Track & Field Posts Solid Showing At New Balance Collegiate Invitational

The Wheaton College women's track & field team, ranked no.22 in the latest U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) NCAA Division III national poll, posted several strong performances at the New Balance Collegiate Invitational this past weekend at the NYC Armory. The Lyons also sent two members of the men's squad to the invitational.

Senior All-American Amanda Claflin (Pembroke, Mass./Pembroke)shined in the 60-meter dash with a sixth place finish overall out of 93 competitors in 7.78-seconds. Claflin clocked the fastest time among all NCAA Division III student-athletes in a field comprised mostly of NCAA Division I student-athletes on Friday of the two-day invitational. Claflin improved her NCAA Division III New England leading qualifying time by two-tenths of a second with a time of 7.76-seconds in the preliminary round of the 60-meter dash. Claflin currently ranks tied for seventh place overall in the 60-meter dash among all NCAA Division III student-athletes this season.

In the 3,000-meter run, freshman Jordan Silva (North Kingstown, R.I./North Kingstown) nearly broke a seven-year-old program record with a time of 10:16.87 for sixth place overall among 37 competitors. Silva just missed eclipsing Megan Brousseau's '08 program record of 10:16.65 which was set on January 28, 2006. Brousseau was a two-time New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) All-Conference selection. Brousseau also helped the Lyons to three NEWMAC championships (2005, 2006, 2008) during her time at the College.

Senior Samantha Bennett (Weymouth, Mass./Weymouth) placed 20th overall in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:16.33 out of 77 competitors. Junior All-American Meredith Scannell (San Marino, Calif./San Marino) ranked 60th overall in two minutes and 22.21-seconds.

Bennett, Claflin and Scannell teamed up with junior All-American Ashante Little (Seabrook, N.H./Winnacunnet) in the 4x400-meter relay for a 20th place finish in a total time of 3:53.64. Little also ranked 42nd overall in the 60-meter hurdles in 8.88-seconds.

Junior Mollie Lane (Hanover, Mass./Hanover) cleared 5-feet and 4.25-inches in the high jump for a 12th place finish. Senior Syliva Okoye (Stanhope, N.J./Pope John XXIII Regional) was the only other competitor for the Lyons in a field event at the invitational this weekend. Okoye placed 44th overall in the weight throw with a toss of 48-feet and 9.50-inches.

In the one-mile run, junior Shoshana Kruskal (Newton, Mass./Newton North) checked in at 45th place with a time of 5:17.54 while freshmanGeorga Crane (Greenwich, Conn./School of Holy Child) was 50th in 5:26.81.

Freshman Francesca Flynn (Farmington, Conn./Northwest Catholic) posted a 50th place finish in the 60-meter dash with a time of 8.02-seconds. Junior Amber Spencer (Wellesley, Mass./Wellesley) ranked 70th overall in 8.16-seconds.

On the men's side, freshman Alexei Spinu (New Cannon, Mass./New Cannon) finished 29th overall in the 800-meter run with a time of 1:56.07. Classmate Sam Miklovich (Gray New Gloucester, Maine/Gray New Gloucester) ranked 42nd overall in the 500-meter run in 1:10.02.

Wheaton returns to action on Friday, Feb. 8 and Saturday, Feb. 9 at the BU Valentine Invitational, hosted by Boston University. The Lyons will also compete at the MIT Coed Invite II meet on Saturday, Feb. 9.