Moon Township, Pa. – The RMU track & field team continued its 2022 outdoor season Saturday, competing in both the Penn Relays in Philadelphia, Pa., as well as sending select student-athletes to Loretto, Pa., for the Red Flash Open at Father Bede Track.
SETTING NEW STANDARDS
Rounding into form at the right time, the RMU 4x100-meter relay squad established a new school record for the third time this month at the Penn Relays Saturday. The Colonials qualified for the finals in the event by recording a time of 47.31 seconds Friday to finish sixth. Saturday in the finals, the team of senior Tara Gologram, junior Elicia Moore and freshmen Hannah McDanel and Maddie Raymond crossed the finish line with a time of 46.76 seconds to claim fifth. That mark bettered the previous school record of 47.02 seconds set just last Saturday at the RMU Benson/Hodge Memorial Invitational at the P3R Track & Field Complex.
MORE PENN RELAYS
The leader in the Horizon League in the discus, fifth-year Yessie Valencia competed in the event at the Penn Relays, finishing with a distance of 47.84 meters (156'11"). Valencia also competed in the hammer throw in Philadelphia, Pa., recording a toss of 47.42 meters (155'7").
RED FLASH OPEN
While Valencia took part in the discus at the Penn Relays, fifth-year Estelle Katende claimed gold in the event in Loretto, Pa., recording a throw of 40.88 meters (134'1"). Valencia will enter the 2022 Horizon League Championships next weekend as the No. 1 seed in the discus, while Katende will be the No. 3 seed.
THROW DOWN
Freshman Zoee Gologram recorded a personal best in the javelin Saturday at the Red Flash Open, notching a distance of 34.94 meters (114'7"). It's the top mark by a rookie in the Horizon League and ranks sixth in the league. Katende also posted RMU's best mark in the hammer throw at 42.17 meters (138'4"), while senior Taylor Mears notched a distance of 37.53 meters (123'1"). Junior Alijah Caul, meanwhile, finished at 11.23 meters (36'10.25") in the shot put, which was won by freshman Maizee Fry, who was competing unattached. She unleashed a hurl of 13.31 meters (43'8").
FIELD & STREAM
Freshman Rayna Todero earned bronze in the triple jump Saturday thanks to a leap of 11.46 meters (37'7.25"), a personal best. Todero ranks second among rookies in the Horizon League in the event and enters the #HLTF Outdoor Championships as the No. 7 seed. In the long jump, freshman Alex Pearson notched the best mark for the Colonials Saturday at 4.81 meters (15'9.5").
RIDGEMONT HIGH
Junior Lauren Chappell finished fourth at the Red Flash Open in the 100-meter hurdles at 15.70 seconds, while freshman Bethany Naughton finished sixth (15.72). In the 1,500-meter, freshman Maddie Kinton finished seventh, posting a time of 5:29.53.
UP NEXT
The Colonials head to Rochester, Mich., for the 2022 Horizon League Outdoor Track & Field Championships, which are hosted by Oakland. Competition begins Friday, May 6, before concluding Sunday, May 8.
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