CARLISLE, Pa. – The Franklin & Marshall women's outdoor track & field team used seven individual victories and two relay championships to help them score 147 points during a second place finish at the Little Three Meet on Saturday. Held at Dickinson, the host Red Devils scored 168 points to claim the team title, but the Diplomats were able to significantly outscore Gettysburg (93 pts.) to place second. In addition to the first-place finishes, seven top 10 performances were recorded by Franklin & Marshall at the event.
June Sanchez and Sydney Dzenutis were on both the winning 4x400 and 4x800 meter relays. The 4x400 relay posted the 10th-fastest time (4:12.67) in school history as Tatum Evans and Laura Greene joined that effort. Valerie Fieberg and Elizabeth O'Connell ran the opening and anchor legs of the 4x800 relay which finished in a time of 10:10.26. Franklin & Marshall nearly made it a sweep of the relays as the 4x100 team of Abby Lienhard, Christline Edward, Hope Petralia, and Evans posted the eighth-quickest time (51.65) in school history.
Individual winners in the track events came in the distance events as O'Connell added a gold in the 1,500 meters (5:02.43). Emma Kline gave F&M the win in the 5,000 meters as she crossed the line in 19:08.97. Lexi Salerno won the 800 meter race with a time of 2:27.71 while adding a runner-up finish in the 1,500 meters (5:03.65). Edward was once again strong in the hurdle events, claiming second in both the 100 hurdles (16.64) and 400 hurdles (1:10.39). Her time in the 100 hurdles now ranks fifth in school history. Evans (400m; 1:03.43) and Greene (800m; 2:29.32) were both second during individual events while Freya Lindvall threw down a huge 40 second PR in the steeplechase (12:36.76) to move up to fifth in the College's record book.
Franklin & Marshall won four of the field events. Jillian Barger took first in the high jump (1.40m) and also excelled in the throws with a third-place hammer mark of 38.52 meters. Lienhard won the long jump (5.25m) and added a third place showing in the triple jump (9.58m) and a fourth place finish on the track in the 100 meter dash (13.27). All three of those marks move her up the top 10 list in the F&M record book.
Emma Steffan gave F&M a win in the shot put (10.90m) in addition to her second place finish in the hammer (38.64m). Aspen Mazzatta added a second-place finish to the team's score in the discus (36.97m). Stephani Franks was yet another event winner in the field events as she took home top honors in the pole vault by clearing 3.05 meters.
Women's track & field will return to action next weekend a little closer to campus as the Diplomats will compete in the Millersville Metrics meet that is scheduled for Saturday, April 2.
Franklin & Marshall Event Winners
Jillian Barger
Stephani Franks
- Pole Vault (3.05m; 10'0")
Abby Lienhard
- Long Jump (5.25m; 17'2.75")
Emma Kline
Elizabeth O'Connell
Lexi Salerno
Emma Steffan
- Shot Put (10.90m (35'9.25")
4x400 Relay
4x800 Relay
