven centimeters short of the top finisher. In the javelin throw, Caroline Ferguson-Dryden ’20 launched the spear 33 meters, which earned her fifth place and the team two crucial points.

The Mammoth’s performance demonstrates progress as the team continues into the spring season. Amherst will travel to Conn. College this Friday, April 13, where they will compete in the two-day Silfen Invitational.