The William and Mary women's track and field team wrapped up the regular season Saturday at the UVA Challenge, setting two personal-bests on the day.

Results

Leading the way for the Tribe was a pair of sophomores, one each in the field and on the track.  In the pole vault, Elizabeth Crafford (Darien, Conn.) matched her career-best outdoors and took third at a height of 3.80 meters (12-5.5).  The best mark of the year for Crafford, it reaffirms her position as the fourth-best vaulter ever at W&M and she still has two more years wearing the Green and Gold.  On the track, Carolyn Hennessey (Herndon, Va.) improved her lifetime-best by more than three seconds in the 5,000m, taking it down to 16:51.37 to place 12th overall.  Senior Melissa DiVecchia (Centreville, Va.) put the finishing touches on a solid fou years with an 18:34.05 showing in the race.

Also competing Saturday, freshman Rochelle Evans (Christiansburg, Va.) wrapped up her first year for the Tribe by taking third in the shot put at 12.73m (41-9.25), and the future is very bright in the 4x400m relay after the Tribe took second in 3:56.03.  All four runners, freshmen Shelby Feliciano (Winchester, Va.), Claire Tito (Richmond, Va.), Jessica Ewing (Virginia Beach, Va.), and sophomore Sarah Katz (Manakin-Sabot, Va.), have at least two years of eligibility remaining.  Ewing also competed in the open 400m, running 58.73 to place 13th.

The Tribe's final, and biggest, competition was the 800m run with five middle-distance aces stepping to the line.  Seniors Michelle Britto (Woodbridge, Va.) and Katie Buenaga (Greenville, Del.) led the way in 2:14.24 and 2:15.48, respectively, and junior Olivia Harding (Roanoke, Va.) was close behind in 2:17.17.  Sophomore Casey Lardner (Burke, Va.) ran 2:17.52, and senior Avery Mattingly (Blacksburg, Va.) ran 2:20.51 in her final appearance for the Green and Gold.

William and Mary now has two weeks off before the preliminary rounds of the NCAA Championships.  The eastern half of the field, 48 athletes in each event, will compete in Greensboro, N.C. from Thursday through Saturday, May 23-25.

W&M Athletes in Contention for NCAAs (top 60)
(top 48 declared in each event are invited)

5,000m - Emily Stites (6th), Elaina Balouris (16th)
10,000m - Emily Stites (18th), Elaina Balouris (21st), Dylan Hassett (42nd)
Javelin - Katie Johnston (51st)