Tartan Women Win Third Meet of Outdoor Season

(NEW WILMINGTON, Pa.) - The Carnegie Mellon University women's track and field team won its third meet of the outdoor season and fifth combined when it topped a field of 16 teams at the Westminster College Invitational on Saturday, April 8. The Tartans tallied 178.50 points to lead the pack with Westminster finishing second with 101.50 points.

Senior Rebecca Fortner (Navarre, Ohio/Fairless) won the high jump by clearing 1.57 meters, junior Kiersten Chuc (Cupertino, Calif./Monta Vista) won the hammer throw with a mark of 45.20 meters, junior Sarah Cook (Pittsburgh, Pa./Hampton) won the 400-meter dash in 58.46 seconds, and junior Aparna Alavilli (Hanover , N.H./Hanover) won the 5,000-meter run in a career-best time of 17:44.14 to lead the Tartans.

Senior Grace Yee (San Francisco, Calif./Lick-Wilmerding) placed third in the pole vault after vaulting over 3.62 meters while freshman Michelle Karabin (Ruffs Dale, Pa./Greensburg Central Catholic) was fourth after clearing an outdoor-best 3.47 meters.

In the triple jump, senior Emily Swanson (Atkinson, N.H./Timberlane Regional) took second with a mark of 10.48 meters, sophomore Autumn Hair (Blue Bell, Pa./Wissahickon) took third with a leap of 10.38 meters, and senior Sommer Farber (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mt. Lebanon) placed fourth with a mark of 10.25 meters.

In the throws, freshman Julieanne Igbokwe (Chantilly, Va./Chantilly) finished third in the shot put with a mark of 11.33 meters, Chuc placed fourth in the discus throw with a mark of 33.32 meters, sophomore Alexa Barriero (Middletown, N.J./Middletown North) was fourth in the javelin throw with a career-best distance of 33.48 meters. Barriero also placed second in the hammer throw with a mark of 35.97 meters.

Sophomore Claire Yuan (San Jose, Calif./Lynbrook) ran a career-best time in the 200-meter dash when she finished sixth in 27.45 while sophomore Rose Ciriello (Madison, N.J./Madison) was third in the 400-meter dash in 1:01.69.

Graduate student Erin Persson (San Antonio, Texas/Saint Mary's Hall) ran to two career-best times when she placed second in the 1,500-meter run in 4:46.27 and took third in the 800-meter run in 2:24.41. Following Persson in the 1,500-meter run was freshman Rachel Reolfi (North Canton, Ohio/Canton Central Catholic) in third in 5:01.77 and freshman Kate Reilly (Scranton, Pa./Scranton Prep) in fourth in 5:09.80.

Freshman Joanna Baranowski (Syosset, N.Y./Syosset) earned a second-place finish in the 400-meter hurdles with a career-best time of 1:07.64.

The Tartans will next visit Bucknell University and Walsh University on Friday and Saturday, April 14-15 for competition.