ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. – The Franklin & Marshall women's track & field team won four events at Elizabethtown's Blue Jay Tune-Up on Saturday afternoon. Those performances helped pave the way to a second-place finish behind the hosts as the Diplomats scored 133.5 points throughout the meet.
Emma Kline (5,000 meters; 18:46.20) and Freya Lindvall (steeplechase; 11:58.44) both put down huge personal bests to win their respective events. Kline moved up to seventh in school history following her event while the PRs continue to come for Lindvall in the steeplechase as she is now ranked third at F&M and seventh in the Centennial Conference this season.
Emma Steffan won the hammer with a throw of 40.71 meters and also led the team with a runner-up finish in the shot put (11.23m). Throwing was an overall strength once again as four Diplomats placed in the top eight of the hammer, including a bronze from Jillian Barger (37.54m). Aspen Mazzatta led the F&M throwing team with a fourth-place finish in the discus (37.49m). Rachel Caruso added a fifth-place finish in the javelin (33.39m) and was additionally fifth in the high jump (1.45m) as she is now tied for eighth in the College's record book.
The final championship came from the 4x400 relay as the team of June Sanchez, Valerie Fieberg, Elizabeth O'Connell, and Lexi Salerno finished with a time of 4:11.30 to rank fifth in the conference this season. F&M also grabbed third with a second relay team in that event. Many of those individuals also saw record times in the 800 meters. Sanchez was third in the 800 meters (2:17.03), turning in the fourth-fastest time at F&M all-time and holding that same spot in the conference this year. O'Connell (2:18.19) and Laura Greene (2:18.94) rank right behind her in the school record books and now hold the sixth and ninth-quickest times in the conference this year.
Abby Lienhard took home a pair of bronze medals in the 100 meters (13.17) and long jump (4.89m) and was also a part of the fifth-place 4x100 relay (53.32) that featured Christline Edward, Hope Petralia, and Tatum Evans). Evans added a bronze medal to the Diplomats' big day in the 200 meters (27.70m). She also made the finals of the 400 meters where Sydney Dzenutis (1:02.22) notched a second-place finish.
The Blue Jay Tune-Up was a fitting name for this weekend's meet as it marked the final preparations for the 2022 Centennial Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships will which begin this Friday, May 6 and continue through Sunday, May 8. Ursinus will serve as the host of this year's championship event.
Franklin & Marshall Medal (top three) Performances
100 meters
3. Abby Lienhard – 13.17
200 meters
3. Tatum Evans – 27.70
400 meters
2. Sydney Dzenutis – 1:02.22
800 meters
3. June Sanchez – 2:17.03 (fourth in school history/fourth in CC)
5,000 meters
1. Emma Kline – 18:46.20 (seventh in school history)
Steeplechase
1. Freya Lindvall – 11:58.44 (third in school history/seventh in CC)
4x400 relay
1. 4:11.30 (June Sanchez, Valerie Fieberg, Elizabeth O'Connell, Lexi Salerno) (10th in school history/fifth in CC)
3. 4:16.40 (Sydney Dzenutis, Alysse Danyi, Laura Greene, Emma Kline)
Long Jump
3. Abby Lienhard – 4.89m
Shot Put
2. Emma Steffan – 11.23m
Hammer
1. Emma Steffan – 40.71m
3. Jillian Barger – 37.54m
