STANDISH, Maine – The Saint Joseph's College women's track & field team delivered a strong performance on Senior Day at the Monks Track & Field Invite on Saturday, highlighted by five event victories, a stadium record, a DIII New England qualifying mark, and several standout performances across the track and field events.
"Today was a special day honoring our seniors and the individual growth they've shown over the past four years," said Saint Joseph's head coach Mike Burleson. "Their effort and commitment have been a key part of elevating our program.
"We brought good energy and took advantage of competing on our home track. With multiple strong performances across events including school and stadium records it's a great sign we are doing the right things at the right time of year."
The Monks were led by junior Ava Smart, who swept the sprint titles by winning the 200 meters in 27.23 and the 400 meters in 1:02.91, while also running on the winning 4x400-meter relay team. Junior Audrey Bilodeau added a pair of hurdle victories, capturing the 100-meter hurdles in a DIII New England qualifying 15.97 and the 400-meter hurdles in 1:10.13 before also contributing to Saint Joseph's second-place 4x100-meter relay and first-place 4x400-meter relay. Junior Jemima Kabangu posted one of the top field performances of the meet with a runner-up finish in the shot put at 11.18 meters, a mark that stands as a new program record.
SPRINTS AND RELAYS
Smart paced the Monks on the track with victories in both the 200 and 400, while freshman Olivea Miller followed her in second place in the 200 meters with a time of 27.69. Freshman Emma Jones added a sixth-place finish in the 400 meters in 1:07.29. In the 100 meters, sophomore Ellie Leech led the Saint Joseph's group with a ninth-place time of 13.68, followed by freshman Hallye King in 13.84 and freshman Kaitlin Tallman in 14.13. Junior Alayah Schmitz also competed and finished in 15.19.
In relay action, the Monks' A 4x100-meter relay team of Smart, Bilodeau, Jones, and Kabangu placed second in 52.38. Saint Joseph's also entered two additional quartets, with the C team of Alexis Cowan, Tallman, King, and Breya Whitman finishing sixth in 55.42 and the B team of Leech, Grace Cunningham, Haley Lang, and Berkley Hutchins taking seventh in 58.40. The 4x400-meter team of Smart, Bilodeau, Amber Pendleton, and Karina Jones capped the day with a first-place finish in 4:29.16.
MID-DISTANCE AND DISTANCE
Senior Alexia Young opened the middle-distance group with a runner-up finish in the 800 meters, crossing in 2:38.09, while sophomore Cheri Willems placed fourth in 2:44.77. Sophomore Bella Koepsell added a second-place finish in the 1500 meters in 5:16.37. In the 5000 meters, freshman Meghan Cyr posted another strong distance effort with a runner-up finish in 20:31.41, while sophomore Haley Williams placed seventh in 22:10.25.
HURDLES
Bilodeau turned in one of the top all-around performances of the meet, winning the 100-meter hurdles in 15.97, a DIII New England qualifying mark, before returning to win the 400-meter hurdles in 1:10.13. Sophomore Olivia Bean also scored in the 400 hurdles with a second-place finish in 1:16.81.
JUMPS
The Monks showed depth throughout the jumps, led by sophomore Ella Labrie, who placed second in the high jump at 1.49 meters, third in the long jump at 4.98 meters, and third in the triple jump at 10.45 meters. Junior Breya Whitman also cleared 1.49 meters in the high jump to finish third, while freshman Olivea Miller matched that clearance and placed fourth on misses. Hutchins added a ninth-place clearance of 1.44 meters.
In the horizontal jumps, Miller finished fourth in the long jump with a mark of 4.96 meters and Cowan placed sixth at 4.83 meters. Bean added a 4.53-meter effort, while Natalie Young reached 4.35 meters and freshman Ruth Dougherty posted 4.28 meters. King added a 4.20-meter jump, Tallman landed at 3.96 meters, Selena Huot posted 3.56 meters, and Samira Mohamed recorded 3.52 meters. In the triple jump, Bean finished sixth with a mark of 10.28 meters, Cowan was eighth at 9.82 meters, Whitman posted 9.23 meters, and Mohamed added an 8.58-meter effort.
THROWS
Kabangu led the throws group with her program-record mark of 11.18 meters in the shot put to place second overall. Haley Lang and Cunningham added marks of 7.83 meters and 7.70 meters, respectively. In the discus, freshman Adriana Olson paced the Monks with a throw of 23.98 meters, followed by Hutchins at 22.76 meters, Lang at 22.68 meters, and Cunningham at 20.84 meters.
