GENEVA, Ohio – Brittany Gasser broke a decade-old program record as the Ursinus College women's track and field team brought a contingent of top athletes to Ohio for the Midwest Open hosted by SPIRE Institute.
Gasser's time of 2:19.99 in the 800 was good for fifth overall at the prestigious meet and more than enough to take down the previous indoor school record of 2:21.26 set by Christa Johnson in 2009.
Sophomore Michela Coleman established a new indoor personal best with a 1:01.77 in the 400, moving up to fourth on the Centennial Conference performance list. Her twin sister Rachel, meanwhile, registered a PR of 27.32 in the 200-meter and elevated to eighth in the CC with an 8.36 in the 60-meter dash.
Freshman Kate Hunt impressed again in the 60-meter dash, posting a mark of 8.22; her season low 8.18 currently third in the conference.
Back on the home front, another group of Bears was competing at the Moravian Invitational hosted by Lehigh.
Junior Sophie Simoes notched a personal best in the weight throw with a toss of 12.67 meters, missing by a few inches the indoor program mark. The current record-holder, senior Mikaela Bordonaro, checked in with a heave of 12.17 meters.
Senior Morgan Cope was fifth in the pole vault, clearing an even 10 feet.
Simoes finished 12th in the shot put (34-3.50), where sophomore Vikki Rueda-Juarez was 28th (31-4.50).
Senior Gabrielle Manto shattered her PR in the 3-kilometer run, clocking in at 11:24.93 to finish 11th overall.
Freshman Rosie Cuomo placed 14th with a 10.37 in the 60-meter hurdles. Fellow rookie Rachel Conhoff just missed a PR in the mile (6:11.96).
The Bears host the Frank Colden Invitational on Saturday, February 2.