4x400 Sets School Record, Women Place Fourth at UAA Championships
Posted: Apr 29, 2018

4x400 Sets School Record, Women Place Fourth at UAA Championships

(PITTSBURGH, Pa.) - The Carnegie Mellon University women's track and field team placed fourth at the University Athletic Association (UAA) Track and Field Championships hosted on its home track and field. The fourth-place finish ties the 1995 and 1998 teams for the best finish in school history.

Senior Sarah Cook (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Hampton) completed her home track career with a career-best time in the 800-meter run, placing second in 2:12.62. She was also part of two third-place performances in the 4x100 meter relay and 4x400 meter relay. Junior Rose Ciriello (Madison, N.J. / Madison) finished sixth in the 800-meter race in 2:17.16 and was on the 4x400 meter relay that finished in a school record time of 3:57.16. Joining Cook and Ciriello on the relay team were freshman Valerie Reiling (Concord, Mass. / Concord Carlisle Regional) and junior Debarati Bhanja (New Albany, Ohio / New Albany).

The 4x100 meter relay team of junior Autumn Hair (Blue Bell, Pa. / Wissahickon), Cook, Reilling, and Bhanja opened Sunday's running events with a third-place finish in 49.77.

Sophomore Leah Kendrick () ran a career-best 15.44 seconds in the 100-meter hurdles to take third place and earn six points for the team. Fellow sophomore Joanna Baranowski (Syosset, N.Y. / Syosset) earned points in the event with a seventh-place finish in 16.81. Baranowski later finished sixth in the 400-meter hurdles in a time of 1:07.84.

Senior Kiersten Chuc (Cupertino, Calif. / Monta Vista) finished fifth in the discus throw after a heave of 34.92 meters while Hair scored points in the triple jump with a seventh-place finish after a mark of 10.49 meters.

Bhanja took fourth place in the 200-meter dash in a time of 26.89 while Reiling raced in the 400-meter final, closing the race in fifth place in a career-best time of 1:00.69.

Senior Aparna Alavilli (Hanover , N.H. / Hanover) took eighth in the 5,000-meter run in 18:00.44 while junior Alexa Barriero (Middletown, N.J. / Middletown North) closed the meet with a third-place finish in the javelin throw with a mark of 35.22 meters.