Ashley Craig goes over the bar in the pole vault. (Courtesy of WSU/James English)
WESTFIELD – Westfield State’s men’s and women’s track and field teams defended their home turf on Saturday, winning both team titles at the 2018 Jerry Gravel Classic Track and Field meet.
The Westfield State women had four individual champions and won both the 4×100 and 4×400 relays.
Ashley Craig cleared 3.76 meters (12’4″) in the pole vault to improve her own school record height. After opening at 3.40 meters on her first attempt, Craig needed all three attempts to clear at 3.65 and then 3.71 meters to match her top indoor height of the winter season, then cleared the record 3.76 height on her second try. She finally missed at 3.81 (12’6″).
Craig’s mark is currently eighth in the nation on the NCAA Division III qualifying list.
Owls’ senior Katherine Leahy leaps a barrier in the 3000 steeplechase at the 2018 Gravel Classic meet. (Courtesy of WSU/James English photo)
Senior Jessie Cardin won the 3000 meter steeplechase event with a time of 10:53.77, a mark that has her ranked seventh in the nation.
Sabrina Pray topped the 100 hurdles field with a time of 15.16 seconds.
Lauren Gilderdale won the hammer with a toss of 43.61 meters, (143′-01″), and also took home second place honors in the shot put.
Westfield won the 4×100 relay with the team of Craig, Pray, Lexi Popp and Kerri Long with a time of 48.99 seconds.
The Owls 4×400 unit of Long, Popp, Pray and Erin Giguno completed the four laps in 4:04.85.
Long also took home second place honors in the long jump, while Brianna DeLoury finished in a tie for second in the high jump.
Westfield won the meet for the fourth straight time. The meet is named after the Owls’ retired longtime coach, Jerry Gravel. The Owls finished with 137 points, easily outdistancing second-place Worcester State (104) and third-place Utica (N.Y.) College (101).
The Owls will compete next Saturday at the Springfield College Invitational meet. – Courtesy of Westfield State University
