GORHAM, Maine (December 11, 2021) -- On just the second weekend of the year, the Franklin Pierce University women's track & field program has hit its first NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark of the season. Senior Paola Brena (Queretaro, Mexico) got up and over 1.67 meters to win the high jump and put herself in contention for a return trip to the national meet.

Brena's mark is currently good for 15^th in the nation. At the end of the season, the top 16 finishers in each individual event will qualify for the NCAA Championships. As such, Brena likely still has work to do to assure herself of a bid to nationals, but the mark represents a strong early-season starting point for the Mexican.

The meet was not scored from a team perspective.

The Ravens put together wins all over the track on Saturday. Junior Nyjah Young-Bey (Montclair, N.J.) doubled up with wins in both the 55 meters (7.37) and the 200 meters (25.80). In the 800 meters, it was a one-two photo finish for seniors Alana Thompson (Westampton, N.J.) and Alena Masterson (Pelham, N.H.), who turned in times of 2:32.77 and 2:32.83, respectively, as the Garden State Native took first in half an eye-blink. Brianha Bouchard picked up a win in the 55-meter hurdles, with a run of 8.91 seconds.

Elsewhere, junior Victoria Van Houten (Wantage, N.J.) tallied a top-five finish in the mile, as she placed fifth in 5:52.

Franklin Pierce had a pair of top-three relay finishes on Saturday. The 4x200-meter team took second place, with a run of 1:50.10, while the 4x400-meter group claimed third in 4:34.51.

Brena was not the only winner on the jumping front for the Ravens, as senior Stephanie Phoenix (Wallingford, Conn.) cleared 2.95 meters to win the pole vault. She was followed by Teresa Deasy, who took third by getting up and over 2.50 meters. Bouchard doubled up to take fourth in the long jump, with a leap of 4.91 meters.

As for the throwing events, senior Samantha DeSouza (Sebago, Maine) took fourth in the shot put (11.39m), while sophomore Tyra Felton (Sterling, Mass.) finished sixth in the shot put (11.12m) and third in the weight throw (12.78m).

The Ravens are back in action on the other side of the New Year, when they travel to MIT on Saturday, Jan. 8.