The track and field team competed in two separate meets over the weekend, with some Leopards traveling to Bucknell University for the Bison Outdoor Classic and the others traveling to West Chester University for the Bill Butler Invitational on a cold and rainy weekend.
Several individuals earned spots on the all-time top 10 lists at Bucknell, and the women notched a first-place finish as a team at the Bill Butler.
Senior Nava Chevan broke her own outdoor school record in the 800-meter with a time of 2:08.06, good for fourth place in the field of 137 finishers.
After breaking the indoor 800 record multiple times this season, Chevan said she likes the long straightaways on the 400-meter outdoor track.
“You don’t have to maybe be as exact with your timing to make that move and complete it before you hit the turn,” Chevan said. “I like that a lot. It gives a little bit more wiggle room and you can make your moves.”
She added that she wants to race a first-round NCAA qualifying time this season. The top 48 runners in each region qualify, meaning there isn’t a set time to meet, but Chevan noted she would probably need to shave a few seconds off her personal record.
“That’s a large, ambitious goal, but I don’t think it’s out of the question,” Chevan said. “So definitely something to reach for.”
Freshman Iyune Franklin-Ayeni reeled in her first collegiate victory in the 100-meter hurdles at the Bill Butler with a time of 15.97.
She said her long-term goal for the rest of the season is to reach the 15-second mark and to qualify for the Patriot League championship.
“It feels like there’s less pressure just because I’m a first year and I’m still getting used to how everything works and everything,” Franklin-Ayeni said. “I feel like if I qualify for leagues, that’ll be a testament to what I’ve been able to do and start out with.”
Freshman Anya Kazemi also notched a win in the 1500-meter with a time of 5:02.01 at West Chester.
The Leopards’ success continued in the field events at the Bill Butler, with senior Erin O’Leary winning the hammer throw for the women with a 164’ 8” mark.
On the men’s side, sophomore Jared Googel also won the hammer throw with an effort of 164’ 10”. Of all the throwing events, he said the hammer is his favorite because it combines technique, power and speed.
“It just proves who puts in the most work will most likely be the person who wins or throws the best mark that day,” Googel said.
He added that the support and “close-knit” nature of the throws group has helped him troubleshoot problems with his teammates like O’Leary.
At Bucknell, junior Quinn Worrell nabbed the seventh spot on the all-time top 10 list with a 12th-place finish in the 800-meter at 1:52.13 in the 141-person field.
He raced in the first heat, which included seven of the top 12 finishers and three Patriot League competitors.
“A lot of the people in my heat were actually some of the best 800 runners in the league,” Worrell said. “It was nice seeing where they’re at right now.”
Juniors Elizabeth Borah and Cole Chukoskie both scratched the top 10 list in the 5K, with times of 17:22.18 and 14:45.43, respectively. Borah grabbed the No. 8 all-time slot for the women, while Chukoskie earned the ninth for the men.
The Maroon and White will split up again this weekend to go to meets at the Naval Academy, the University of Virginia and Bucknell.
