University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
Atlantic 10 Championship (Day 1)
Minutewomen Stand 3rd After Day One Of A-10 Track Meet
May 02, 2015 | Women's Track & Field
FAIRFAX, Va - The Minutewomen closed out their first day of competition at the Atlantic 10 Championship in Fairfax, Va on Saturday as the UMass women's track and field squad left the complex third of 13 teams with 31.5 points, while George Mason holds the top spot currently with 43 points. Highlights of the day's proceedings for the Maroon & White included Emma Robinson's Silver medal in javelin, Ashley Palmer's Bronze in long jump and Colleen Sands' fourth-place finish in steeplechase to set the third all-time UMass program mark.
Robinson led a trio of UMass scorers in javelin, taking second with a throw of at 137 feet, 2.00 inches, an ECAC and New England qualifying performance. Bridget Deveau claimed fifth at 125 feet, 8.00-inches and Lucy Belt followed in sixth at 118 feet, 4.00-inches. Sara Wagner captured sixth in hammer at 146 feet, 7.00-inches.
Palmer had a fantastic showing in long jump, taking third with a 19 foot, 5.50-inch leap, her personal best to set the third all-time mark in the UMass record book and reached ECAC and New England qualifying standards. Sarah Bierly took seventh in pole vault at 11 feet, 5.75-inches, a New England-qualifying height.
Sands, a freshman, finished fourth in steeplechase with an 11 minute, 2.05-second New England-qualifying performance and improving the third all-time UMass program mark she had previously set at the Holy Cross Invitational.
Alexandra Purdue-Smithe had a solid performance in the 10,000 meter run. The senior finished eighth at 38 minutes, 4.12-seconds to score for the Minutewomen. Heather MacLean took fifth in the preliminary round of the 800 meter run at 2 minutes, 11.66-seconds, qualifying for the final round of competition Sunday.
At the close of day one, two Minutewomen are in good standing in heptathlon as Deveau is fourth with 2,723 points and Julia Witt currently ranks seventh with 2,569 points.
Competition picks up again tomorrow, May 3 in Fairfax, Va., with the start time slated for 8:45 a.m., beginning with men's decathlon 110 meter hurdles.
