Track and field team opens promising season at Smith invitational

Thrower Emma Doyle (left) and sprinter/jumper Lucy Stenberg (right) captain the 2022-23 Mount Holyoke track and field team. (Bob Blanchard/RJB Sports)
Thrower Emma Doyle (left) and sprinter/jumper Lucy Stenberg (right) captain the 2022-23 Mount Holyoke track and field team. (Bob Blanchard/RJB Sports)

SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. -- The Mount Holyoke College track and field team and its intriguing mix of event groups will officially begin its first season under head coach Jennifer "Jay" Hartshorn on Saturday at Smith College's Mary Grinaker Invitational.

The meet at Smith, beginning Saturday at 10:30am, will provide an early chance to compete before the bulk of the indoor track and field season gets going in January. Mount Holyoke's next meet will be the Branwen Smith-King Invitational at Tufts University Jan. 20-21.

Hartshorn, a successful veteran coach at both Bates College and Syracuse University, may have trouble at times on Saturday prioritizing what event to watch, with exciting personnel among the Lyons' sprinters, jumpers and throwers. At least there won't be any distance running events to further distract her.

Mount Holyoke's distance running group includes the backbone of the Mount Holyoke cross country team that recently completed a season marked by significant improvement from the likes of sophomore Tessa Lancaster (Mansfield, Mass.), sophomore Greta Trapp (La Crosse, Wis.), sophomore Olivia Johnson (Mount Desert, Maine) and junior Bridget Hall (Arlington, Mass.). The group is joined by a talented pair of middle-distance runners in sophomore Kim Beaver (Agawam, Mass.) and senior Devan Ravino (West Kingston, R.I.).

Hartshorn looks forward to seeing the track and field team, sans distance runners, compete for the first time on Saturday. She has high hopes for a small but talented group of sprinters and jumpers, led by captain Lucy Stenberg (Stonington, Conn.) and sophomore Aria Mallare (Chicago, Ill.). First-year Elle Rimando (Mililani, Hawaii), who recently completed a strong rookie volleyball season, brings impressive credentials from her high school career.

Hartshorn is particularly excited about Mount Holyoke's crew of throwers, led by assistant coach Haniyf Carr. Anticipated top performers among Lyons throwers include captain Emma Doyle (West Lebanon, N.H.), along with sophomore Lize Brown (New London, Conn.) and sophomore Kara Setal (Naugatuck, Conn.), whom she hopes to have joining the team in January.

"We have 10 throwers, including four newcomers," said Hartshorn. "We're really looking forward to developing this group and scoring some points in the throwing events. This is a really exciting part of the team."

The indoor season leads up to the New England Division III Indoor Championships Feb. 24-25 in Boston and the NCAA Division III Championships March 10-11 in Birmingham, Alabama.

Mount Holyoke begins the outdoor track and field season March 25 with the Elmer Swanson Classic at Wesleyan University. The NEWMAC Championships take place April 29-30 at MIT, beginning the outdoor championship season.

Related Photos

Photo for Track and field team opens promising season at Smith invitational image 1
Photo for Track and field team opens promising season at Smith invitational image 2
Photo for Track and field team opens promising season at Smith invitational image 3
Photo for Track and field team opens promising season at Smith invitational image 4
Lize Brown took second place in the shot put and fourth in the weight throw at the first Mount Holyoke-Smith-Wellesley Tri-Meet, held Feb. 18, 2023 at Smith College. (RJB Sports file photo)
Photo for Track and field team opens promising season at Smith invitational image 6
Photo for Track and field team opens promising season at Smith invitational image 7
Photo for Track and field team opens promising season at Smith invitational image 8
Photo for Track and field team opens promising season at Smith invitational image 9
Photo for Track and field team opens promising season at Smith invitational image 10
Emma Doyle moved into fourth place on Mount Holyoke's all-time performance list in the shot put on Dec. 3, 2022. (Bob Blanchard/RJB Sports)
Photo for Track and field team opens promising season at Smith invitational image 12
Photo for Track and field team opens promising season at Smith invitational image 13
Emma Doyle had the top mark in the shot put among 21 competitors at the Middlebury Field & Track Meet on Feb. 11, 2023. (RJB Sports file photo)
Photo for Track and field team opens promising season at Smith invitational image 15
Photo for Track and field team opens promising season at Smith invitational image 16
Photo for Track and field team opens promising season at Smith invitational image 17
Photo for Track and field team opens promising season at Smith invitational image 18
Photo for Track and field team opens promising season at Smith invitational image 19
Photo for Track and field team opens promising season at Smith invitational image 20
Photo for Track and field team opens promising season at Smith invitational image 21
Photo for Track and field team opens promising season at Smith invitational image 22
Photo for Track and field team opens promising season at Smith invitational image 23
Photo for Track and field team opens promising season at Smith invitational image 24
Photo for Track and field team opens promising season at Smith invitational image 25
Photo for Track and field team opens promising season at Smith invitational image 26
Photo for Track and field team opens promising season at Smith invitational image 27
Photo for Track and field team opens promising season at Smith invitational image 28
Photo for Track and field team opens promising season at Smith invitational image 29
Photo for Track and field team opens promising season at Smith invitational image 30
Photo for Track and field team opens promising season at Smith invitational image 31
Photo for Track and field team opens promising season at Smith invitational image 32
Photo for Track and field team opens promising season at Smith invitational image 33
Elle Rimando finished second in both the triple jump and the 60-meter dash, and third in the long jump at the Branwen Smith-King Invitational at Tufts on Jan. 21, 2023. (RJB Sports file photo)
Elle Rimando moved into fifth place on Mount Holyoke's all-time performance list in the long jump at the Tufts Cupid Challenge on Feb. 4, 2023. (RJB Sports file photo)
Photo for Track and field team opens promising season at Smith invitational image 36
Photo for Track and field team opens promising season at Smith invitational image 37
Photo for Track and field team opens promising season at Smith invitational image 38
Photo for Track and field team opens promising season at Smith invitational image 39
Photo for Track and field team opens promising season at Smith invitational image 40
Photo for Track and field team opens promising season at Smith invitational image 41
Photo for Track and field team opens promising season at Smith invitational image 42
Photo for Track and field team opens promising season at Smith invitational image 43
Photo for Track and field team opens promising season at Smith invitational image 44
Photo for Track and field team opens promising season at Smith invitational image 45
Erin Siegel tied for 10th place in team history in the weight throw at the Wesleyan Invitational on Jan. 28, 2023. (RJB Sports file photo)
Photo for Track and field team opens promising season at Smith invitational image 47
Erin Siegel tied for 10th place in team history in the weight throw at the Wesleyan Invitational on Jan. 28, 2023. (RJB Sports file photo)
Photo for Track and field team opens promising season at Smith invitational image 49
Photo for Track and field team opens promising season at Smith invitational image 50
Photo for Track and field team opens promising season at Smith invitational image 51
Photo for Track and field team opens promising season at Smith invitational image 52
Photo for Track and field team opens promising season at Smith invitational image 53
Photo for Track and field team opens promising season at Smith invitational image 54
Photo for Track and field team opens promising season at Smith invitational image 55
Photo for Track and field team opens promising season at Smith invitational image 56
Photo for Track and field team opens promising season at Smith invitational image 57
Photo for Track and field team opens promising season at Smith invitational image 58
Photo for Track and field team opens promising season at Smith invitational image 59
Photo for Track and field team opens promising season at Smith invitational image 60