Lambert Wins 5,000; Women’s Track & Field Piles Up Top-10s at Season-Opening Smith Winter Classic
Ravens put three in top-seven of weight throw
NORTHAMPTON, Mass. (December 5, 2015) – Junior Alyssa Lambert (Manchester, N.H.) took home the title in the 5,000 meters on Saturday, as part of a strong season-opening showing for the Franklin Pierce University women's track & field team at the Smith Winter Classic, hosted by Smith College.
Lambert's time of 17:48.06 was not only good enough to win the 5,000 meters on Saturday, but also allowed her to meet the qualifying standard for February's NEICAAA Championships in the season's first meet.
Outside of Lambert's win, Franklin Pierce's best event on the track at Smith was likely the 800 meters, where it had two of the top five finishers. Sophomore Alexa Cassara (Bay Shore, N.Y.) turned in a time of 2:32.52 to finish second, while freshman Courtney Burrell (Meredith, N.H.) followed with a 2:38.97 to place fifth.
In field events, the Ravens featured their most depth in the weight throw, where they boasted three of the top seven finishers. Sophomore Emily Quinn (West Bridgewater, Mass.) led the way in fifth, with a throw of 13.17 meters, followed by senior Nadine Hyde (Maple Valley, Wash.) in sixth (12.98m) and junior Kendra Plant (Cumberland, R.I.) in seventh (12.93m).
Other top-10s in field events on Saturday for the Ravens included a fourth-place finish in the triple jump (10.75m) for freshman Lilian Baah (Danielson, Conn.), as well as a sixth-place finish in the shot put (10.65m) for freshman Kendra Covington (Torrington, Conn.).
Back on the track, senior Monique Loney (Stamford, Conn.) posted a pair of top-10 finishes at the Smith Winter Classic. In the 200-meter dash, she stopped the clock at 27.14 to finish sixth. In the 60-meter dash, Loney won her preliminary heat with a time of 8.25 seconds, and then improved to run an 8.16 in the finals, which was good enough for eighth place.
In the 60-meter hurdles, junior Breigh Souliere (Cumberland, R.I.) took third in her preliminary heat with a time of 9.64 seconds. She was a touch slower in the final, running a 9.78 to finish fifth. Elsewhere on the track, senior Danielle Koch (Coventry, Conn.) finished fourth in the mile, with a time of 5:31.65.
The Ravens return to the track on Thursday, Dec. 10, for the first day of the Elm City Challenge, hosted by Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven, Conn.
For more information on Franklin Pierce Athletics, please visit the official website of Franklin Pierce Athletics (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu). Also be sure to follow the Ravens through the Department of Athletics' official Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceRavens), its YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/franklinpiercesports) and its Twitter feed (http://twitter.com/FPUathletics). Fans wishing to purchase Franklin Pierce track and field apparel can do so at the Department of Athletics' brand new online store (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store).