Track and field preps for home meet with outstanding performances at Westfield State, Smith

Elle Rimando moved to No. 3 on Mount Holyoke's all-time performance list in the outdoor long jump and No. 2 in the outdoor triple jump at Westfield State's Jerry Gravel Invitational on April 13, 2024. (RJB Sports file photo)

WESTFIELD and NORTHAMPTON, Mass. -- Notable performances at two different meets marked an exciting day for Mount Holyoke track and field on Saturday at Westfield State University and Smith College.

At Smith

Junior Tessa Lancaster (Mansfield, Mass.) broke her own team record in the 3,000 steeplechase at the Smith Carla Coffey Invitational, placing fourth out of 14 competitors in 11:28.27. Lancaster's former record in the event from a season ago stood at 11:36.54. (RESULTS)

Junior Elizabeth Gerbi (Orono, Maine) also ran the steeplechase at Smith and finished ninth in 11:59.15, vaulting onto Mount Holyoke's all-time performance list in the event into third place.

Both Lancaster and Gerbi qualified for the New England Division III Championships with their performances; Mount Holyoke will host the meet May 3-4.

At Westfield State

The rest of Mount Holyoke's competition took place at the Jerry Gravel Invitational at Westfield State, where Mount Holyoke scored third out of seven teams.

Sophomore Elle Rimando (Mililani, Hawaii) placed third out of eight competitors in the long jump by clearing 5.20 meters (17'0.75") on her final attempt, also qualifying to compete in the New England Division III Championships at Mount Holyoke. Rimando moved from fifth place to third on Mount Holyoke's all-time performance list in the long jump, passing Carrie Turban (1996) and Grace Zeigler (2006) on the way.

Rimando also made an auspicious outdoor debut in the triple jump, placing fourth in a competitive field at 10.78 meters (35'4.5"). Rimando immediately became Mount Holyoke's second-best outdoor triple jumper in team history, trailing only Maggie Mills' record of 10.93 meters from 2002.

More highlights for Mount Holyoke included:

Junior Kim Beaver (Agawam, Mass.) won the 1,500 meters in a career-best time of 4:55.64. Beaver jumped onto Mount Holyoke's all-time top-10 list with her performance, moving past Sydney Nash (2019), Andy Costella (2001), Lancaster (2022), Madeline Rieders (2019), and Hannah Rieders (2019) into sixth place on the list.
Junior Greta Trapp (La Crosse, Wis.) finished second out of 15 runners in the 800 meters in a career-best time of 2:26.62.
Senior Bridget Hall (Arlington, Mass.) placed fourth in the 1,500 meters in a personal-best 5:13.12.
Sophomore Katie Earle (East Kingston, N.H.) placed fifth in the 5,000 meters in a personal-best 19:52.64.
Junior Lize Brown (New London, Conn.) led Mount Holyoke in three throwing events; they placed sixth out of 17 in the javelin at 26.71 metesr (87'7") and seventh, one place out of the scoring, in the discus with a career-best effort of 29.82 meters (97'10"). Brown also led the Lyons in the shot put, placing 14th out of 26 at 9.27 meters (30'5").
First-year Anjali Phadnis (San Marcos, Calif.) took fifth place out of 12 athletes in the 400 meters, with a time of 1:06.77. First-year Dalia Luckhardt (Cerritos, Calif.) finished just out of the scoring in seventh place (1:07.84).
Senior Olivia Johnson (Mount Desert, Maine) finished seventh and just out of the scoring in the 800 meters, with a career-best time of 2:36.16.
Sophomore Em Tetzlaff (Bath, Maine) led Mount Holyoke in the hammer, placing 11th out of 24 in a career-best 34.43 meters (112'11").
Mount Holyoke earned eight points with a second-place finish in the 4x400 relay, as Beaver, Johnson, sophomore Maya Evans (Topsfield, Mass.) and junior Greta Trapp (La Crosse, Wis.) finished in 4:30.52.

Using a 10-8-6-4-2-1 scoring system with top-six event finishes adding to team scores, the Lyons finished the meet with 45 team points, third among seven teams. Mount Holyoke placed ahead of Salve Regina (42), Eastern Connecticut State (36), UMass-Dartmouth (29) and Wheaton (15); Utica outscored the field with 224 points, with host Westfield State (137) in second.

Mount Holyoke will host Smith and Wellesley in a tri-meet on Saturday April 20 beginning at 11am, in the Lyons' first home track and field meet since 2017.