COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. – A victory by the women's 4x400-meter relay highlighted a full day of action for the Ursinus College track and field teams on Saturday, when the Bears hosted a large field for the annual Frank Colden Invitational.
The quartet of freshmen Rachel and Michela Coleman, sophomore Catherine Curran, and senior Catherine Buczek dominated the 4x400-meter relay, finishing the race nearly 16 seconds ahead of the runners-up. Curran took control quickly on the third leg, leaving the leader in the dust and opening up a big lead on the way to an impressive result for the Bears.
The Coleman twins and Buczek teamed with sophomore Auresa Cunningham for a fourth-place showing in the 4x200-meter relay (1:51.17).
Junior Brittany Gasser moved to 12th on the CC charts with a 1:03.69 in the 400-meter dash, while senior Jenna Kelly was right behind with a 1:03.98.
Freshman Vikki Rueda-Juarez recorded a new personal best in the shot put, moving into the top 20 in the CC at 30-1.50.
Another rookie, Kateryna Swan, finished sixth with a new personal record of 4-7.75 in the high jump; she is currently tied for 10th in the conference. Swan also logged a career-best 15-4.00 in the long jump, just an inch behind junior Caroline Buckley.
Junior Riley Engel crossed the line in 11:05.95 in the 3k, also a conference qualifying time.
Freshman Kira Miller logged a CC qualifier in the 60-meter dash, crossing the finish line in 8.94 seconds.
A pair of freshmen completed the pentathlon for the first time. Neve Durrwatcher took fifth place with a combined tally of 2312, and Gianna Speranza posted a total of 2191 to finish seventh. Speranza was third with a 4-9.50 in the high jump, while Durrwatcher was fourth in both the shot put (26-8.50) and long jump (15-9.00).
Sophomore Codi Yhap posted a mark of 40-6.75 to place fifth in the triple jump; he came in ranked fourth in the CC in the event.
Yhap, who also ranks third in the CC in the 200, was just short of his season best at 23.76 and finished eighth.
Senior Jamie Casseus scored a season-best 24.63 in the 200 and was just .03 seconds off his season best in the 60-meter dash, posting a 7.52.
Senior Adam Myers (46-00.75) and freshman Griffin McMann, two of the CC's top six in the shot put, finished fifth and sixth, respectively, on Saturday. Sophomore Carlo Telesco posted a season-best 41-2.50 to place 13th overall.
Sophomore James McDaid was just outside the conference's top-10 with a time of 4:29.23 in the mile run, placing 10th overall in his season debut in the event.
Sophomores John Haase (2:07.96) and John DeLia (2:11.53) each posted CC qualifiers in the 800.
Freshman Matt Thatcher and senior Connor Lent each completed the pentathlon, finishing in seventh and eighth, respectively. Thatcher was second in the long jump (18-5.75), and Lent placed third in the shot put (29.3.75).
The 4x400-meter relay group of Mitchell, Yhap, senior Mitchell Kelly, and McDaid finished third in 3:36.10, with McDsid posting the fastest split of the bunch.