Outdoor Track & Field Opens Season at Jerry Gravel Classic

WESTFIELD, Mass. (March 27, 2010) – The Mount Holyoke College women’s outdoor track and field team kicked off its 2010 slate at the Jerry Gravel Classic hosted by Westfield State College today. Of the 18 competing teams, the Lyons secured 15th place overall.

Springfield College amassed 131 points en route to the team title. The Pride were followed by American International College (99), Amherst College (76), Wesleyan University 76 and the host Owls (45) in the top five.

Leading the way for Mount Holyoke was sophomore Miriam Larson-Koester, who posted top eight results in the discus, shot put and hammer throw. With her third place toss of 36.72 meters in the discus, she qualified for both the NCAA Division III New England Regional Championships and the Eastern College Athletic Conference Championships. She also qualified for the New England Regional Championships in the shot put with her fifth place throw of 11.20 meters. Larson-Koester grabbed eighth place in the hammer throw with a distance of 35.26 meters.

The Lyons also received a boost from junior Jacinta Edebeli, who secured eighth place in the javelin with a toss of 29.33 meters. She finished eighth in the 100-meter dash with a time of 13.57.

First year Maddie Ballon took home fourth place in the pole vault with a height of 2.52 meters. Meanwhile, senior Kat Newman collected eighth place in the long jump with a distance of 4.39 meters. Sophomore Courtney Carrier chipped in with a 10th place finish in the 400-meter dash, crossing the line in 1:05.21.

The third annual Mount Holyoke Invitational will take place next Saturday beginning at 11:30 a.m. Smith College, Wellesley College, Vassar College, Colby-Sawyer College and the University of Southern Maine will join the Lyons at the coed meet.