Larson-Koester and Newman Pace Track and Field at Eastern Connecticut Invitational

MANSFIELD, Conn. (April 9, 2010) – The Mount Holyoke College outdoor track and field team took part in the third annual Eastern Connecticut State University Invitational today at the Mansfield Athletic Complex. Joining the Lyons and Warriors at the non-scoring meet were Connecticut College and Colby-Sawyer College. Led by sophomore Miriam Larson-Koester and senior Kat Newman, Mount Holyoke totaled four first place finishes.

Larson-Koester grabbed top honors in both the discus and the hammer throw with her tosses of 31.36 and 35.90, respectively. She also competed in the shot put, taking third place with a distance of 9.10 meters. Classmate Aliia Forrest took second place in the shot put with her throw of 9.13 meters.c

Newman’s time of 1:06.37 was good for first place in the 400-meter dash. She was joined in the race by first year Whitney Bailey, who crossed the line in 1:08.18 to take fourth place. Newman finished fourth in the 200-meter dash with a time of 9.42 and collected second place in the triple jump with a distance of 9.42 meters.

The Lyons remaining first place finish came from first year Elizabeth MacLauchlan, who posted a time of 5:26.38 in the 1,500-meter run.

Other strong performances came from years Maddie Ballon and Meghan O’Grady. Ballon recorded a height of 7’6” to take third place in the pole vault. Meanwhile, O’Grady’s time of 20:55.17 was good for third place in the 5,000-meter run.

Mount Holyoke will put the finishing touches on its regular season next weekend, when it takes part in the annual Aloha Relays hosted by Bowdoin College. The two day event is scheduled to begin on Friday at 4:00 p.m. and conclude on Saturday beginning at 11:30 a.m.