Elon Women’s Track Phoenix Concludes Competition at Liberty, South Carolina

ELON, N.C. – The Elon University women’s track and field team had another relay team qualify for the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Indoor Championships as the Phoenix concluded split meet competition at Liberty and in South Carolina on Saturday, Feb. 1.

Carolina Challenge Results (.PDF)Liberty Flames Invite Results (.PDF)

At the Carolina Challenge in South Carolina, the maroon and gold distance medley relay team of Melissa Anastasakis, Gabriela Varisco de Oliveira, Anna Twomey and Scolasticah Kemei won its race with a time of 11:57.67. That time is now the third-fastest in school history and qualifies the quartet for the ECACs. Varisco de Oliveria also competed in the 800-meters at the Carolina Challenge, running a time of 2:17.55 to lead Elon in eighth place.

Meanwhile at the Liberty Flames Invite, the Phoenix saw a few athletes set some new personal-records in their events. Sophomore Jordan Haywood tied for the second-fastest time in school history in the 60-meter dash with her preliminary time of 7.76. She and junior Alyssa Zee qualified for the finals of the race where Haywood would finish as the runner-up with her time of 7.79 and Zee was fourth with a time of 7.86. Zee reached the finals after she ran a personal-best time of 7.82 in the prelims.

Zee would also set a personal-record in the 200-meters with her time of 25.49 good for sixth overall. Aliya Barrows was eighth in the race with her time of 26.23. Barrows was the Phoenix’s top-runner in the 400-meters as the freshman clocked a season-best time of 58.10 and was seventh overall.

In the high jump, Melody Burke was the runner-up in the event with her cleared height of 5′ 3.75″ (1.62m). Junior Moira O’Malley was third overall with her mark of 5′ 1.75″ (1.57m) while Jessica Anderson was fifth at 4′ 11.75″ (1.52m).

Alex Tudor set a new indoor-best in the long jump with a leap of 18′ 6.5″ (5.65m) and finished as the runner-up. Burke was third overall with her jump of 17′ 10.75″ (5.45m) while Zee also finished in the top-five with her mark of 17′ 6.25″ (5.34m).

In the throwing events, Skylar Barthelmes was the Phoenix’s leader in the weight throw with her toss of 56′ 10.25″ (17.33m) and was fifth overall. Kristine Strazdite paced the maroon and gold in the shot put with a heave of 42′ 4.25″ (12.91m).

On Deck
The Phoenix returns to the JDL Fast Track in Winston-Salem, N.C., next weekend, Feb. 7-8, to compete at the prestigious Raleigh Relays.