University of New Hampshire Athletics
University of New Hampshire
ECAC Championships Day One
Purrier Shatters School Record, Women's Track & Field in First after Day One of ECAC Championships
5/15/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
PRINCETON, N.J. – Redshirt freshman Elinor Purrier (Montgomery, Vt.) of the University of New Hampshire women's track and field team shattered the school record as she won the ECAC title in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the ECAC Championships on Friday. The three-day event is being held at Princeton University.
The Wildcats tallied a total of 28 points on the first day while Rider University is in second with 16 points. George Mason University is in third with 14 points. Brown University (13) is in fourth as Georgetown University and Army West Point are tied for fifth with 10 points.
Purrier, the reigning America East champion in the steeplechase, eclipsed the eight-year old school record of ten minutes, 6.45 seconds set by All-American Cathy Parker ('08) as she earned first with a time of 9:53.53 to earn 10 points for the Wildcats. Coming in fourth was sophomore Laura Rose Donegan (Melbourne, Australia) achieved a new personal best in the event as she recorded a time of 10:10.15. Her time also makes her the third-fastest steeplechaser in program history. Freshman Julia Shorter (Amesbury, Mass.) came in 22nd with a time of 11:08.09.
A trio of 'Cats who are also nursing majors competed in the 10,000-meter run, all of which placed in the top-seven. Junior Samantha Blais (Lyndeborough, N.H.) took third overall as she claimed a new personal best time of 35:33.17. Classmate Amber Short (Keene, N.H.) was hot on Blais' heels as she came in fourth place. Short's time was also a personal best, clocking in at 35:33.94. Junior Brianna Boden (Keene, N.H.) took seventh place with a personal best time of 35:45.28.
Purrier's success in the steeplechase stems back to 2014 as she competed at the IAAF World Junior Championships in Eugene, Ore., placing ninth as she was the only American to compete in the finals of the event. She earned USATF Junior All-American status and was named to the USTFCCCA All-America Second Team as she was amongst 15 of the world's elite high school and college student athletes under the age of 20 in the event.
The Wildcats will compete in a host of events on Saturday, starting with the trials of the 4x100-meter relay. Virginia Lavallee (Kingston, N.H.), Lauren Perrodin (Coral Springs, Fla.), Sydney Kay (Fairfield, Conn.) and Danielle Gajewski (Danville, N.H.) will represent UNH in the event. Hannah Kimball (Atkinson, N.H.) will compete in the trials of the 1,500-meter run while Lavallee will run in the 100-meter hurdles. Perrodin will race in the 100-meter and 200-meter dash and Alyson Messina (Plymouth, Mass.) will contend in the 400-meter hurdles.
For more information on track and field, visit www.UNHWildcats.com.
Players Mentioned
