Three team records fall as track and field finishes 8th at NEWMAC Championships

Ioanna Tsoni broke Mount Holyoke's outdoor triple jump and 100-meter hurdles records at the NEWMAC Championships on April 27, 2024, placing third in both events. (RJB Sports file photo)

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- Mount Holyoke College track and field saw three team records broken on Saturday, including two by first-year Ioanna Tsoni, as the Lyons finished the two-day NEWMAC Championships in eighth place out of 10 teams.

On her one and only attempt in the triple jump, and her first this outdoor season, Tsoni traveled 11.16 meters (36'7.5"), shattering Mount Holyoke's former team record of 10.93 meters set by Maggie Mills in 2002. Tsoni, who has suffered a nagging injury this season, rested after her one attempt, and it stood up for third place and six team points for the Lyons.

Earlier on Saturday, Tsoni placed third in the 100 hurdles finals with a time of 15.46 seconds, lowering her own new team record set in Friday's prelims by .02 seconds.

Meanwhile junior Tessa Lancaster (Mansfield, Mass.) took fourth place in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and lowered her own team record in the event in the process by another 7.61 seconds, finishing in 11:20.66.

More Day 2 Highlights for Mount Holyoke included:

Junior Elizabeth Gerbi (Orono, Maine) had a remarkable day, first placing fifth in the 3,000 steeplechase in 11:38.15, knocking 21.00 seconds off of her personal record and moving into second place on Mount Holyoke's all-time performance list, trailing only Lancaster. Later on Saturday, Gerbi then placed 10th in the 400 hurdles in a personal-record time of 1:11.97, moving from 10th place into eighth place on the Lyons' all-time performance list in that event and passing Courtney Carrier (2009) and Molly Carlisle (2004).
Junior Aria Mallare (Chicago, Ill.) placed sixth in the high jump at 1.47 meters (4'9.75").
Sophomore Elle Rimando (Mililani, Hawaii) placed seventh in the triple jump at 10.61 meters (34'9.75").
Junior Kim Beaver (Agawam, Mass.) placed eighth out of 29 competitors in the 800 meters in 2:20.92 to score a team point.
Mount Holyoke also scored a point with an eighth-place finish in the 4x100 relay, as junior Addison Heintz (Apex, N.C.), Tsoni, first-year Dalia Luckhardt (Cerritos, Calif.) and Rimando finished in 51.20 seconds.
Junior Greta Trapp (La Crosse, Wis.) placed 12th out of 24 in the 1,500 meters in 5:05.00.
Placing ninth in the 4x400 relay in 4:18.03 and becoming Mount Holyoke's ninth fastest 4x400 relay team ever were Beaver, Lancaster, first-year Anjali Phadnis (San Marcos, Calif.) and Trapp.

Mount Holyoke finished with 33 team points, six ahead of Smith (27) for eighth place, with Salve Regina placing 10th (4). Wellesley took seventh place ahead of the Lyons with 44 points, and Babson scored 49. MIT won with 260 points.

Mount Holyoke will host the New England Division III Men's and Women's Championships May 3-4 on the MHC Turf and Track. Friday's action begins at 11:45am.