Bhanja Breaks 23-Year Old School Record as Women’s Track and Field Win Annual Quad Meet

(PITTSBURGH, Pa.) – The Carnegie Mellon University women's track and field team hosted its annual Carnegie Mellon Quad on Saturday. The Tartans won the quad with 221 points after turning in 11 first-place finishes. Penn State Behrend placed second with 177 points.

Junior Debarati Bhanja (New Albany, Ohio / New Albany) broke a 23-year old school record when she crossed the finish line in 12.48 seconds in the 100-meter dash. Her time claimed first-place points and broke Vonquitra Bebee's record of 12.54 seconds set in 1995. Bhanja then won the 200-meter dash with a time of 26.15.

Bhanja and junior Autumn Hair (Blue Bell, Pa. / Wissahickon) finished first and second in the long jump. Bhanja had a mark of 4.91 meters and Hair jumped 4.75 meters. Hair then took first in the triple jump with a career-best mark of 10.80 meters.

In the 800-meter run, senior Sarah Cook (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Hampton) crossed in 2:17.76 to win the event while junior Rose Ciriello (Madison, N.J. / Madison) placed second with a time of 2:19.27.

Senior Aparna Alavilli (Hanover , N.H. / Hanover) crossed the finish line with a time of 10:22.77 to place first among scoring athletes in the 3,000-meter run. Sophomore Abigail Levine (Bethesda, Md. / Bethesda Chevy Chase) finished second in the 3,000 with atime of 10:49.04. Sophomore Emmalyn Lindsey (Eugene, Ore. / South Eugene) scored top place points in the 3,000-meter steeplechase after crossing the line in 12:07.20.

Sophomores Leah Kendrick (Doylestown, Pa. / Central Bucks East) and Joanna Baranowski (Syosset, N.Y. / Syosset) earned top two points for the Cardinal and Gray in the 100-meter hurdles with times of 15.93 and 16.47, respectively.

In the last running event of the day, Bjanja picked up her fourth victory as part of the winning 4x400 relay team. The junior was joined by Cook, Baranowski and freshman Valerie Reiling (Concord, Mass. / Concord Carlisle Regional), as they recorded a time of 4:06.24.

Senior Kiersten Chuc (Cupertino, Calif. / Monta Vista) won the hammer throw with a mark of 44.21 meters and junior Alexa Barriero (Middletown, N.J. / Middletown North) tossed the weight 35.15 meters to place third. Barriero then ended the meet with a career-best throw of 36.46 meters to win the javelin.

The Tartans will travel to the Dave Labor Invitational on Saturday, April 7 hosted by Slippery Rock University.