Men's and Women's Track & Field Athletes Meet Five NCAA Standards at Springfield

The Wheaton College men's and women's outdoor track & field teams had athletes combine to reach five NCAA Championship provisional standards on Saturday at the Springfield College Invitational, where the Lyon women took third among 12 scoring teams. The men were sixth out of 13. Wheaton's squads return to action on Saturday at the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Championship, which the women look to win for the second straight year and for the 10th time in the NEWMAC's 11-year history. The men seek their first league title.

Senior Michael Wright (Baldwin, NY/Uniondale) met NCAA marks in the 100- and 200-meter dashes, and he also bested a 12-year-old school record in the 200M. He was second in the 100M and third in the 200M. Junior Merzudin Ibric (Revere, MA/Phillips Academy) also had a provisional time in the 200M, placing fourth. Junior Howard Powell (Brooklyn, NY/Boys and Girls) won the 110M hurdles and was fifth in the 400M hurdles, while sophomore Mark Williamson (Vienna, VA/James Madison) took second in the 400M. Freshman Marcus Dennis (Hyde Park, MA/Thayer Academy) was third and fifth in the triple and long jumps, respectively. Wheaton's fourth-place 4×100M relay team was comprised of Ibric, Williamson, Wright and freshman Kyle Ricci (Warwick, RI/Bishop Hendricken).

For the women, freshman Mickey Jusme (Providence, RI/Classical) met two NCAA provisional qualifying standards while winning the long jump and taking second in the triple jump. Senior Natana Jules (Brooklyn, NY/Boys and Girls) won the 800M, while Jusme, junior Renee Thompson (Hartford, CT/Weaver), sophomore Laurenmaria Smith (Providence, RI/Hope) and freshman Didine Jusme (Providence, RI/Classical) comprised the winning 4×100M relay foursome. Senior Lauren Reddy (Walnut Creek, CA/Carondelet) was the runner up in the 5,000M run, senior Christine Moreau (Lincoln, RI/Lincoln) came in second in the 400M hurdles, Didine Jusme was the runner up in the 100M hurdles, and Wheaton's 4×400M squad of Jules, Moreau, senior Lily Calderwood (Harvard, MA/Bromfield School) and freshman Lauren Cardarelli (Cranston, RI/La Salle Academy) also took second. Senior Morgan Jamiel (Warwick, RI/Toll Gate) and freshman Lauren McGrath (Wading River, NY/Shoreham-Wading River) went three-four in the 100M hurdles, freshman Tope Waheed (East Providence, RI/East Providence) turned in a third-place mark in the hammer throw, while Cardarelli and Thompson finished fourth in the 100M and 400M, respectively. Wheaton's second 4×400M relay quartet, comprised of senior Celeste Karpow (Wilton, CT/Wilton), junior Katie Pratt (Litchfield, CT/Litchfield), sophomore Meagan Jennett (Charlottesville, VA/Western Albemarle) and freshman Savannah Geasey (Portsmouth, RI/Portsmouth), came in fourth. Finishing fifth were Smith in the 200M, sophomore Caleigh Greenwell (Warwick, RI/La Salle Academy) in the hammer throw and freshman Ashley Dell'Aira (Shoreham, NY/Shoreham-Wading River) in the long jump.