From NYU Athletics
The New York University women's track & field team completed competition at the University Athletic Association (UAA) Outdoor Championships on Sunday, April 24. The championship was hosted by Washington University in St. Louis.
NYU piled up 52 points to take sixth place. Washington University won the title after compiling 221 points over the weekend.
The Violets set two new team records. The 4x100m foursome of senior Kristina Harris and freshmen Alyssa Jean, Samantha Scoggins and Justina Sanders-Schifano posted a school record-breaking time of 49.31 and finished fourth in the event. The old record of 49.35 was set in 2004.
The Violets also placed third and set another school record in the 4x400m relay. The squad of senior Drew Washington, sophomore Ireland Gibson, senior Lydia Guo, and freshman Mary Conti posted the record-breaking time of 3:50.98. The old mark of 3:51.77 was set in 2014.
"We have the best relay teams NYU has ever put together," said said Assistant Coach Erison Hurtault. "We were able to post a couple of school record on the day. They are just doing a great job of showing up when it matters. Like I said before, the UAA's indoor woke the team up. They know what they have to put in to be great."
Junior Simone Cooper earned a silver medal in the triple jump. She cleared a distance of 10.95m to take second place in the event. Jean also scored for the Violets by securing fifth place with a personal-best 10.68m jump.
"Simone was probably our MVP of the weekend," Hurtault stated.
Senior Becky Turlip hurried to the finish line in the 1,500m with a fifth-place finish in 4:46.17. Fellow senior and captain Sarah Sisk, and sophomore Emily Dethlefs followed behind in 10th (4:52.23) and 13th (personal best 4:58.04), respectively.
In what was described as a "heartbreaking" race by Hurtault, Gibson finished fourth in the 800m after leading almost the entire event. While nearing the finish line and another school record, Gibson slipped and enabled her opponents to pass her by.
"I promise you, she needed five more meters," Hurtault explained. "This will only drive her to keep pushing in the upcoming meets. She has the confidence and the capability to do something special."
HIGHLIGHTS:
- Washington and Guo returned to the track and posted career-best times of 57.97 and 58.77 for seventh and eighth place, respectively in the 400m.
- Sophomore Erini Farid placed 14th in the javelin with a throw of 24.17m.