Bhanja Earns First Seed in Final at UAA Championships

(WALTHAM, Mass.) - The Carnegie Mellon University women's track and field team competed in the first day of the University Athletic Association (UAA) Championships Saturday hosted by Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts. A number of Tartans clinched qualifying performances for final competitions on the second day of the championships.

Senior Debarati Bhanja (New Albany, Ohio / New Albany) ran a personal-best time in the 400 meters of 59.42. The performance earned her the top seed going into the final. Bhanja also qualified for the final in the 200-meter dash with a time of 26.39 in sixth-place.

Junior Leah Kendrick (Doylestown, Pa. / Central Bucks East) qualified for the finals in the 60-meter hurdles placing fifth in a time of 9.22. In her second collegiate hurdle performance, senior Autumn Hair also qualified for the 60-meter hurdles final with a seventh-place personal record of 9.35. Hair is now third on the Carnegie Mellon indoor top-five all-time list. Hair placed ninth in the long jump with a season-best distance of 5.10 meters.

Junior Abigail Levine placed sixth in the 5,000-meter run with a personal record time of 17:51, "I'm definitely happy with the big PR. It was helpful to have the team out there cheering every lap; it really made the difference for my race," said Levine. Senior Alli Scibisz (Hampton, N.H. / Winnacunnet) ran an indoor personal record in the 5,000 meters placing 14th in a time of 19:21.

Junior Michelle Karabin (Ruffs Dale, Pa. / Greensburg Central Catholic) finished sixth in pole vault clearing 3.53 meters. Senior Rose Ciriello (Madison, N.J. / Madison) placed ninth in the 800-meter race in a time of 2:18. Sophomore Madeline Evans (Pittsburgh, Pa. / North Hills) had a personal-best performance in the 800-meter event finishing in 2:24.

The distance medley relay team of junior Valerie Collins (Wellesley, Mass. / Wellesley), junior Keegan Barone (Chicago, Ill. / Latin School of Chicago), Evans and freshman Kristen Seballos (Cleveland, Ohio / Padua Franciscan) placed sixth in a time of 13:05.

The Tartans will compete again, Sunday, February 24, at the final day of the UAA Championships hosted by Brandeis University.