The Chargers came back from New England Championships with three new records for the University of New Haven women’s track and field team.
The women placed ninth with 29 points of 36 scoring teams and second among non-Division I competition at the New England Intercollegiate Amateur Athletic Association Championship meet Friday, Feb. 22 and Saturday, Feb. 23, at Boston University.
The 4X800-meter relay team included senior Bridget Faria as lead off leg, followed by freshman Olivia Tangney. Sophomores Danielle Sorrentino and anchor Samantha Mathewson broke the school record from 2011. The previous record was 10:00 minutes flat, and the ladies ran 9:51.63 minutes, a nine-second difference and a 30-second improvement personally from previously in the season.
The 4X400 relay team also broke the school record with an eighth-place finish and a time of 3:52.27 minutes to earn All-New England honors and reach an NCAA provisional mark. The relay consisted of junior Monica Yanez, sophomore Ivy Watts, junior Ada Udaya, and freshman Marsh’e Holt.
Udaya also set a new school record and meet record, in the 60-meter dash with a time of 7.48 seconds. Udaya also met NCAA automatic qualifying standards in the 200-meter dash with a personal best and winning time of 23.90 seconds.
In the field, sophomore Briana Conyers earned All-New England laurels with a second-place leap of 12.08 meters in the triple jump
Senior David Thomas earned All-New England status in both the 60 and 200-meter dashes for the University of New Haven men’s track and field team.
Thomas finished fifth in the long jump with leap 7.02-meters, placed fourth in the 60-meter dash with a time of 6.92 seconds, and the crossed the line at 21.96 seconds in eighth place for the 200-meter dash.
On the distance side, the men ran the Distance Medley Relay on Friday. The team consisted of freshman Chad Messam, Devin Rose, sophomore Joe Kingston, and freshman Sean Grady; they ran a personal best time of 10:34.46 minutes.
The men placed 19th out of 32 scoring teams at the meet.
The Chargers that have qualified will compete next at NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships on March 8 and 9 in Birmingham, Ala. Ada Udaya and Briana Conyers have meet automatic qualifying standards in the 200-meter dash and triple jump, respectively. Udaya (60m), Ivy Watts (400m), Conyers (long jump), Tiara Mitchell (triple jump), Shraya Manick (weight throw) and the 4×400-meter relay team have all reached provisional qualifying marks and will await the official release of the NCAA Championship field. Thomas has reached NCAA provisional qualifying marks in the 60-meter dash, 200-meter dash and long jump, and is expected to compete in all three events at Nationals.
