COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. – The Haverford College women's indoor track & field team kicked off the 2024-25 season at the Ursinus Bow Tie Invitational on Saturday morning, competing in nine events inside the Floy Bakes Track Center on the campus of Ursinus College. Several athletes posted personal bests during the lid-lifter, 

Starting in the throwing pit, Summer Ryan earned eighth place with a shot put of 9.60 meters (31 feet, 6 inches). Teammate Rachita Kumar followed closely in 15th place, launching the shot put to a distance of 7.80 meters (25 feet, 7.25 inches).

Grace Hannigan began her 2024-25 campaign on a high note, setting a new personal best in the long jump with a leap of 4.73 meters (15 feet, 6.25 inches) to claim third place and qualify for the Centennial Conference championship meet. Her teammate, Beatrice Di Girolamo, also qualified for conferences with a jump of 4.60 meters (15 feet, 1.25 inches). Senior captain Ella Fleming took eighth place with a leap of 4.41 meters (14 feet, 5.75 inches), while first-year Zofi Sanders finished 11th with a jump of 3.95 meters (12 feet, 11.5 inches).

Ryan and Fleming also competed in the high jump, where both cleared a height of 1.25 meters (4 feet, 1.25 inches), finishing seventh and ninth, respectively.

On the track, the Fords began with the 60-meter dash. Nadine Tang (8.44) and Taylor Allert (8.53) both qualified for the final women's 60-meter race and earned a conference qualifier. Sanders also competed in the 60-meter prelims for the first time, finishing with a time of 9.06. In the final, Tang placed fourth with a time of 8.41, while Allert finished seventh with a time of 8.56.

Claire Parsons was the only Haverford competitor in the 5,000 meters, finishing 26th with a time of 22:47.94, a new personal record. 

Sophia Furman had an impressive performance in the one-mile race, securing 10th place with a new personal-best time of 5:59.71. Right behind her, first-year Bianca Ortiz took 11th place with a time of 6:01.18, while Maia Poremba rounded out the Haverford trio with a 12th-place finish at 6:01.31.

First-year Veronica Kanachova made a notable debut in the 400 meters, finishing second with a time of 1:06.87, securing a Centennial Conference qualifier in her first collegiate race. 

In the 800 meters, Haverford was represented by three athletes. Senior Rachel November led the group with a third-place finish, clocking in at 2:33.56. Making their debuts in the event were Betty Baraki, who finished ninth with a time of 2:41.98, and Emery Casucci, who placed 13th with a time of 2:48.52.

In the crowded 200-meter field, Tang finished in sixth place with a time of 28.77. Allert followed in eighth place with a time of 29.09. Di Girolamo, making her debut in the event, finished 12th with a time of 29.53, while Hannigan posted a new personal best with a time of 29.77, finishing 14th.

The Bow Tie meet marks the only competition of the 2024 portion of the schedule. The Fords will take a holiday break before returning to Collegeville and the Floy Bakes Track Center for the Collegeville Classic on Sunday, January 19, at 10 a.m.