Women’s Track and Field Opens Outdoor Season at VCU Ram Invitational (Day 2)

Cassidy Harris Runner-Up in Shot

03/20/04 11:23PM

RICHMOND, VA - Three-time defending CAA Champion William and Mary women’s track and field opened its outdoor season Saturday on the final day of the Virginia Commonwealth University Ram Invitational. Held at Sports Backers Stadium in Richmond, the meet featured over a dozen area schools including Richmond, Towson, UMBC, Loyola, Washington and Lee and host VCU.

The 3,000m witnessed a strong performance by the Tribe as the College took four of the top-10 positions. Freshman Heather Stevenson (East Lyme, CT) clocked a 10:19.03 for runner-up honors to lead the Green and Gold surge. Junior Erin Masterson (Annapolis, MD) claimed fifth in the event as sophomore Loren Cutright (Montpelier, VA) took seventh and freshman Christy Dannenberg (Reston, VA) came home 10th.

W&M enjoyed another strong day of throwing as junior Cassidy Harris (Geneva, IL) captured runner-up honors in the shot with a distance of 42’8.75”. In the discus, freshman Jennifer Showker (Harrisonburg, VA) impressed in her first collegiate discus throw, claiming sixth with a mark of 117’05”.

The relay squads impressed as the Tribe finished third in both the 4x100m and 4x400m. First in the 4x100m relay, sophomore Erica Johnson (Stephens Church, VA), junior Naomi Mattos (Woodbridge, VA), freshman Kathleen Woody (Herndon, VA), and freshman Mary Whitehead (Dulles, VA) combined to run 48.86. Freshman Brenna Blevins (Pulaski, VA), Whitehead, Mattos and senior Jen Monk (Warminster, PA), then teamed to clock a 3:58.16 in the 4x400m.

The sprints saw some solid performances from the Tribe as Mattos paced a team season-best time of 25.25 to take seventh in the 200m. Woody and Whitehead both set personal bests in the event as Woody clocked a 26:05 while Whitehead ran a 26.21. Johnson just missed qualifying for the finals in the 100m, finishing .02 seconds out of the last transfer position, for ninth overall.

A notch up in distance, sophomore Lydia Malley (Arlington, VA) claimed sixth in the 800m with a 2:21.50 while senior Stephanie Blake (Hopewell Jct., NY) took 10th in the event by running a season-best 2:24.87.

In the long jump, Woody showed the way in fourth, clearing 17’6.75”, while sophomore Sarah McHale (Winchester, VA) leapt for a season-best of 16’7.75” for 12th. Junior Rebecca Pucheu (Oakton, VA) cleared 34’5.50” in the triple jump to set a personal record while freshman Lauren Kloss (Hillsborough, NJ) claimed sixth in the 400m hurdles with a time of 1:06.58.

W&M is back in action next week at the Raleigh Relays on Friday, March 26th.