Huskies in the Lead at BIG EAST Championship

Friday, May 14

Geneva, Ohio

11:00 AM

University of Connecticut

Big East Outdoor Track & Field Championship

Photo by: Stephen Slade

5/14/2021 9:52:00 PM | Women's Track and Field

Results - Day One

RESULTS (DAY ONE)

GENEVA, Ohio – The UConn women's track & field team will take a lead into Saturday's final day of competition at the 2021 BIG EAST Outdoor Championship at the Spire Institute in Geneva, Ohio.

The Huskies had a big day on Friday, posting 73 total points to lead after six scored events. UConn is at the top of the scoreboard in front of Villanova in second place with 44 points. DePaul is in third (27 pts), Marquette in fourth (26 pts), Providence in fifth (24 pts), Butler in sixth (18 pts), St. John's in seventh (14 pts) and Georgetown in eighth (8 pts).

UConn had a pair of event winners on Friday with senior Taylor Woods (Marlboro, Md.) taking the gold in the long jump and junior Emma Chee (Bainbridge Island, Wash.) standing at the top of the podium after winning the pole vault.

"The women are doing the things they need to do to win this thing," stated Director of Cross Country and Track & Field Greg Roy. "We knew it would be a tight one and it is with Villanova right there. We really need to step up and compete tomorrow. This championship is going to come right down to who goes out and has the better day tomorrow. We need to be ready to compete."

"Emma Chee was fantastic," said Roy. "She really got challenged today and responded. Taylor Woods was big in the long jump and also made the final in the 100, and that was an eye opener. Just a great job there.

"Chanell had a great day with a pair of silvers and it was great to see Mia in the steeple, setting another school record was just fantastic."

FRIDAY FINALS…

Woods took home the gold in the long jump on her final attempt of the meet, coming up with a leap of 6.24 meters. Freshman Jasmine Barrow (Athens, Ga.) was able to score for the Huskies with a fourth-place finish at 5.74 meters.
It came down to Chee and Villanova's Ashley Preston in the pole vault and the Husky junior found a way to grab her first gold. Chee cleared 3.92 meters on her last attempt and then nailed 4.02 meters on her first attempt to seal her win. UConn got a fourth-place finish from senior Laurel Bailey (Shelton, Conn.) at 3.57 meters.
Senior Chanell Botsis (Coquitlam, British Columbia) took home a pair of silver medals for the Huskies. Botsis was second in the hammer with a throw of 60.16 meters and then came back to take second in the javelin at 42.96 meters.
Junior Mikyla Rodgers (South Huntington, N.Y.) took the bronze in the hammer with a toss of 54.58 meters. In the javelin, sophomore Julia Moraitis (Wilbraham, Mass.) picked up points with a fourth-place finish at 38.36 meters.
On the track, senior Mia Nahom (New Fairfield, Conn.) took the silver in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and broke her own school record in the process. Nahom, who set a new school mark in her last race two weeks ago (10:10.76), smashed the record this time out, blazing to a 9:58.50 finish.
Senior Danielle Jordan (Clifton Park, N.Y.) took fifth in the steeplechase with a time of 10:25.54.
Junior Randi Burr (Westerly, R.I.) was fourth in the 10,000 meters setting a new PR with a time of 34:52.69.

FRIDAY PRELIMS…

Junior Shanelle Colmon (East Brunswick, N.J.) will run in the finals of both the 200 meters and 400 meters on Saturday. Colmon had the fastest time in the 200 on Friday at 23.56 seconds, a new PR. Her time of 54.40 seconds in the 400 was also a new PR.
Two Huskies qualified for the finals in the 1,500 meters in freshman Jenna Zydanowiz (West Hartford, Conn.) and senior Rachel Vick (Woolwich, N.J.).
In the 100-meter dash, freshman Brianna Davis (Bay Shore, N.Y.) will run in the finals and will be joined by Woods who had a PR at 12.02 seconds in her first time running this spring.
Senior Amy Piccolo (Walpole, Mass.) made it to Saturday's final in the 800 meters with a PR time of 2:10.84.
In the 400-meter hurdles, sophomore Elise O'Leary (Milton, Mass.) and freshman Ta'Jae Jackson (Bolingbrook, Ill.) made it to the finals on Saturday. Jackson had a new PR time of 1:05.88
Through four events in the heptathlon senior Kelly Ward (Oxford, Conn.) is the leader of the pack with 3,118 total points. Ward won the high jump at 1.70 meters and was second in the 200 meters at 25.92 seconds, a new PR.