Tartans Open Season with a Third-Place Showing at the SPIRE Carnegie Mellon Invitational

(GENVA, Ohio) – The Carnegie Mellon University women's track and field team opened its indoor season at the SPIRE Carnegie Mellon University Invitational on Saturday, January 20. The 12-team event was held at the SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio. The Tartans placed third after scoring 78 points with SUNY Geneseo winning the invitational with 210.50 points.

Senior Sarah Cook (Pittsburgh, Pa./Hampton) and sophomore Rose Ciriello (Madison, N.J./Madison) crossed first and second in the 800-meter run. Cooke crossed in an indoor career-best time of 2:18.95 to win the event and Ciriello crossed in 2:22.23.

The Tartans earned two other top finished on the afternoon with both coming by way of the relay teams. The 4x400 relay team of Cook, Ciriello, junior Debarati Bhanja (New Albany, Ohio/New Albany) and freshman Valerie Reiling (Concord, Mass./Concord Carlisle Regional) finished with a time of 4:06.79. The sophomore distance medley relay team of Rachel Reolfi (North Canton, Ohio/Canton Central Catholic), Keegan Barone (Chicago, Ill./Latin School of Chicago), Vayda Farino (Scottdale, Pa./Southmoreland) and Kate Reilly (Scranton, Pa./Scranton Prep) crossed in 12:59.74.

Senior Aparna Alavilli (Hanover, N.H./Hanover) ran the 3,000-meter race in 10:27.79 to place third.

In the field events, Bhanja placed second in the long jump with a mark of 4.95 meters while sophomore Michelle Karabin (Ruffs Dale, Pa./Greensburg Central Catholic) placed second in the pole vault, clearing 3.52 meters.

Carnegie Mellon will be back in action on Saturday, January 27 when the head to Cleveland, Ohio to compete against Case Western Reserve University in the Battle for the Obelisk.