Cunningham posted the team's top hammer throw at 32.39 meters to place ninth, while Hutchins followed at 29.46 meters. Lang reached 28.08 meters, Kabangu threw 26.65 meters, and Olson added a 26.61-meter effort. In the javelin, Leech led the Saint Joseph's group with a fifth-place throw of 32.65 meters. Huot followed in 11th at 24.09 meters, Lang placed 12th at 23.85 meters, Sarah Richard-Cote recorded 19.96 meters, Cunningham threw 18.72 meters, and Olson posted 18.20 meters.
FULL RESULTS
Women's 100 Meters
Ellie Leech – 13.68 (9th)
Hallye King – 13.84 (11th)
Kaitlin Tallman – 14.13 (14th)
Alayah Schmitz – 15.19 (19th)
Women's 200 Meters
Ava Smart – 27.23 (1st)
Olivea Miller – 27.69 (2nd)
Women's 400 Meters
Ava Smart – 1:02.91 (1st)
Amber Pendleton – 1:03.51 (3rd)
Emma Jones – 1:07.29 (6th)
Women's 800 Meters
Alexia Young – 2:38.09 (2nd)
Cheri Willems – 2:44.77 (4th)
Women's 1500 Meters
Bella Koepsell – 5:16.37 (2nd)
Women's 5000 Meters
Meghan Cyr – 20:31.41 (2nd)
Haley Williams – 22:10.25 (7th)
Women's 100-Meter Hurdles
Audrey Bilodeau – 15.97 (1st, DIII New England qualifier)
Women's 400-Meter Hurdles
Audrey Bilodeau – 1:10.13 (1st)
Olivia Bean – 1:16.81 (2nd)
Women's 4x100-Meter Relay
Smart, Bilodeau, Jones, Kabangu – 52.38 (2nd)
Cowan, Tallman, King, Whitman – 55.42 (6th)
Leech, Cunningham, Lang, Hutchins – 58.40 (7th)
Women's 4x400-Meter Relay
Smart, Bilodeau, Pendleton, Karina Jones – 4:29.16 (1st)
Women's High Jump
Ella Labrie – 1.49m / 4' 10.5" (2nd)
Breya Whitman – 1.49m / 4' 10.5" (3rd)
Olivea Miller – 1.49m / 4' 10.5" (4th)
Berkley Hutchins – 1.44m / 4' 8.75" (9th)
Women's Long Jump
Ella Labrie – 4.98m / 16' 4.25" (3rd)
Olivea Miller – 4.96m / 16' 3.25" (4th)
Alexis Cowan – 4.83m / 15' 10.25" (6th)
Olivia Bean – 4.53m / 14' 10.5" (10th)
Natalie Young – 4.35m / 14' 3.25" (16th)
Ruth Dougherty – 4.28m / 14' 0.5" (20th)
Hallye King – 4.20m / 13' 9.5" (23rd)
Kaitlin Tallman – 3.96m / 13' 0" (24th)
Selena Huot – 3.56m / 11' 8.25" (29th)
Samira Mohamed – 3.52m / 11' 6.75" (30th)
Women's Triple Jump
Ella Labrie – 10.45m / 34' 3.5" (3rd)
Olivia Bean – 10.28m / 33' 8.75" (6th)
Alexis Cowan – 9.82m / 32' 2.75" (8th)
Breya Whitman – 9.23m / 30' 3.5" (12th)
Samira Mohamed – 8.58m / 28' 1.75" (13th)
Women's Shot Put
Jemima Kabangu – 11.18m / 36' 8.25" (2nd, program record)
Haley Lang – 7.83m / 25' 8.25" (32nd)
Grace Cunningham – 7.70m / 25' 3.25" (34th)
Women's Discus
Adriana Olson – 23.98m / 78' 8" (22nd)
Berkley Hutchins – 22.76m / 74' 8" (24th)
Haley Lang – 22.68m / 74' 5" (25th)
Grace Cunningham – 20.84m / 68' 4" (29th)
Women's Hammer Throw
Grace Cunningham – 32.39m / 106' 3" (9th)
Berkley Hutchins – 29.46m / 96' 8" (17th)
Haley Lang – 28.08m / 92' 1" (22nd)
Jemima Kabangu – 26.65m / 87' 5" (23rd)
Adriana Olson – 26.61m / 87' 4" (24th)
Women's Javelin
Ellie Leech – 32.65m / 107' 1" (5th)
Selena Huot – 24.09m / 79' 0" (11th)
Haley Lang – 23.85m / 78' 3" (12th)
Sarah Richard-Cote – 19.96m / 65' 6" (20th)
Grace Cunningham – 18.72m / 61' 5" (21st)
Adriana Olson – 18.20m / 59' 8" (24th)
