Women’s Track & Field Fifth at CCSU; Sends Athletes to Penn Relays as Well
NEW BRITAIN, Conn. (April 30, 2022) -- The Franklin Pierce University women's track & field team competed in two meets this weekend, in the squad's final pre-championships tune-ups. First, select athletes featured at the Penn Relays at historic Franklin Field in Philadelphia. On Saturday, the Ravens took fifth, of six teams, at the Blue Devil Invite, hosted by Central Connecticut State, in New Britain, Conn.
In Philadelphia, at the Penn Relays, the Ravens had a pair in action in the college high jump. Freshman Nouhayla Errahili (Fes, Morocco) took 12th for her 1.66-meter mark. She was accompanied by senior Paola Brena (Queretaro, Mexico), who tied for 17th after clearing 1.61 meters.
Franklin Pierce also fielded a team in the 4x400-meter Eastern event. Junior Nyjah Young-Bey (Montclair, N.J.), senior Saylee Missell (Stafford Springs, Conn.), senior Alana Thompson (Westampton, N.J.) and graduate student Alena Masterson (Pelham, N.H.) took 11th place for their 4:06.36 performance.
The full team competed on Saturday at the Blue Devil Invite at CCSU. In the 400-meter hurdles, third place went to Brianha Bouchard, who had a time 1:09. Slightly behind her was sophomore Katie Peterson (Derry, N.H.) in fourth, with a time of 1:22. Bouchard also took third in the 100-meter hurdles for her 15.76-second time.
At a longer distance, Masterson was back in action, as she finished seventh in the 1500 meters, with a run of 5:25. In the 3k, Thompson took seventh, at 11:04.
Brena took first in the high jump after clearing 1.70 meters in her second outing of the weekend. Bouchard returned yet again to take sixth in the long jump for her 4.91-meter jump. Senior Stephanie Phoenix (Wallingford, Conn.) took second in the pole vault for her 3.15-meter mark. The Ravens also took fourth, fifth and sixth in the pole vault, as Teresa Deasy cleared 2.70 meters, sophomore Emma Cutter (Newburyport, Mass.) got up and over 2.25 meters, and sophomore Grace Silva (Warren, R.I.) got over 2.25 meters as well, though she needed more attempts than Cutter to do so.
In the hammer, sophomore Tyra Felton (Sterling, Mass.) took sixth for her 40.37-meter throw. Graduate student Katerina Dajia (Aurora, Ontario) took fourth in the discus for her 36.27-meter throw, while senior Samantha DeSouza (Sebago, Maine) was eighth at 31.60 meters. Taking fourth in the shot put was Felton, who threw 11.45 meters. She was also joined by DeSouza, who threw 10.95 meters to take sixth. Dajia picked up a point in the shot put as well, in eighth, with a throw of 10.44 meters.
The Ravens get championship season started next weekend, when they travel to Easton, Mass., for the Northeast-10 Conference Championship, hosted by Stonehill on May 6-7.