Sprinters Dominate for QU Women’s Outdoor Track & Field on Senior Day at Yale Springtime Invitational

Sunday, May 1

Cuyler Athletic Complex / Dwyer Track - New Haven, CT

All Day

Quinnipiac University

Yale Springtime Invitational

Sprinters Dominate for QU Women’s Outdoor Track & Field on Senior Day at Yale Springtime Invitational

5/1/2016 8:25:00 PM | Women's Outdoor Track & Field

Eight Senior Class Members Honored Prior to Competition; Bobcats Finish First Through Fifth in 100m

By: QU Sports Information

SENIOR DAY PHOTO GALLERY

NEW HAVEN, Connecticut – On a day filled with emotions and frigid temperatures, the group of sprinters for the Quinnipiac women's outdoor track and field team stole the show on Senior Day Sunday at the Yale Springtime Invitational.

In one of the single-greatest feats of the 2016 season, the Bobcats' group of 100m sprinters combined to place first through fifth to take the entire top five in the event. Shameal Samuels had the honor of finishing with the fastest time at 12.39 seconds but she was closely followed by Kristen Ulrich (12.66), Alea Simons (12.69), Nia Baker (12.70) and Bonnie Pisciotta (12.77) who finished in second through fifth, respectively. This landmark achievement marks the first time in program history that the Bobcats have placed five runners in the top five of any individual event.

The strong day continued in the middle distance events as the Bobcats went one-two in the 800m as Kaleigh Roberts (Higganum, Connecticut) and Tracy Campbell (Wall Township, New Jersey) finished first and second, respectively. Both Roberts and Campbell scorched their previous personal-best despite the less-than-ideal conditions as Roberts crossed the line in 2:14.13 while Campbell clocked in at 2:14.61. For the sophomore Roberts, she adds another boost to her career resume as her time of 2:14.13 is good enough for third on the all-time list at Quinnipiac. In just two years, Roberts ranks in the top three all-time at Quinnipiac in five different events (800 3^rd; 1000m 3^rd; 1500m 2^nd; One Mile 1^st; 3000m 2^nd). Campbell, meanwhile, was just as solid as she dramatically improved on her previous career-best 800m time of 2:17.07 to move all the way up from ninth to fourth on the all-time list at QU.

The Bobcats nearly came away with a new program record in the chilly conditions as the 4x100m relay team of Samuels, Simons, Francine Jacque (Port-au-Prince, Haiti), Jessica Lee (Montgomery, New Jersey) topped New Haven in the competition with a time of 47.59 seconds, falling just .03 seconds short of matching the all-time record at Quinnipiac.

Later in the day in the 3000m, Ashley Carle (Jackson, New Jersey) picked up a top five result as she crossed the line in fifth place with a time of 10:46.69. Harmony Grodsky (Upper Brookville, New York) was right behind Carle in sixth place as she crossed the line in 10:48.12.Victoria Maceira (Bethel, Connecticut) also found a spot in the top 10 with a time of 10:55.90 to earn eighth place.

Other solid contributors in the running events on the day included a sixth place finish for Alyson Caron (2:16.98) in the 800m while Emily Wolff took seventh in the 1500m with a time of 4:48.81.

Moving into the field events, Pisciotta came through with a very solid all-around day as she was victorious in the long jump, putting together a personal-best jump of 5.66m. Leah Pfrommer (5.38m) and Brittany Grabill (5.15m) were right behind Pisciotta in third and fourth place, respectively. Grabill's jump of 5.15m is a new personal-best.

Two more victors in the field events included Carly Timpson (Narragansett, Rhode Island) who dominated the competition with a throw of 51.77m in the hammer throw, besting the second place finisher by more than five meters. Jenny Mears (Vernon, Connecticut) also came through with a solid effort, throwing 40.24m to take the victory in the javelin throw. Four more Bobcats followed Mears in third through sixth place with Cori Reid (Old Saybrook, Connecticut) topping that list in third with a throw of 31.75m.

In the triple jump, Pisciotta again led the way as she took fourth place with a jump of 10.90m. Pfrommer was solid in her first career triple jump as she posted 10.25m to finish in sixth place.

Prior to the start of competition on a rain-soaked Sunday afternoon, head coach Carolyn Martin devoted her pregame ceremonies to the eight-member senior class for the Bobcats. Included in that group of eight were: Nia Baker (Brooklyn, New York), Tracy Campbell (Wall Township, New Jersey), Ashley Carle (Jackson, New Jersey), Kristina Ketchum (Foxborough, Massachusetts), Shameal Samuels (Hartford, Connecticut), Alea Simons (Piscataway, New Jersey), Kristen Ulrich (Clark, New Jersey) and Abby Waight (Doylestown, Pennsylvania).

Quinnipiac now enters their championship season as the Bobcats begin with the MAAC Championships from May 7-8 on the campus of Rider University. The Bobcats are coming off a program-best second place finish in the 2015 MAAC Outdoor Championships and most-recently took second place at the 2016 MAAC Indoor Championships.