University of Connecticut Athletics

Track & Field Adds to Collection of Broken Records This Season at Penn Relays
4/29/2023 10:07:00 PM | Men's Track and Field, Women's Track and Field
Philadelphia - The University of Connecticut track & field teams continue to make great strides this season after a successful outing at the Penn Relays this weekend preparing themselves well for the Men's and Women's Outdoor Big East Championships.Â
The three-day competition featured strong performances across the board and UConn would put up solid results throughout. There were eight season best records among the track & field events including setting three huge season best records in the Men's Sprint Medley Relay Championship, the Men's 4xMile Relay Championship, and the Women's Distance Medley Relay. Â
In the Men's Sprint Medley Championship Mekhi Stone, Joseph O'Brien, Wellington Ventura, and Mahamed Sharif put up a 3:25.34 time and would take the silver medal. Also, in the 4xMile Relay Championship Kevin Cawley, James Maniscalco, Alec Sauter, and Christopher Lepore broke the UConn program record posting a time of 16:35.90. Â
Additionally, on the men's side, in the 4x100 meter relay Josiah Thompson, Conor Mahony, Aaron Hackett, and Anish Rajamanickam qualified for the finals with a time of 42.26 and finished sixth in the college finals running 41.76. To add, Wellington Ventura won gold in the 400-Meter Hurdles Championship with a time of 50.55. Then, in the field, Travis Snyder earned the bronze medal in the Men's Pole Vault Championship with a 5.12m result.Â
On the women's side, in the Women's Distance Medley Relay, Jenna Zydanowicz, Emily Lavarnway, Elise O'Leary, and Chloe Thomas set an incredible UConn program best time of 11:19.21 placing second. Thomas also earned a personal best in the 1500 meters running a time of 4:19.03. Then, the women would go on to have three more relay teams setting strong season best performances. Â
In the 4x100 relay, Mia Dansby, Brianna Davis, Jailya Ash, and Danielle Phillip qualified for the college finals with a first-place time of 46.49. They then finished second place with a season best in the final 4x100 running a 46.08 time and placing second.  In the 4x400 relay, Ta'Jae Jackson, Jalah Cooper, Raquel Rosa, and Emily Lavarnway qualified for the finals taking fifth with a time of 3:52.08 and then earning a season best time in the 4x400 finals taking second with a time of 3:40.91. Then, in the 4x800 relay Megan Perrotta, Elise O'Leary, Celia Chacko, Madison Relyea would set a solid season best time at 9:03.66. Â
To add, in the field, A'liyah Thomas and Patricia Mroczkowski both won bronze as Thomas put up a 6.24m result in the Women's Long Jump Championship and Mroczkowski finished with a 1.74m result in the Women's High Jump Championship. Â
"Although rainy and cold days on Friday and Saturday, overall, we still walked away with personal bests," Director of Track & Field Beth Alford-Sullivan said. "We really embraced the environment of the relay portion of the competition for the weekend."Â
Rounding out the weekend, a small squad will compete in the Yale Invitational tomorrow, Sunday, April 30 in New Haven, Conn. Start time is at 10 a.m. EST.Â
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At Penn RelaysÂ
Men:Â
Terrel Williams qualified for the championship event in 110-meter hurdles (13.98, 3rd), finished sixth in the championship (13.97)Â
James Maniscalco in 5,000m (14:07.10, 15th out of 71 finishers), PR for Alec Sauter (14:15.45, 30th)Â
Marc Morrison in Long Jump Championship (7.33m, 5th)Â
Travis Roux in Discus (49.36m, 9th)Â
Tanner Jameson in Javelin Throw (58.94m, 3rd), Colin Winkler (57.57m, 5th)Â
Women:Â
PR for Caroline Towle in 5,000m (16:49.52, 42nd)Â
Set PR for Caroline Webb in 10,000m (36:14.39, 10th)Â
Brynn Madonna in Javelin Throw (40.56, 5th)Â