BOSTON, Mass. -- The Wellesley College track and field team opened the 2012 portion of their season with appearances at Boston University's Terrier Invitational and MIT's Coed Invitational this weekend.

On Friday at BU, Wellesley senior Molly Shanley qualified for the New England Division III and ECAC Division III Championships with her performance in the 3,000-meter event. Running her first race at the distance, Shanley finished in a time of 10:30.02.

Saturday at MIT, the Blue sent several runners to compete at the Engineers' Coed Invitational. Running their first 3,000-meter races, first-years Nicole Chui and Alexandra Dunn, got off to a fast start, placing second and third for Wellesley.

Sophomore Jane Lodwick notched a fourth place finish in the mile, while junior Judine St. Gerard finished fifth in section two of the 400-meter event, and junior Sarah Roundy placed fifth in the 600-meter race.

Also at MIT, sophomore Sheena Dupuy hit a collegiate personal best in the 55-meter dash, taking third in her section, while first-year Kathleen Hanlon finished fourth. 

Rounding out the weekend highlights for the Blue, first-years Alice Sun and Taylor Bickford each competed in their first college track events, with Sun taking eighth in her section of the 800m, while Bickford took ninth in the 1000m. 

Wellesley track and field returns to action at the Smith College Invitational, next Saturday.