COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. – The Franklin & Marshall women's track & field team struck gold on Sunday during day two of the Centennial Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships. Finishing up an incredible weekend, the Diplomats set a pair of school records en route to a fourth place finish in the final team standings.
That fourth place team showing matched the team's best placement since the 2017 season. F&M's 67 points scored at the championship meet marked the most for the Diplomats at the indoor championships since the 2012 season.
Franklin & Marshall's mid-distance runners have been a strength of the team all season and when the Diplomats lined up to run the 4x800 relay, all of the parts came together perfectly. The relay of June Sanchez, Lexi Salerno, Laura Greene, and Elizabeth O'Connell all hold marks individually in the top 10 in school history for the 800 meters and today that relay meshed for a school record relay time of 9:26.76. Today's gold medal performance marked the second straight championship meet where F&M took gold in the 4x800 relay. Sanchez, Salerno, and Greene were all a part of that championship and record-breaking relay in 2020. Sunday's time also set the Centennial Conference record which the Diplomats originally set during the 2020 season.
Not surprisingly, the Diplomats were also strong in the 800 meter race individually. Sydney Dzenutis finished fourth in that event with a time of 2:24.05. Emma Kline joined a number of her teammates, including Dzenutis, in the top 10 all-time of the 800 meters as her time of 2:24.74 was good for fifth place on Sunday and eighth place in the College's record book.
After setting a new school record in the 60 meters yesterday, Abby Lienhard broke the school record in the long jump on Sunday. Her best mark was measured at 5.36 meters (17'7") to earn her third place in the event and honorable mention All-Centennial Conference honors. Lienhard also ran the finals of the 60 meters on Sunday where she finished off her weekend with an eighth place finish in that event.
It was another weekend for the record books overall, as Franklin & Marshall also took bronze in the 4x400 relay. Lienhard ran the leadoff leg of that relay as Christline Edward, Sydney Dzenutis, and Tatum Evans got the baton across the line in 4:08.72 to become the sixth-fastest relay in school history. Edward added a fourth-place individual finish to her day in the 60 meter hurdles as her time of 9.78 seconds was a personal best for the second straight day, ranking her fifth in school history. Franklin & Marshall also got another fourth-place individual finish in the field events as Jillian Barger cleared 1.47 meters (4'9.75") in the high jump to rank seventh in school history.
With the conference championships wrapping up on Sunday, women's track & field will have select individuals competing at the Tufts Last Chance Meet next Saturday while the rest of the team will turn its attention to the outdoor track & field season that begins on Saturday, March 19 at Virginia Wesleyan.
Sunday's Franklin & Marshall Scoring Performances
60 Meters
8. Abby Lienhard – 8.31
800 Meters
4. Sydney Dzenutis – 2:24.05
5. Emma Kline – 2:24.74 (eighth fastest in school history)
60 Meter Hurdles
4. Christline Edward – 9.78 (fifth fastest in school history)
4x400 Relay
3. Abby Lienhard, Christline Edward, Sydney Dzenutis, Tatum Evans – 4:08.72 (sixth fastest in school history)
4x800 Relay
1. June Sanchez, Lexi Salerno, Laura Greene, Elizabeth O'Connell – 9:26.76 (new school record)
High Jump
4. Jillian Barger – 1.47m (4'9.75") (seventh best in school history)
Long Jump
3. Abby Lienhard – 5.36m (17'7") (new school record)
