LANCASTER, Pa. – The Ursinus College women's track and field team successfully defended its 4x200-meter title on the first day of the Centennial Conference indoor championships at Franklin & Marshall.
Kate Hunt, Dominique Timmons, Gianna Speranza, and Rachel Coleman nearly broke the indoor program record which has stood since 2006 before ultimately settling happily for another gold medal with a time of 1:47.80. The Bears' top unit edged Johns Hopkins by over a quarter of a second and gave the team a second consecutive 4x200 gold at the indoor championship meet. Hunt, Speranza, and Coleman were also part of last year's first-place run.
The relay title made sure the day ended on a high note for Ursinus, which finds itself in sixth place in the team standings heading into Sunday's finale. The Bears accrued 18 team points - two behind Muhlenberg, four behind Haverford and 14 shy of Swarthmore in third. Johns Hopkins (112) had accumulated a massive lead on second-place Dickinson (49) by the end of the day.
The women are set up to earn more points on Sunday, with Timmons and Hunt each qualifying for the finals of the 60-meter dash on the strength of a matching career-best 8.07.
Additionally, Rosie Cuomo nabbed the eighth and final spot in the 60-meter hurdles final with a 10.14.
Sophia Simoes finished just off the medal stand in the weight throw, placing fourth with a heave of 42-8, just an inch off her personal best.
The distance medley relay team of Holly Chambers, Michela Coleman, Jill Rotman, and Rachel Conhoff placed sixth with a time of 12:46.16.
Julia Rakovska was 10th in the triple jump (32-1).