Wheaton women capture eighth straight conference championship, teams garner impressive 16 NEWMAC All-Conference awards

April 30, 2005

WORCESTER, MA- New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Athlete of the Year Jennifer Harlow (East Bridgewater, MA/East Bridgewater) and NEWMAC Rookie of the Year Julie McLane (New Canaan, CT/New Canaan) helped lead the Wheaton College women's outdoor track and field team to its eighth straight conference championship over the weekend at Worcester Polytechnic Institute's (WPI) Alumni Field.

The Lyon women amassed 186.5 points to win their seventh consecutive NEWMAC title. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) took second with 172 points. On the men's side, Wheaton finished fifth overall with 54 points. MIT was the team champion with 246 points. The Lyons combined for 16 NEWMAC All-Conference team honors, which is awarded to the top two finishers in each event.

Harlow secured first-place honors in the long jump and as a member of the 4x100-meter relay team while finishing second in the 100-meter hurdles and high jump events. Also running a leg in the 4x100M relay was McLane, who bested the field in the 100-meter hurdles and placed second in the 400-meter hurdles. Senior captain Jessica Allegra (East Hampton, CT/East Hampton) and freshman Chelsea Nader (Ardmore, PA/Lower Merion) rounded out the champion relay team. Allegra took second in the 400M dash.

Senior captain Kirsten Larsen (Hampden, MA/Minnechaug Regional) and freshman Christy Bell (Phoenixville, PA/Phoenixville) dominated the javelin throw event, as both posted NCAA Division III national meet provisional qualifying distances. Larsen heaved her toss 132' to finish first while Bell went 130' 11" to place second overall. Staying with the field events, sophomore Crystal Blamy (Walpole, NH/Fall Mountain Regional) won the high jump and senior captain Kathrine Wallace (Glenmoore, PA/The Hill School) placed second in the triple jump.

Senior Lindsay Whalen (Dedham, MA/Dedham) rounded out the women's NEWMAC All-Conference team honors with a runner-up mark in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. Sophomore Stephanie Cummings (Princeton, MA/Worcester Academy) and senior Marcie Howard (Ascutney, VT/Windsor) also played a significant part of the meet, as the final team outcome depended on the pole vault event. The tandem delivered, finishing fourth and seventh, respectively to help Wheaton clinch the championship.

Junior captain Ajay Sisodia (Andover, MA/Andover) was the catalyst for the men's team, capturing the long jump title while earning runner-up honors in the 200- and 400-meter dash events. Senior captain Jamaal Rawls-Payton (Stoughton, MA/Stoughton) was also a NEWMAC All-Conference recipient with his second-place standing in the 110-meter hurdles.

Just missing all-conference laurels was senior captain Patrick Freytag (Pittsford, NY/McQuaid Jesuit), who took third in the 400-meter hurdles. Senior Chris Wilbur (Weymouth, MA/Weymouth) rounded out Wheaton's top individual finishes with a fifth-place mark in the javelin throw.

The Lyons return to action next weekend at the Delaware Invitational held in Newark, Delaware.

Complete Results

Last updated on 5/5/05.
Send questions about this page to Scott Dietz or contact Wheaton College.

News Headlines

Wheaton reorganizes track and field staff, Souza and Mangiacotti named co-head coaches (more)

Three Wheaton track and field athletes earn national academic honors, both men's and women's squads draw accolades from USTFCCCA (more)

Brousseau earns first academic all-district honor of career (more)