Men's and Women's Track & Field Host First Home Event in Six Years, Win Both Meets

The Wheaton College men's and women's track & field teams each won their own Wheaton Invitational on Saturday during their first home events since February 2003. Lyon athletes combined to win 18 events and meet four NCAA Championship provisional standards. The Blue and White women posted 207 points in topping the 12-team field, while the men edged out second-place University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth by one point to win the 10-team meet with 119 points.

For the women, freshman Mickey Jusme (Providence, RI/Classical) captured the long jump and triple jump, provisionally qualifying for the national meet with a triple jump leap of 37′ 6″. Sophomore Erin Neville (North Providence, RI/La Salle Academy) won the high jump while meeting an NCAA height at 5′ 5 1/4″, and freshman Tope Waheed (East Providence, RI/East Providence) topped the weight-throw field with a toss of 49′ 7″. Freshman Lauren Cardarelli (Cranston, RI/La Salle Academy) won the 400-meter dash, classmate Didine Jusme (Providence, RI/Classical) took the 55M hurdles, while sophomore Laurenmaria Smith (Providence, RI/Hope) captured the 55M race. Cardarelli, Didine Jusme and Smith then joined senior Morgan Jamiel (Warwick, RI/Toll Gate) to take the 4×200M relay. Seniors Lily Calderwood (Harvard, MA/Bromfield School) and Amanda Rawson (Dudley, MA/Shepherd Hill Regional) picked up wins in the 800M and 5,000M, respectively, and sided with classmate Lauren Reddy (Walnut Creek, CA/Carondelet) and freshman Savannah Geasey (Portsmouth, RI/Portsmouth) in winning the distance medley relay. Senior Chizoba Ezeigwe (Brockton, MA/Thayer Academy) bested the 200M field before helping the 4×400M relay quartet to victory, joining classmates Natana Jules (Brooklyn, NY/Boys and Girls) and Celeste Karpow (Wilton, CT/Wilton) and junior Renee Thompson (Hartford, CT/Weaver).

On the men's side, junior Michael Latner (Torrance, CA/West) had the top showing during the pole vault, while freshman Cailean Robinson (Newton, MA/Phillips Exeter Academy) won the long jump in his first collegiate field event. On the track, Robinson notched a provisional time of 6.45 during the 55M, coming within 0.03 seconds of a school record while winning the race. Sophomore Mark Williamson (Vienna, VA/James Madison) also recorded an NCAA meet showing, running the 400M in 49.44 during a victory. Rounding out Wheaton's triumphant athletes was the 4×400M relay quartet, comprised of Williamson, senior Brian Dundon (Mansfield, MA/Mansfield), junior Merzudin Ibric (Revere, MA/Phillips Academy) and freshman Kyle Ricci (Warwick, RI/Bishop Hendricken).