SAGE TRACK TEAMS OPEN 2019 SEASON COMPETING AT WESLEYAN CLASSIC; SAGE WOMEN SET TWO RECORDS AT FIRST MEET

Middletown, CT— Sage's women's outdoor track and field squad opened the new season on Saturday competing at the Wesleyan University Classic, a non-team scored meet. The day marked the coaching debut for Sage's rookie head coach David Taranto as well.

In the women's 5,000 meter run, freshman Kerry Flower (Schenectady, NY/Schalmont) used the success of having earned Empire 8 Second Team All-Star acclaim in cross country to take third place in her first race with the track team. She posted a time of 19:02.96 to set the school record. She bettered the time set in 2018 by her team mate Sagan Leggett a year ago (20:27.12)

Another school record fell as Sage's junior Skylar Van Alstyne (Castleton, NY/Maple Hill) took 8^th in both the shot put with toss of 9.96 meters. She broke the 2015 record set by Helen Putriment (9.72 meters).

Sage's women's team picked up an impressive second place showing in the 4 x 800 relay with a time of 11:51.99 behind the efforts of junior Amanda Jones (West Sand Lake, NY/Columbia), rookie Kristin McAlonen (Burnt Hills, NY/Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake), senior co-captain Sagan Leggett (Valatie, NY/Ichabod Crane), and sophomore Sevi Travis (Cohoes, NY/Shaker).

Also competing in the 5,000 meter run for Sage was senior co-captain Victoria Opalka (Fort Johnson, NY/Broadalbin-Perth) with a time of 22:03.37 to take 17^th place.

In the 1,500 meter run, Leggett took 29^th (5:43.83), McAlonen picked up 31^st in 5:44.47 and  Jones took 35^th in 5:51.73.

In the 800 meter run, Travis took home sixth place in 2:44.58 and freshman Giannah French (Cherry Plain, NY/Berlin) took 16^th in 2:55.00. In the 100 meter run, newcomer Nicole Collazo (New York, NY/Repertory Company HS for the Theatre Arts) took 20^th in 15.37 and freshman Shanice Dominick (New York, NY/Automotive) took 21^st in 15.37. In the 200 meter run, Collazo was 26^th (30.47), while Dominick took 32^nd in 32.91.

In the discus, Van Alstyne took 8^th with a performance of 27.18 meters in the discus. She was also seventh in the javelin with a throw of 26.15 meters. Junior Victoria Fisher (Cazenovia, NY/Cazenovia) took 8^th in the javelin with a throw of 24.42 meters and added a 14^th in the shot put with a toss of 7.34 meters.

Sage will be back in action on March 30 travelling to the Mt. Saint Mary College Invitational held at Marlboro High School.