Middletown, CT –The Sage College's men's and women's outdoor track and field teams opened the new season on Saturday competing at the Wesleyan University Spring Invitational. Due to poor track conditions outdoors, the meet was held indoors in the non-team scored meet.
For Sage's women's team, the meet was highlighted by the Gators strong efforts in the relays. In the 4 x 200 meter relay Sage took eighth place in a time of 2:10.99. On the relay for Sage was rookie Daria Diatchkovski (Catskill, NY/Catskill), freshman Adrienne Dudla (Stillwater, NY/Stillwater), junior Leanna Egan (Schenectady, NY/Mohonasen), and freshman Samantha Mears (Bennington, VT/Mount Anthony Union). In the 4 x 400 meter relay, Sage picked up 12th place in 5:26.48. The Gators were led by junior Victoria Bunk (Fraklin, NH/Bishop Brady), Egan, Toni McCombie, and junior Megan Lugo (West Nyack, NY/Clarkstown South).
In the 5,000 meter run senior Alaina Krueger (Selkirk, NY/Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk) took 11th in 22:16.68.
In the 3,000 meter run, junior Ashley Maresca (Brant Lake, NY/North Warren Central) added a 30th place finish in 12:56.46, while freshman Samantha Phelps (Amsterdam, NY/Fonda Fultonville) took 31st in 12:59.68. In the 1,500 meter run, sophomore Lauren Belfast (Ilion, NY/Illion) posted a time of 6:08.10 to take 30th, just ahead of Phelps who took 31st 6:08.75. Junior Ellyn Fisher (Queensbury, NY/Queensbury) picked up 35th place in 6:19.91.
Maresca took 20th in the 800 meter run in 2:45.65, while Belfast took 32nd in 2:57.08. In the 100 meter dash, sophomore Kelly DiBiaso (Bristol, CT/Saint Paul Catholic) took 38th in 16.29, while sophomore Sharmise Pratt (New York, NY/Urban Assembly for Careers in Sports) took 39th in 16.70.
Sage was paced by freshman Sarah VanAernem (Ballston Spa, NY/Ballston Spa) in the 60 meter hurdles as she was 14th in 11.16. She also picked up 14th in the long jump with a performance of 4.05 meters. Also in the long jump for Sage, freshman Alyssa Tatro (Constable, NY/Franklin Academy) took 15th (4.05 meters), while sophomore Krystal Lambert (Brooklyn, NY/John Dewey) took 22nd (3.54 meters).
Tatro took home seventh in the triple jump with her performance of 8.0 meter, while VanAernem added 8th in the high jump (1.39), while teammate Mears took 7th in the high jump with a 1.39 meter mark.
In the 200 meter dash, Sage's DiBiaso took 47th in 33.73 while Pratt took 50th in 35.02.
