Jan. 30, 2010

Full Results

Senior Haley Catarius (Marshfield, MA) provisionally qualified for the NCAA Championship in the 800 meters and the 4X400 meter relay to lead the UMass Lowell women’s track and field team at the Boston University Terrier Invitational Friday at the BU Track and Tennis Center.

The non-scoring meet drew schools and athletes from all three NCAA divisions as well as many athletes representing postgraduate track and field clubs from around the country.

Catarius placed fifth overall and second among collegiate runners with a time of 2:13.35 and was one of a handful of UMass Lowell athletes who qualified or improved their standing for the NCAA Championship. Catarius’ time currently ranks as the second-fastest time in the country this season.

Catarius also ran a 57.2-second split on UMass Lowell’s 4X400 meter relay team, which posted a time of 3:54.75, currently eighth on the Division II list. Joining her was freshman Shannon Cunningham (Foxboro, MA), who led off with a 58.9-second split, followed by sophomore Amy Delgado (East Bridgewater, MA), who ran a 58.7 split. Sophomore Nicole Giaquinto (Winthrop, MA) anchored in 59.1 seconds.

As Catarius did, each of the 4X400 members did well individually. Cunningham placed 21st overall – second among Division II-III entries – in the 200 meter dash with a time of 26.09 while senior Sharikka Finley-Moise (Lexington, MA) took 22nd (third) in 26.11 and Giaquinto 25th (fourth) in 26.13.

Delgado placed 17th (third) in the 400 meter dash in 59.26 seconds. Senior Jacqui Barrett (Woburn, MA) placed second in the shot put and eclipsed her personal best for the fourth time this season with a throw of 47 feet, 5.75 inches.

Barrett, who had automatically qualified on Jan. 16 at the Tufts Invitational, placed behind Harvard’s Danielle Grunloh (48’ 5.25) and currently ranks fourth on the latest Division II list.

Sophomore Ashley Zielinski (Manchester, NH), who won both the 200 meters and 55 meter hurdles last week at MIT, was the top Division II athlete in the 55 hurdles (ninth overall) with a time of 8.61 seconds. Zielinski improved from her 12th-place showing (8.87) in the preliminary.

Junior Lyra Clark (Nashua, NH) placed 16th (third) in the mile with a time of 5:05.32, falling just short of the NCAA provision. Junior Lauren Raimondi (East Longmeadow, MA), just back from an injury, placed 13th overall (second) in the high jump, clearing 5’ 1.75’’.

UMass Lowell enters the Yale University Giegengack Invitational Saturday and Sunday.