Women's Track & Field 5th of 20 at AIC
Senior Shelby Tuttle claimed two bronze medals on the day.
The Central Connecticut women's track and field team competed at the AIC Yellow Jacket Invitational this weekend, earning fifth place overall out of 20 schools. Senior Shelby Tuttle led the Blue Devils with two silver-medal performances on the day.
In addition to the team competition at AIC, junior Ronea Saunders traveled to Gainesville, FL this weekend as the only female track student-athlete to represent the Blue Devils at the 2014 Florida Relays. Saunders, the CCSU record-holder in the high jump, cleared a height of 1.72m in the event.
Saunders finished 12th in a field of 20 jumpers from around the country.
At the AIC Invitational, Tuttle raced a career-best time of 14.41 seconds in the 100m hurdle event. She crossed the finish line second overall and was followed by freshman Melissa Wolliston in seventh, who also posted a career-best time, crossing in 15.29.
Tuttle also finished second overall in the 400m hurdles, posting a time of 1:04.71. Junior Jenean McCalla also competed in the race, joining Tuttle in the top ten with her time of 1:12.24, good for ninth.
Freshman Sherise Truman led Central in the sprint events, clocking a career-best 12.71 seconds in the 100m dash and taking seventh out of 53 sprinters. She was also the first Blue Devil to cross the line in the 200m dash, placing eighth of 68 with her time of 26.31. Wolliston also competed in the event, finishing 21st in 27.58.
In the 400m, it was sophomore Chantelle Deer who performed for Central, placing 12th in 1:02.40, followed by senior Meghan Burns in 1:03.59.
Junior Taylor LePage earned a bronze medal out of 66 runners in the 800m with her time of 2:20.38, followed by freshman Jazmin Booker in eighth (2:25.79). Sophomore Ally Gates also competed in the race, finishing 18th overall (2:30.21).
Out of 91 runners in the 1,500m run, Gates was the first Blue Devil to cross the finish line, placing 14th with her career-best time of 4:58.62. Joining her in the race for their first collegiate appearance in the event were freshmen Victoria Cronin (37th, 5:13.20) and Brandy LeClair (50th, 5:19.03).
Sophomore Chelse Terry led the Blue Devils in the field events, finishing second in the discus out of 25 throwers. Terry was one of just two competitors to qualify for the NEICAAA Championships in the event with her distance of 39.20m. Terry also finished eighth of 31 in the hammer throw, registering a distance of 39.18m.
Sophomore Megan Duplice threw for 28.0 meters in the javelin for 15th place, leading junior Ellen Lima (19th, 20.32m). Duplice also registered a toss of 8.22m in her first collegiate attempt at the shot put (28th).
In the pole vault, freshman Amanda Kulas leapt for 2.60m, good for ninth place.
Vermont claimed the victory at the AIC Invitational, registering 177.50 team points. Tufts finished second with 75.50 and was followed by American International in third (57). New Haven (55.50) and CCSU (52) rounded out the top five.
The Blue Devils will return to action on Saturday, April 12, when they travel to UMass and Bucknell.
