NEW HAVEN — In competition with a powerhouse from the state of Connecticut, Quinnipiac Women’s Indoor Track and Field certainly made a mark in Saturday’s Yale University season opener.
Ranked No. 2 in the MAAC Preseason Coaches Poll, the Bobcats have four first-place finishes and multiple top-five debuts against Yale and Sacred Heart.
“You can’t ask for anything more than that,” head coach Carolyn Martin said.
Quinnipiac headed to Cox Cage bright and early and returned to Hampden by sunset. But it was well worth the long time to see so many bobcats at their best.
“Today was just dusting myself off,” sophomore pole vaulter Erin Brennan said.
After 14 weeks of cross country competition, Quinnipiac is using the first few games as a break-in. According to the indoor coaching staff, the Bobcats really hit the ground running around January.
“(The team) is just trying to compete and do what we (coaches) want them to do,” assistant coach Joe Van Gilder said. “We’re trying to find out where people are.”
Freshman Sherin Murphy opened the meet by taking first place in the high jump with a personal best of 1.65 meters. “(Murphy) has a lot of potential,” assistant coach Brendan Wilkins said.
Sophomore sprinter/jumper Olaitan Olagundoye tied Murphy for season’s best, and senior jumper Grace Davis placed fifth.
Additionally, sophomore jumper Sydney Lovell took fourth place in the long jump with a jump of 5.31 meters.
Brennan performed a spectacular comeback in the pole vault to secure first place and equal the school record of 3.50 meters.
“I always miss it during the summer when I’m not playing games,” she said. “I’m really happy to be back in a competitive environment.”
“She didn’t do it until the end of the year,” Van Gilder said of Brennan’s progress.
Freshman pole vaulter Olivia DeBellis finished the competition in a four-way tie for second place with 3.35 meters.
In the shot put, fourth-year student Camille Blaine clinched fifth place with a throw of 10.14 meters.
On the track, junior sprinter Riley Smith took first place in the 300 meters with a personal best time of 39.83 seconds. Sophomore sprinter Isabella Anzaldo secured fifth place with a time of 41.58 seconds.
Quinnipiac continued to score points, with sophomore hurdler Sydney Lovell taking third place in the 60-meter hurdles with a season-best 9.30 seconds. Sophomore sprinter Nyasia Dailey swept the 60-meter dash, posting a PR of 7.62.
Fresh off a tough cross country season, senior Jada Dennis carried her fall momentum indoors, finishing fifth in the 500 meters with a personal record of 1:21.33.
Rounding out the meet, Quinnipiac’s 4×400 meter relay team of Lovell, Anzaldo, sophomore sprinter Elise Barricelli and Smith took third place with a time of 4:00.16.
“We’re training and trying to put in a lot of work,” Van Gilder said. “We’re going up the ladder.”
The Bobcats will next appear in the Amherst, Massachusetts winter opener on January 14th.