Feb. 11, 2012
Results
BOSTON, MASS. -
UMass traveled to Boston University this Friday where they would compete in perhaps, the most competitive meet thus far. Many of the Minutewomen rose to the occasion while Karen Roa (Jamaica, N.Y.) set a new personal best and is now second best all-time at UMass in the 3000 meter run. Roa was the only athlete to qualify for the ECACs and was one of eight New England Championship qualifiers.
Karen Roa made a leap in the all-time record book, moving her way up from fifth all-time in the 3000 meter run to second on the list with a personal best time of 9:40.33. The time qualifies the senior harrier for the New England Championships and the ECAC Championships. This is her second time qualifying for the ECACs in the 3000 meter run this season. Roa will go into the Atlantic 10 Championships chasing Kelly Lijieblad's all-time record in the 3000 meter run of 9:35.67, a record that was set in 1995.
Along with Karen Roa, seven other Minutewomen qualified for NECs.
Sarah Bitterman (Marblehead, Mass.) set a season best time when she crossed the finish line at 1:16.21 in the 500 meter dash. The time qualified Bitterman for the New England Championships. The sophomore just missed the ECAC qualifying time of 1:16.04.
Deanna Julian (Dudley, Mass.) and Katie Powers (Holbrook, Mass.) both set personal bests Friday in the 1000 meter run. Julian ran the event in 2:57.69 while Powers finished the event in 3:01.38. Both runners' times qualified them for the NECs.
Chrissy Silvar (Fitchburg, Mass.) placed eighth overall in the pole vault. The senior's mark of 11-01.75 qualified her for the NECs.
Freshmen Rebecca Stoyle (Pembroke, Mass.) and Jaclyn Lam (Stockton, Cal.) both gave strong performances in the triple jump. The pair finished one behind the other with Stoyle placing sixth with a distance of 37-04.00 and Lam coming in seventh with a mark of 37-03.75. The duo's marks qualified them for New England Championships. Stoyle also qualified for the NEC and set a personal best in the 200 meter dash with a time of 25.77.
Nalis Mbianda (Newton, Mass.) and Rachelle Bourque (Rowley, Mass.) both qualified for the New England Championships in the shot put. Mbianda placed third in the event, throwing for a distance of 43-05.00. Bourque threw for a mark of 41-04.25; the mark placed her eighth overall in the shot put.
The 4x400 meter relay team competed well in the meet Friday, finishing in 3:54.42. Sarah Bitterman, Michelle Jenssen (Mansfield, Mass.), Deanna Julian, Meghan Landry (Marshfield, Mass.) all contributed in the event for a sixth place finish.
The Minutewomen will be competing in the A-10 Championships next weekend at URI in North Kingston, R.I.
