Elon Distance Squad Shine on Day Two at Liberty Kickoff

LYNCHBURG, Va. – Aided by a pair of athletes clinching spots for the Eastern College Athletic Conference Indoor Championships and several personal-records, the Elon University women’s track and field team wrapped competition at the Liberty Kickoff on Saturday, Jan. 27, inside the Liberty Indoor Track Complex.

FINAL RESULTS

“I thought our distance team did a really great job today,” said Elon director of track and field and cross country Mark Elliston. “They battled tough and it showed with a couple of them earning a trip to the ECACs for the indoor championships and a few others getting some (personal-records). Overall, we still have some work to do as a team to have a balanced effort and I think as the season goes along we will have that.”

Qualifying for the ECAC Indoor Championships were junior Chelsea Smith and sophomore Melissa Anastasakis in the 1,000-meter run. Both runners set new personal-bests in the race with Smith clocking a 2:54.31 in the race – nearly four-seconds better than her previous best. Anastasakis also bettered her previous time by four seconds with her 2:55.58. Smith finished seventh overall while Anastasakis was ninth.

Junior Coralea Geraniotis almost earned a spot to the ECACs in the 3,000-meter run as the Orleans, Mass., native ran a time of 9:57.55 –a new two-second personal-record. She finished third overall in the race while teammate Brigid Brennan was fourth at a time of 10:07.36.

In the 500-meter run, Natacha Savioz and Emily Smith added their names to the program’s all-time record book with the second and third-fastest times in school history, respectively. Savioz ran a 1:17.17 and was sixth overall while Emily Smith was at 1:19.18. Emily Dixon also joined the top-four times in school history with her run of 1:21.51 in 16th.

Dixon was Elon’s top athlete in the 60-meter hurdles with her time of 9.22 and 23rd overall. In the high jump, Melody Burke earned a top-10 standing with her cleared height of 5′ 3″ (1.60m) while Dixon cleared the bar at 5′ 1″ (1.55m) and was 17th overall. Burke also garnered top-10 standings in the long jump with a 17′ 6.25″ (5.34m).

Senior Bryanna Hames threw a distance of 43′ 2.25″ (13.16m) in the shot put, her first action in the event in about two months. She would finish just outside of the top-10 at 11th overall.

On Deck
Elon will have select members of its squad return to Liberty next weekend for the Darius Dixon Invitational on Feb. 2-3. Others will head to the JDL Fast Track Complex for the Camel City Invitational also on Feb. 2-3.