DEDHAM, Mass. -- The Wellesley College track and field team had a strong showing at Northeastern University's Bernard Solomon "Husky" Invitational. Overall the Blue recorded two wins at the event, while taking second in four events.
Wellesley made the biggest splash in the 10,000-meter run, as junior Camille Basurto, senior Molly Shanley, and first-years Vanessa Wilkins and Nicole Chui each recorded their first races at the distance and each finished in the top four. Basurto won the event, finishing in a time of 38:14.40. Her time topped a 13-year old school record of 38:42.55, held by Beth Sigman. Shanley took second in 39:02.70, followed by Wilkins (40:41.90) and Chui (41:33.30).
With their finishes, Basurto and Shanley qualified for the New England Div. III, New England Intercollegiate and ECAC Div. III Championships. In addition, Wilkins and Chui qualified for the New England Div. III Championships.
The Blue also raced well in the 1,500-meter event. Junior Randelle Boots took top honors, recording a time of 4:48.93 to lead the pack. Sophomore Jane Lodwick and Dunn took sixth and seventh, as Lodwick finished in 5:00.70 and Dunn in 5:13.45.
Also competing strong for the Blue, and earning runner-up honors, were senior Cailey Stevens, first-year Sarah Chen, and the 4x400m relay team of Boots, sophomore Sheena Dupuy and first-years Kathleen Hanlon, Monica Gates. Stevens placed second in the 800m event, finishing in 2:24.91, while Chen was second in the long jump, recording a final leap of 4.13m. Wrapping up the runner-up finishes, the 4x400m relay team took second in 4:19.12.
The Blue also had three top-ten finishers in the 5,000m race, in sophomore Skye Roberts, first-year Taylor Bickford and sophomore Ali Grzywna. Roberts ran a 20:15.28, Taylor finished in 20:30.24 and Grzywna clocked a 21:28.17.
Wrapping up the track event highlights, first-year Chloe Emerson took fifth in the 800m in 2:32.14, while sophomore Margaret Wehner placed seventh in 2:33.18. In the 400m race, Hanlon and Gates each recorded personal best times.
Rounding out the field events, Wellesley had two athletes finish in the top-ten in the long jump. Sophomore Zoe Sobel placed fifth with a jump of 4.04m while Dupuy jumped 3.68m in an eighth place finish.
Wellesley track and field is back in action on Saturday at the MIT Invitational.