Zaffina, Botelho & Maples Lead Bobcats on Day One of MAAC Championships

Saturday, May 7

Lawrenceville, N.J.

Quinnipiac University

MAAC Championships

Group of Bobcats huddle after 3000m steeplechase

Zaffina, Botelho & Maples Lead Bobcats on Day One of MAAC Championships

5/7/2022 8:07:00 PM | Women's Outdoor Track & Field

By: QU Athletic Communications

LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. - The Quinnipiac outdoor track & field had a solid first day of competition at the 2022 MAAC Championships, hosted by Rider. The Bobcats sit in third place as a team with 32 points after the first day of competition. Monmouth holds the first place spot with 75 teams points, and Rider sits in second place with 41 points.

Kalli'ana Botelho, Alessandra Zaffina and Mikah Maples all medaled in individual events. Botelho had a stellar day of competition, taking first place in the long jump and qualifying for the finals in the 100m dash and 100m hurdles. Zaffina took first place in the 3000m steeplechase, and Maples notched a second-place finish in the javelin. Zaffina tallied her second-straight gold medal in the 3000m steeplechase after also winning the event last year.

Bobcats on the Track

Aisha Gay took second place in the 400m dash preliminary race with a time of 58.90, which qualified her for the finals. Rylie Smith also qualified for the 400m finals, finishing in eighth (1:01.45). Alyssa Romagnoli finished in ninth overall (1:01.63), just missing the finals. Eileen Donovan finished in 18th place with a time of 1:05.63.
Emily Young and Amanda Carlson both qualified for the finals in the 1500m. Young took second overall with a time of 4:46.75. Carlson took ninth place with a time of 4:51.90. Clare Veverka finished in 18th place with a time of 5:01.45. Shannon Goria took 21st place, finishing with a time of 5:04.19. Katie Bradley was not far behind in 22nd place (5:05.60). Cassidy Phillips finished in 25th place with a time of 5:12.20.
In the 100m hurdles preliminary race, Kalli'ana Botelho and Symone Foster both qualified for the finals. Botelho notched a career-best time of 14.12, taking first place overall. Symone Foster finished in second with a time of 14.21. Avery Jordan notched a time of 16.17, taking 11th place overall.
Botelho continued her strong performance on the track with a first-place finish in the 100m dash preliminary race with a qualifying time of 11.97. Hayden Robinson finished in sixth place with a time of 12.51, which also qualified her for the finals and tied her career-best mark. Britney Del Mundo and Hailey Tolson just missed the finals in 12th (13.05) and 13th place (13.18) overall.
In the 200m dash, the Bobcats swept the first, second and third place positions in the preliminary race. Hayden Robinson recorded the fastest time, finishing in 24.55, which is a new career-best time. Aisha Gay took second overall with a time of 24.96. Symone Foster finished in third place with a time of 25.20, which is a new career-best time. Robinson, Gay and Foster all qualified for the finals. Rylie Smith finished in 16th place with a time of 27.10. Hailey Tolson tallied a time of 27.98, finishing in 21st place.
Asia Mercier led the Bobcats in the 800m with a qualifying time of 2:19.39, finishing in eighth place. Heather Feuchtenberger just missed the finals, finishing in 10th with a time of 2:20.12. Brooke Hagen took 13th place with a time of 2:21.32, and Christina Gunsalus tallied a time of 2:28.29 in 21st place. Jada Dennis finished in 29th place with a time of 2:35.44.
Camille Blain qualified for the finals in the 400m hurdles with an eighth-place finish and a time of 1:07.19.
In the 3000m steeplechase, Alessandra Zaffina tallied a first-place finish with a time of 11:05.41. Lydia Keys recorded a time of 11:53.70, finishing in ninth place. Ana Caliri placed 12th, finishing with a time of 12:14.91. Madeleine Shellard finished in 13th place with a time of 12:21.90.
In the 10000m, Marisa Keiser tallied a time of 38:19.91, finishing in ninth place.

Bobcats in the Field

Botelho also had a great day in the field with the first-place finish in the long jump and a personal-best mark of 5.85m. Camille Sweet took eighth place with a 5.35m jump. Britney Del Mundo tallied a 5.16m mark, finishing in 10th place. Zekiah Lewis notched a 5.12m jump and finished in 12th place.
Mikah Maples took second place in the javelin throw, posting a 41.03m mark. Amanda Minervino placed sixth with a 33.77m throw. Grace Davis took 14th place with a 22.59m mark.