UNH to Compete in Valentine Invitational, URI Coaches Tribute

Friday, February 8

Boston, Mass.

12 PM

University of New Hampshire

David Hemery Valentine Invitational

(Photo by Matthew Troisi)

UNH to Compete in Valentine Invitational, URI Coaches Tribute

2/7/2019 2:27:00 PM | Women's Track & Field

DURHAM, N.H. – The University of New Hampshire women's track & field team travels to the David Hemery Valentine Invitational and the Rhode Island Coaches tribute meet this Friday and Saturday ahead of the America East Indoor Championships later this month.

A final tuning-up weekend of competition for a week break, the Wildcats are looking to prepare for the indoor championships by improving on their best marks and getting ready for the tough competition in the weekends ahead.

VALENTINE INVITATIONAL:
A squad of 'Cats will head down to Boston Univeristy, the site of this years America East Indoor Championships, for the David Hemery Valentine Invitational meet taking place this Friday and Saturday, February 8 and 9.

In the 500m run the Wildcats will run senior Jessica Hackett (Dover, N.H.), junior Elise Renahan (Atkinson, N.H.), senior Emileigh Glode (Boxborough, Mass.) and junior Chloe Holowachuk (Smithfield, R.I.). In the middle distance events, New Hampshire will run sophomore Cayla Barretto (Woburn, Mass.), junior Michaella Conery (Concord, N.H.), fifth-year Danielle Gajewski (Danville, N.H.), and junior Meg Champagne (Plattsburgh, N.Y.). In the mile, the Wildcats will send senior Shannon Murdock (Exeter, N.H.).

URI COACHE'S TRIBUTE MEET
The rest of the women's team will look to post new personal best marks and prepare for the conference championships with tough competition at the Rhode Island coaches tribute meet on Saturday, February 9.

The Wildcats will be led by field senior Sabrina Anderson (Hopewell, N.J.) and freshman Saige TuDisco (Haverhill, Mass.). Anderson posted her season-best pole vault height of 11 feet, 1.75 inches at the New England indoor championships, while TuDisco, in her most recent tries, swept the high jump and long jump in a home tri meet.

MEET INFO:
Valentine Invitational:
Date: Feb. 8, 2019
Start Time: 12 P.M.
Location: BU Track and Tennis Center – Boston, Mass.

URI Coaches Tribute
Date: Feb. 9, 2019
Start Time: 11 A.M.
Location: Mackal Fieldhouse – Kingston, R.I.

UP NEXT:
After a week off, the Wildcats head back to Boston University for the 2018-19 America East Indoor Track & Field Championships on Friday, February 22 to Saturday, Feb. 23.

LAST TIME OUT:
New Hampshire took 13^th at the New England Championships, led by fifth-year Danielle Gajewski (Danville, N.H.) who was the top Wildcat finisher at New Englands this year; she took second in the mile with a time of 4 minutes, 58.48 seconds, just a second behind the top finisher. Gajewski also scored on the 4x400 relay team alongside teammates Jessica Hackett (Dover, N.H.), Elise Renahan (Atkinson, N.H.), and Emileigh Glode (Boxborough, Mass.). That team finished in 3:56.02 for an eighth place finish.

Three other relay teams scored for the Wildcats on the weekend, the top finish going to the 4x800 team of Brianne Moss (Shrewsbury, Mass.), Shaylyn Saunders (Hudson, N.H.), Nicole Yeomans (Foxborough, Mass.), and Madeleine Brandon (Killingworth, Conn.). That team finished in third place with a time of 9:24.63.

Finishing off the top Wildcat finishers on the weekend was the distance-medley relay team, which consisted of Cayla Barretto (Woburn, Mass.), Lauren Dean (Gilmanton, N.H.), Michaella Conery (Concord, N.H.), and Meg Champagne (Plattsburgh, N.Y.). The DMR team finished in fifth place with a time of 12:04.99.

The meet was won by host school Northeastern with a total of 162 team points. Dartmouth took second with a total of 80 points, and Boston College rounded out the top three with 71 points.

FROM THE COACH:
On the Valentine Invitational: "[The athletes] have improved from where they were last year, and we're excited to give them the opportunity to run on a fast track and get some seed times for the upcoming championship season. Shannon Murdock is looking to continue on her fantastic season that she's been having, shes gonna go at the mile again; it should be a super-fast meet in that event, she'll be running with some of the best runners in the country. Should be really exciting to see where she ends up in that field."