Feb. 14, 2010

Results

Senior Jacqui Barrett (Woburn, MA) and the 4X400 meter relay team each captured titles to lead the UMass Lowell women’s track and field team at the Boston University St. Valentine’s Day Invitational Friday at the BU Track & Tennis Center.

The meet drew colleges from all three NCAA divisions as well as many athletes representing postgraduate track and field club across the United States and Canada.

Barrett threw the shot put 48 feet, 0.5 inches, and held more than a three-foot advantage over the remainder of the field. Her throw marked the second time this season that she eclipsed 48 feet, and came within inches of her personal-best throw of 48’ 5.5’’ at last week’s Yale Giegengack Invitational.

UMass Lowell’s 4X400 meter relay team raced to the title in 3:50.24 – currently eighth in the NCAA Division II List (up from 16th). Freshman Shannon Cunningham (Foxboro, MA) led off with a 57.1-second leg while sophomore Nicole Giaquinto (Winthrop, MA) followed in 58.5 seconds, senior Haley Catarius (Marshfield, MA) in 56.3 and sophomore Amy Delgado (East Bridgewater, MA) anchoring in 57.8 seconds.

Catarius and Delgado also helped the River Hawk women’s distance medley relay team provisionally qualify for the NCAAs as it placed fourth in 11:53.1 on Saturday.

Catarius ran the 1,200 meters in 3:33.0 while Delgado followed in the 400 meter dash in 58.2 seconds. Freshman Kelly Walton (Nahant, MA) followed in the 800 meters in 2:21.5 and junior Lyra Clark (Nashua, NH) anchored in the mile in a sterling 5:00.6.

Sophomore Chrissy Silvar (Fitchburg, MA) led several other stellar individual efforts as she placed in a tie for 17th overall (second among Division II-III athletes) in the pole vault, clearing 9’ 6.25’’.

Sophomore Ashley Zielinski (Manchester, NH) placed 26th overall (fifth) in the 55 meter hurdles in 8.60 seconds, just ahead of junior Lauren Raimondi (East Longmeadow, MA), who took 28th (sixth) in 8.61 seconds. Zielinski also took 27th (seventh) in the 200 meter dash in 25.85.

In other results, sophomore Jayson-Ann Wright (Bronx, NY) placed 26th overall (fifth) in the 1,000 meters in 3:09.19 while sophomore Cachet Chesson (Randolph, MA) placed 24th (eighth) in the long jump with a distance of 15’ 10.5’’.

UMass Lowell defends its Northeast-10 Conference indoor championship Thursday at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center.