Women’s Track and Field Opens Outdoor Season at VCU Ram Invitational (Day 1)

Kosakowski, LaRoche Win Events

03/20/04 7:00PM

RICHMOND, VA - Junior Jackie Kosakowski (Sauquoit, NY) and senior Charlotte Laroche (Centreville, VA) both won events as three-time defending CAA Champion William and Mary women’s track and field opened its outdoor season Friday on the first 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, Loyola, Washington and Lee and host VCU.

Kosakowski led a strong 2004 Tribe debut in the 3,000m steeplechase as the Ram Invitational was the first meet of the year which featured the outdoor-only event. After pacing the lead pack early, Kosakowski broke away late in the race to claim the win, clocking an 11:16.06. Sophomore Karen Pulliam (North Potomac, MD) completed the sweep for the Tribe, breaking through the middle of the pack and capturing runner-up honors on a late-race pass to finish with a time of 11:22.33. LaRoche continued her domination of the pole vault into the outdoor season, taking another win with an ECAC-qualifying height of 3.60m.

In other strong performances, junior Becca Velarde (Albuquerque, NM) set a person record en route to taking fifth in the 5,000m, running an 18:21.04. In the same race, senior Kristin McGough (Mickleton, NJ) also ran a career-best time, 18:27.44, for seventh place. In her first javelin throw of the year, sophomore Liz Hager (Max Meadows, VA) threw for a personal-best distance of 38.08m in the javelin to claim sixth. The College also got two solid performances out of its throwers in the hammer as junior Cassidy Harris (Geneva, IL) threw for 40.94m for sixth and threw for 37.43m for ninth.

The Ram Invitational concluded today. A story will follow as final results become available.