Rimando, Lancaster both nab silver medals and team records on first day of New Englands at MHC

Elle Rimando (left image) placed second in the long jump and Tessa Lancaster (right image) placed second in the 10,000 meters, both with team-record marks, on May 3, 2024 at the New England Division III Championships at Mount Holyoke.

SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. -- On its first day hosting the 2024 New England Division III Men's and Women's Track & Field Championships on Friday, the Mount Holyoke track and field team got second-place and team-record performances from Elle Rimando and Tessa Lancaster, to put the Lyons in a tie for fifth place among 21 scoring teams.

Rimando (Mililani, Hawaii) placed second out of 18 competitors in the long jump with a personal-record mark of 5.60 meters (18'4.5"), 0.40 meters past her former collegiate best from earlier this season. Rimando broke the team's 24-year-old record in the outdoor long jump, passing Chiara Davis-Fuller's former record of 5.51 meters from 2000. Rimando was outjumped by only Middlebury's Mackenzie Daggitt, who established a new MHC Track facility record at 5.87 meters (19'3.25").

Lancaster (Mansfield, Mass.) capped the night by smashing Mount Holyoke's record in the 10,000 meters, finishing second out of 25 runners in a time of 36:42.88. Rhode Island College's Haley Oliver won with a facility-record time of 36:21.78. Mount Holyoke's former 10K record of 37:03.64 was set by Lancaster's former teammate, Lauren Selkin, in 2022.

Rimando and Lancaster scored eight team points apiece with their performances, putting the Lyons in an early tie for fifth place with Tufts, with 16 points, with most events still to be decided on Saturday.

Lancaster's team record was the third she has set this outdoor season, following the 3,000 meters (10:20.75) and the 3,000 steeplechase (11:20.66). Rimando's team record is her second set this year, following the indoor triple jump (11.23 meters).

Also competing for Mount Holyoke on Day 1:

First-year Ioanna Tsoni (Athens, Greece) placed 11th out of 20 in the prelims of the 100 hurdles with a time of 15.80 seconds.
Junior Elizabeth Gerbi (Orono, Maine) finished 13th in the 10,000 meters in a personal-best 39:33.26. Gerbi passed Leah Serinsky (2003), Mia Barnes (2015), and Hannah Gershone (2019) into eighth place on Mount Holyoke's all-time performance list.
Sophomore Katie Earle (East Kingston, N.H.) placed 24th in the 10,000 meters at 42:17.06.

The meet resumes Saturday at 11am, starting with the women's shot put, men's high jump, and the 4x100 relays.