PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – The Haverford College indoor track and field team competed at the two-day Widener Evening Invitational. The first competition of 2025 saw the Fords post an impressive showing with numerous personal bests. The event, hosted by Widener University, took place in the new state-of-the-art Ott Center on the University of Pennsylvania campus on Friday evening, and then moved to the Widener University Field House for the throwing events on Saturday.
The 5,000 meters kicked off the evening competition, marking the first-ever 5,000 meters run at the Ott Center. Grace Chen set a personal best, racing to a time of 18:55.08 for third place. She was followed by teammate Krysta Nichols, who finished sixth with a time of 19:44.86. Poppy Chrisman finished the 5K in 12th with a time of 20:34.08, while Claire Parsons (18th, 22:38.30) and Judy Xie (19th, 22:42.84) also achieved personal bests in the opening event.
In the 60 meters, Nadine Tang posted a season-best time of 8.38 to finish 29th in a crowded field. Taylor Allert, the second competitor for Haverford in the dash, raced to a time of 8.62 to place 36th. Tang was the lone competitor in the 200 meters, finishing 36th with a season-best time of 28.08.
Making her debut in the 60-meter hurdles was Beatrice Di Girolamo, who clocked a time of 10.48 to claim 24th. Just behind her was senior Ella Fleming, who placed 29th with a new personal best time of 11.01. Both times qualified the competitors for the Centennial Conference Championships at the end of the season.
Personal records were plentiful in the mile, as Savannah Shaw (9th, 5:18.80), Anastasia Jaycobs (16th, 5:34.12), and Jessie Hausman (27th, 5:50.66) all set personal bests. Hausman, who returned to Haverford after studying abroad in the fall semester, was competing in the mile for the first time this season.
First-year Veronica Kanachova blazed to a personal best time of 1:05.55 in the 400 meters, claiming 24th place and qualifying for the Centennial Conference Championships. Emery Casucci finished 28th with a time of 1:06.61, also qualifying for the conference championships. Carly Priest, who also returned from studying abroad, earned a 32nd-place finish with a time of 1:08.37.
In the 800 meters, senior Dominique La Grenade finished 13th with a time of 2:26.66, followed by teammates Alice Sappenfield (30th, 2:33.01) and Rachel November (32nd, 2:34.28), who rounded out the Haverford trio.
The 3,000 meters saw Dalia Smid lead the Fords contingent, as the first-year finished 13th with a time of 11:42.69. She was joined by rookie teammate Bianca Ortiz, who earned 19th place with a time of 11:54.32, and Katie Strutton, who finished 24th with a time of 12:57.65.
In the long jump, Grace Hannigan soared to a new personal best, leaping 4.94 meters (16 feet, 2.5 inches) to claim 16th place. Di Girolamo, competing in her second event of the day, lept 4.57 meters (15 feet) to earn 23rd place. Fleming also competed in her second event, finishing 25th with a jump of 4.39 meters (14 feet, 5 inches). Zofi Sanders rounded out the group with a leap of 4.16 meters (13 feet, 7.75 inches), a new personal best.
Hannigan continued her strong performance in the triple jump, earning another personal best with a jump of 10.48 meters (34 feet, 4.75 inches), good for 14th place.
Capping off night one was the 4x400 relay team of La Grenade, Kanachova, November, and Jaycobs, who raced to a time of 4:18.41 to capture ninth place.
The final day of the Widener Evening Invite was held inside the Widener University Field House, as the Fords competed in the shot put and weight throw. In shot put, Sarah Wilcher captured eight place after throwing the shot put 11.25 meters (36 feet, 11 inches), while teammate Summer Ryan launched the shot put 10.28 meters (33 feet, 8.75 inches), to claim 21st. The toss by Ryan was good for a new personal best.
Wilcher and Ryan then slotted over to the weight throw, where Wilcher recorded a distance of 11.53 meters (37 feet, 10 inches) to grab 24th place. Following Wilcher was Ryan, who then unleashed the weight 8.58 meters (28 feet, 1.75 inches) for a 45th place finish.
The women's indoor track and field team will return to action Saturday, Feb. 1, with their first of two home meets for the 2025 season. The Seamus McElligott Invitational will begin at 10:30 a.m. in the Alumni Field House.
