University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
Joe Donahue Indoor Games
Minutewomen Break Records at Joe Donahue Games
January 22, 2016 | Women's Track & Field
ROXBURY, Mass. - With 71.5 points, the University of Massachusetts women's track and field program claimed a third-place finish at the Joe Donahue Indoor Games in grand style with two broken meet records and one UMass program record broken. Heather MacLean, Emilie Cowan, and Margaret Riseborough's individual performances helped lead the Minutewomen to their top-three finish in a field of 15.
MacLean set a meet record and broke her own program record in the 1,000 meter run. MacLean's finish of 2 minutes, 47.21-seconds earned a first place finish and qualified for the New England and ECAC Championships while demolishing her old UMass record of 2:49.10 set in 2015. Freshman Mary Lavery followed in second at 2 minutes, 57.68-seconds, a New England qualifier.
Freshman Emilie Cowan took home the gold and a meet record, running 55.52 seconds in the 400m. The performance is the second-fastest time in program history and qualified her for the New England and ECAC Championships. Cowan also competed in the 200 meter run, taking seventh at 25.45 seconds, a New England-qualifier.
Margaret Riseborough's seventh-place performance in weight throw earned a spot in the UMass record book. Riseborough's 52-foot, 8.25-inch throw set the third all-time mark and was enough to qualify her for the New England and ECAC Championships.
The UMass `A' team in the 4x400 meter relay of Elizabeth Gulino, Melissa Beaupre, Cowan and MacLean ran 3:53.14 to second place. The UMass `C' team of Olivia Weir, Lavery, Caroline Leung and Bridget Deveau ran 3:59.14 to sixth.
At 8.79 seconds, Gabrielle Bennett earned fourth in 60 meter hurdles and qualified for the New England and ECAC Championships, as well.
Weir claimed fourth in the 800 meter run at 2 minutes, 15.92-seconds, a New England-qualifying mark.
Colleen Sands ran 5:01.50 to take seventh in the seeded mile. Brook Hansel and Molly McMahon competed in the unseeded mile. Hansel was fourth at 5:16.60 and McMahon earned fifth at 5:16.81.
Alexa Livingstone was seventh in the seeded 3,000 meter run. Livingstone qualified for New England with a 10 minute, 6.35-second performance. Carly Zinner was close behind, nabbing eighth at 10:09.58, also a New England-qualifying finish.
Kelsey Crawford's fifth-place showing shot put with a throw of 44 feet, 5.25-inches was enough to qualify for the New England and ECAC Championships. Another scorer in the field events, Julia Witt, leapt 5 feet, 3.25-inches to earn eighth in high jump.
Next up for the Minutewomen comes the John Thomas Terrier Invitational, Fri, Jan. 29, 2016, in Boston Mass., on the campus of Boston University.
