Complete Results (TFRRS)

ROXBURY, Mass. – Sophomore Kristen Washington (New Haven, Conn./James Hillhouse) took home first place in the long jump on Saturday to lead the New Haven women's track and field team at the Joe Donahue Games Opener. The victory was one of three podium finishes for the Chargers on the women's side, including a runner-up performance from Kathleen Amstad (Ellicott City, Md./Centennial) and a bronze medal from the 4x400m relay team.

Washington leapt 5.57 meters in the long jump to take gold in the event, earning the top spot out of 28 competitors. Her mark fell just six centimeters shy of her NE10-leading leap from last week's Elm City Challenge.

In the high jump, sophomore Diana Zamudio (Huacho, Peru/Instituto Particular Abdon Calderon (Ecuador)) set a new PR with her 1.55 meter, seventh place showing in the high jump, the fourth-best mark in the Northeast-10 this season. Over in the triple jump, Nalah Abul-Qasim (Bronx, N.Y./Williamstown (N.J.)) flew 11.13 meters to finish in fifth place, followed by senior Jayla Semedo (East Providence, R.I./East Providence) who PR'ed at 10.94m to finish eighth.

Over on the track, Amstad led the way for New Haven by taking second place overall out of 63 runners in the 60m dash. After crossing the line in 7.83 seconds in the prelims, she improved with a 7.76-second time in the finals to finish runner-up, which currently serves as the third-fastest time in the NE10 this season. She also took ninth place in the 200m dash with her final time of 26.73. Senior Dominique Pendleton (Ardmore, Pa./Lower Merion) also raced in the 200m, crossing the finish in 27.37m

VanBurch competed in the 500 meters, finishing just 0.05 seconds shy of her personal record at 1:24.61. Long finished fifth out of 20 in the 800 meters in 2:28.17, and senior Mary Kate Barton (Huntingdon Valley, Pa./Lower Moreland) led New Haven in the mile, placing fifth out of 14 in 5:34.11. In the 4x400m relay, Maritza Blanchard (Lake Grove, N.Y./Centereach), Adraine Long (New Rochelle, N.Y./New Rochelle), Aries Burrell (West Hempstead, N.Y./Holy Trinity Diocesan) and Janae VanBurch (Jersey City, N.J./Hudson Catholic) combined to finish third out of 12 teams in 4:04.48

Coming up, New Haven will have four weeks to prepare for its next meet – the Spartan Invitational at the Ocean Breeze Track in Staten Island, N.Y. on Friday, January 10.