Westfield State’s Jessie Cardin (#989) splashed her way to a win in the 3000 steeplechase for the host Owls at the ECAC championships at the Jerry Gravel Track on Wednesday afternoon. (Courtesy of Westfield State Sports)
WESTFIELD – Westfield State set several school records and Jessie Cardin (Sutton, Mass.) won the women’s steeplechase at the 2016 ECAC Division III track and field championships hosted at Westfield State University’s Jerry Gravel Track on May 18-19.
On Wednesday afternoon, Cardin won the 3000 meter steeplechase with a time of 10:49.18.
Sophomore Sabrina Pray (Mansfield, Mass.) broke her own school record in the 100 hurdles twice, running a 14.89 in the prelims on Wednesday. Pray placed fourth in the hurdle final on Thursday in 14.71, reducing her school-record time from the day before.
The women’s 4×800 meter relay placed fourth as a team, improving their seed. The Owls won their flight with junior Ashley Monahan (Agawam HS/Springfield, Mass.) battling back in the final 10 meters to get Westfield across the line in 9:20.35. The quartet of Monahan, Cardin, Autumn Brown (Murdock/Winchendown, Mass.) and Nicole Lanoie (Noble/Lebanon, Maine) shattered the school-record mark set earlier this season by more than 12 seconds.
Senior Naloti Palma (Westborough, Mass.) placed fifth the discus at 42.80m (140′-05″).
Monahan finished 11th in the 800 but broke a 12-year old school record (Set by Jess Silva in 2004) with time of 2:15.64.
Palma placed 10th in the hammer 47.24m (155-00) while Juliana Miller finished 14th at 45.74m.
On the men’s side David Drigo (Masconamet/Middleton, Mass.) placed second in the javelin with a throw of 59.5 meters.
On Wednesday, Ed Perez (Central/Springfield, Mass.) qualified for the 110 hurdles final with a time of 14.75. Perez finished third in Thursday’s final in 14.60.
Freshman Esteafan Jack (Lincoln-Sudbury/Boston, Mass.) placed sixth in the 400 meters in a time of 48.84
Sophomore Jacob Clements (Minnechaug/Wilbraham, Mass.) placed 10th in the high jump at 1.96M (6′-5″).
Westfield’s 4×800 relay team took home a sixth place finish in school record time of 7:48.20 for the team of seniors Matt Moussamih (Diman Voc./Fall River, Mass.), Mike Skelly (N. Middlesex/Pepperell, Mass.) and Stephen Parece (Franklin, Mass.) along with freshman Connor Gottzmann (Longmeadow, Mass.).
Moussamih also placed ninth in the 800 meters with a time of 1:53.68.
Westfield State senior Travon Godette, the defending national champion in the javelin and MASCAC champion in the high jump did not compete this week while resting for the national championship next week.
The Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference is a regional governing body with over 300 member institutions. Schools from Maine (Husson) to West Virginia (Bethany) competed in this week’s meet, the final opportunity to qualify for the NCAA Division 3 National Championships, which will be contested at Wartburg (IA) University May 26-28.
Rowan (NJ) University won the women’s meet with 51 points, followed by Ithaca (N.Y.) College with 47 and Bates (Maine) College with 47. Westfield State tied for 13th with 24 points. 60 teams scored on the women’s side of the meet.
Rowan (NJ) University won the men’s meet with 90.5 points, followed by MIT with 58 with Bates (ME) College and Oneonta (NY) State tying for third with 40 points each. Westfield State finished 13th with 20 points among 53 scoring teams.
