FINAL RESULTS
NEW HAVEN, Conn. – After a strong opening week in their return to the track that saw one Charger earn a Northeast 10 weekly award, the University of New Haven Women's Track and Field Team returned to work as they made the short trip to Southern Connecticut State University to compete at the Art Kadish Elm City Challenge.
Sereana Vulaono (/) finished third overall in the 55m dash for the meet. After running the third fastest in the preliminaries, Vulaono matched her time of 7.29 in the finals to finish third overall in the event.
Aniya Bush (Williamstown, N.J./Williamstown) ran the second fastest time in the 55m Hurdles twice as Bush ran a qualifying time in the prelims of 8.66 to move her into the finals before Bush shaved .03 off her time to run the second fastest time of 8.63.
In the 400m the Chargers had a pair of top finishers as Rayniah Mercedat (/) finished second overall with a time of 1:00.02, just ahead of teammate Jada Bonds (Edison, N.J./Edison) who finished third overall with a time of 1:02.16. Mercedat added a second place finish as well in the 600m where she crossed with a time of 1:43.80.
The Chargers swept the podium in the high jump as D'Jior Delisser (/) led the way clearing 1.60m on her second attempt at that height. Wilnye Joseph (Naugatuck, Conn./Naugatuck) finished second overall also clearing 1.60m clearing that mark on her third attempt. Miana Quinonez (/) finished third, clearing a mark of 1.50m.
Delisser continued to jump into podium finishes as the sophomore finished second overall in the long jump with a personal best mark of 5.52m. Gabrielle Teel (Willow Grove, Pa./Upper Moreland) joined Delisser finishing third overall with a personal best mark of 5.42m on her fifth jump of the event.
Molly Clark (Sayville, N.Y./Sayville) finished second overall in pole vault as the junior cleared 2.65m on her second attempt after clearing 2.50m on her first attempt.
Vanessa Connolly (Portland, Maine/Portland) finished third overall in shot put, as the junior on her fourth attempt landed a mark of 12.11m.
Anita Hodge (Fords, N.J./Woodbridge) led the Chargers in the weight throw with a mark of 13.69m to finish second overall, and just ahead of teammate Payton Banfill (Oxford, Mass./Oxford) who threw a personal best mark of 13.14m to finish third overall in the meet.
The Chargers Distance Medley team of Kayley Catalano (Holtsville, N.Y./Sachem East), Lakay-Sha Clarke (/), Jennifer Garcia (New Haven, Conn./Hillhouse), and Angelina Schilling (Sewell, N.J./Deptford Township) took home the win in the event as they combined to run a 14:25.15 in the event.
The Chargers 4x400m relay team of Molly Clark (Sayville, N.Y./Sayville)e, Aniya Bush (Williamstown, N.J./Williamstown), Angela Mercaldi (East Hampton, Conn./East Hampton), and Joseph, finished third overall crossing with a combined time of 4:32.86.
Jada Kamtha (St. Catherine, Jamaica/Wolmer's Trust High School for Girls) finished second overall in the pentathlon scoring 3074 points, breaking the New Haven pentathlon record and leading the way for Division II. Kamtha finished first overall in the 55m Hurdles crossing in 8.26, and also won in the Long Jump with a mark of 5.89m.
The Chargers finished second of the eight teams competing scoring 163 points, one back of SCSU.
With a strong start to the season, New Haven does now take a break for the holidays as they will return to the track after first of the year, when it is the throwers that will return first when they travel to Rhode Island to compete at the Bryant Throws competition on Wednesday January 8, before the rest of the team returns to competition three days later on Saturday, January 11 when they return to SCSU to compete at the William Sutherland Invitational looking to repeat the success they had to start the season. All updates, post meet recaps, and postseason news for the team will be available at Newhavenchargers.com.
