FULL USTFCCCA ALL-REGION RELEASE
NEW ORLEANS, La. – After picking up a major conference award just weeks ago, graduate jumper Kristen Washington (New Haven, Conn./James Hillhouse) highlights a group of eight from the New Haven Women's Track & Field Team to earn Outdoor All-Region recognition from the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
Washington was one of three Chargers to secure a pair of All-Region accolades earning the distinction both the long and triple jump events. Through a 10-meet spring season, Washington took home eight titles split between the long and triple jump, including earning the top distinction in both events at the Northeast-10 Championship. She followed that up taking title honors in the triple jump at the New England Championships. Washington set her personal best marks in the two events during the final two meets of the year, with her best long career jump coming at the NE10's with a distance of 6.01 meters (19'8.75"). Her New England title in the triple jump also came as her personal best in that event with a leap of 12.28 meters (40'3.5").
In addition to Washington, both senior Savannah Sistrunk (Georgetown, Del./Sussex Academy of Arts & Sciences) and freshman Jada Kamtha (St. Catherine, Jamaica/Wolmer's Trust High School for Girls) earned a pair of All-Region honors with one for each coming as part of the 4x100-meter relay while the other came in sprint events with Sistrunk in the 100-meter dash and Kamtha in the 100-meter hurdles. For Sistrunk her top time in the sprint event came at the NE10 Championships where she finished second with a sub-12 second personal best time of 11.97. Kamtha, who joined the team midway through the indoor season, saw her best time in the 100-meter hurdles also come at the conference championship with a personal best of 14.26 which was the fastest time in the preliminary round.
Joining Kamtha and Sistrunk in earning All-Region honors in the 4x100 relay was Deja Harris and Aniya Bush (Williamstown, N.J./Williamstown), with the quad seeing their best time of spring coming at the conference championship with a second place finish coming courtesy a 47.66 time.
The final three awards for the Chargers came in field events, including a pair of throwers Anita Hodge (Fords, N.J./Woodbridge) and Jalynn McCown (Guilford, Conn./Guilford). Hodge saw her distinction come in the discus where she took home first place honors at three meets during the spring, with her best performance coming at the Jack Maloney Invitational with a toss of 40.68 meters (133'5").
McCown's honor came in the hammer throw where she capped off her season with an NE10 title and a top-10 finish in the event. Her best throw of the spring came at the conference championship where she hit a mark of 48.27 meters (158'4").
Rounding out the honors for New Haven was sophomore Gabrielle Teel (Willow Grove, Pa./Upper Moreland) who joined Washington in earning the distinction in the triple jump, an event in which she took home first place distinction at the Silfen Invitational. Her best throw of the spring came one week later at the Jack Maloney Invitational with a third-place toss of 11.82 meters (38'9.5").
The women's track & field team wrapped up a 10-meet spring schedule with a pair of top-10 finishes during the championship season, including a third place finish at the NE10 Championships followed by finishing 6th of 35 teams at the New England Championships.
