SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. (Mar. 30, 2013) - Led by a number of strong performances, the Mount Holyoke College track & field team kicked-off its outdoor season in fine fashion as it hosted the non-team scoring 2013 MHC Spring Fling Invitational. The Lyons saw several strong finishes, including sophomore Dana Fry, who won the 5,000-meter race by a commanding margin.

Fry (Avon, Conn./Miss Porter's School) posted a time of 19:29.97 for the victory, nearly 12 seconds faster than Keene State's Hannah Doolittle, who had a time of 19:40.92. MHC's Lucia Garcia (Bakersfield, Calif./East Bakersfield) raced to third overall with a mark of 20:08.89.

Other solid finishes in the track events included sophomore Nina Marciano (Amherst, Mass./Amherst Regional), who was third overall in the 400-meter dash with a time of 1:02.70.  She also helped the 4x100 relay team to third with a time of 53.84. Seniors Maddie Ballon (Gillette, N.J./Watchung Hills Regional) and Bree Ligon-Hollinger, along with sophomore Amber Legare (Chicopee, Mass./Chicopee Comprehensive) made up the rest of the relay team.

Legare went on to have success in the throwing event, finishing third overall in the shot put with a distance of 10.42 meters. Senior Connie Ward (Troy, N.Y./Emma Willard) was fourth in the event with a mark of 10.38 meters.

Marciano placed fourth in the long jump with a distance of 4.62 meters, while first year Molly Sagar (Jericho, Vt./Mount Mansfield Union High School) and Ligon Hollinger went 2-3 in the high jump with marks of 1.50 meters and 1.45 meters, respectively.

Ballon rounded out the outstanding finishes on the day as she finished second in the pole vault event with a height of 2.45 meters.

Mount Holyoke returns to action next weekend when it travels to Springfield to compete in the Yellow Jacket Invitational, hosted by American International College.

Photo of Fry from today's meet courtesy of Frank Poulin Sports Photography. Purchase MHC Meet photos at frankpoulin.smugmug.com