Women's Track Finishes as 2017 Northeast Conference Runner-Up

The 2017 Northeast Conference Women's Outdoor Championship came down to the wire Sunday afternoon at Mount St. Mary's between Central Connecticut and reigning champion, Sacred Heart. The Blue Devils led by one point (138) over the Pioneers (137) heading into the last event, the 4x800 meter relay. CCSU placed sixth in the race leading to an overall team score of 142 points, just three behind Sacred Heart who won their third straight conference title.  

The impressive 142-point NEC Runner-Up performance places the 2017 group in the CCSU record books with the most points scored in school history.

FINAL RESULTS | FINAL MEDAL COUNT

OFFICIAL NEC RECAP

Junior Brittany Mendelson, one of the Blue Devils' most decorated athletes, was honored for the second straight year as the Most Outstanding Distance Performer after being crowned the Northeast Conference 5K and 10K Champion. On Saturday, May 6, Mendelson won the 10,000m run in a time of 36:39.80 and bested the field in the 5,000m today after crossing the finish line at 17:40.24.

Joining the Nutmeg state product in NEC Championship Major Awards, was freshman Hailey Rospierski, who was tabbed the 2017 Co-Most Outstanding Rookie Performer of the meet. The freshman shared the honor with RMU's Lily Harnish. Rospierski lept a personal best 1.67 meters to win the NEC high jump title, and placed fourth overall with another personal record of 14.53s in the 100m hurdles.

Last week's NEC Track Athlete of the Week, senior Sherise Truman, broke the CCSU 200m hurdle school record while scoring six points in third place with a time of 24.68s. Truman broke the 2003 standing record of 24.98 set by Nicola Larmond in her final outdoor meet as a Blue Devil.

Freshman Wileshka Samuel had herself a conference championship debut she won't forget. Samuel won the 100m dash with a personal best ECAC qualifying time of 12.04, and anchored the CCSU champion 4x100m relay team consisting of senior Sarah Hicks, Truman, and rookie Erica Snape. The quartet of Blue Devils won with a time of 47.42s.

Snape also finished fourth overall with a collegiate best time of 12.20 for score five for Central.

The 2017 NEC Indoor Triple Jump Champion, sophomore Sierra Nesmith, stood at the top of the 400m hurdle throne winning with a time of 1:01.89. Nesmith also placed fifth overall in the triple jump with a jump of 11.31m. Junior Melissa Wolliston scored (6) in third place with a personal best time of 1:02.33 and sophomore McKenna Kilian snagged fifth place with a PR of 1:05.42.

Hicks and Wolliston took third and fourth place, respectively, in the 100m hurdles, with Hicks running a personal best 14.44s ECAC qualifying time.

Second year Blue Devil, Madeline Mondo won silver in the 3,000 meter steeplechase running a collegiate fastest 11:04.50 time, giving CCSU eight points. Freshman Megan Brawner earned bronze in the 1,500m adding another six points.

Paced by Mendelson, sophomore Dawn Hubbell finished third in the 5K and 10K with two personal records of 17:50.87 and 37:15.53. Mondo grabbed another PR and came in sixth place at 18:09.31.

CCSU will complete in the ECAC Championships at Weaver Stadium in Princeton, NJ on May 13-14 as well as at the New England Championships at Williams College in Williamstown, MA on Friday, May 12^th.