Women's Track and Field Kicks Off Outdoor Season

WHEELING, WV - The Penn State Behrend women's track and field team competed at the Bill Van Horne Invitational in Wheeling, WV on Saturday afternoon.

Haley Hughes (Cochranton, PA/Cochranton) led the way with a third place finish in the 3000m steeplechase.  Hughes crossed the line at 11:58.95 to qualify for ECAC's. Two more Behrend athletes had third place finishes as well.  In the hammer throw, Katie Monoskey (Punxsutawney, PA/Punxsuatawney) hit a distance of 40.93 while Victoria Harwood (Fair Haven, NJ/Rumson-Fair Haven) cleared 3.20m in the pole vault.  

Back on the track, Katie Spade (Warren, PA/Warren) took fourth place in the 800m run. Spade finished with a time of 2:22.76.  Spade's day was not over though, she teamed up with Harwood, Jamie Szramowski (Pittsburgh, PA/Oakland Catholic), and Amanda Niebauer (Erie, PA/McDowell) in the 4x400m relay.  The squad came in fourth place with a time of 4:16.39.

In the 5000m run, the Lions had a strong outing with three runners placing in the top-10. Catie Bertges (Erie, PA/Collegiate Academy) placed fifth with a time of 19:01.68.  Zofia Stark (Erie, PA/Mercyhurst Prep) and Katie Patterson (Erie, PA/Villa Maria) crossed the line at 19:24.17 and 19:50.74 respectively.  Stark took 9th with Patterson close behind in 10th.

In two more field events, April McDermott (Atco, NJ/Hammonton) and Stephanie Stoughton (Chicora, PA/Karns City) placed in the top-10 as well.  McDermott took fifth in the discus throw with a distance of 35.42m.  Stoughton placed eighth in the javelin throw by hitting 30.86m.

Behrend will be back in action on Saturday at the Washington and Jefferson Invitational.