Dec 4, 2021

The Basics

• The lead: Junior Laura Mathews set a new school record in the 60-meter dash to lead the Stevens Institute of Technology women's indoor track & field team Saturday at the season-opening Winter Opener, hosted by The College of New Jersey. 
• Location: New York City Armory
• Short Story: Competing on an indoor surface for the first time since the 2020 All-Atlantic Region Indoor Championships, Mathews posted the fastest preliminary time, completing the race in 7.85 seconds, surpassing Gina Dello Russo's time of 7.99 seconds, recorded at the 2018 Empire 8 Conference Indoor Championships. Mathews then finished third in the championship race with a time of 7.88 seconds, which was the fastest Division III time and also surpassed the previous school record. 
• The Score: Team scores were not compiled
• Of Note: Men's and Women's Indoor Track & Field are the final two teams in the athletic department to return to intercollegiate competition. 

Top Finishes

• In addition to her record-breaking performance in the 60-meter dash, Mathews finished the 60-meter hurdles in 8.98 seconds, finishing second in the race, while posting the top DIII finish. The time was the Denville, New Jersey native's second-fastest time in the event.
• The Ducks' 4x400-meter relay team of sophomores Nicole Waletzki and Allie Canciani, first-year Shannon Rhatigan and Mathews, finished fifth with a time of 4:20.38, winning their heat by over two seconds.
• First-year Caroline Tighe and sophomore Allie Canciani finished first and second, respectively, in the high jump. Both student-athletes cleared 1.55 meters, with Tighe clearing it on her first attempt and Canciani on her second. Canciani made her indoor debut after competing in the outdoor season earlier in the year. 
• Fresh off a strong showing in the 2021 outdoor season, senior AnaMaria Laccetti was the top DIII finisher in the shot put, reaching 10.63 meters on her third attempt. The distance marked the longest season-opening result of her career. Laccetti also placed second in the weight throw, reaching 13.79 meters on her fifth try to also surpass her previous season-opening distances. 

Key Performances

• Junior Kristen Williams made her season debut and finished the 60-meter dash in 8.57, marking a new personal best. She also advanced to the finals of the 60-meter hurdles, completing the race in 9.47 seconds to post her second-fastest collegiate time in the event. 
• Junior Sophia Zuo set personal bests in three events. The Emerson, New Jersey native finished the 60-meter dash in 8.80 seconds, the 60-hurdles in 10.34 seconds and the 300 in 48.58 seconds. Her time in the 60 hurdles was nearly six-tenths of a second better than her previous fastest time.
• Junior Susan George placed fifth in the long jump, touching 4.67 meters in her first indoor long jump. She also placed fifth in the triple jump with a distance of 9.81 meters. 
• First-years Lauren Ingraham and Ella Santoro, along with Tighe, Rhatigan and Waletzki, and juniors Olivia Sohl and Julieann Murphy each made their collegiate debuts at the event.
• Junior Ashley Muliawan set a personal best in the weight throw, reaching 11.18 meters on her fourth throw to finish fifth. The Thornton, Pennsylvania native topped her previous PR by nearly two meters.

From the Blocks - Head Coach Lance Harden

• "The first meet of the season is more about reviving the intensity of competition and seeing if the athletes can keep their composure and execute under pressure. For most of our team, it has been nearly two years since they've competed, and it is impossible to simulate the energy of an atmosphere like a meet at The Armory in practice. Overall, we learned what we need to focus on during the next two months and we had a plethora of personal bests. It felt great to compete at The Armory again for the first time in 652 days."
• "Laura Mathews had four sprint/hurdle races in the span of an hour, including back-to-back finals. She had to run from the finish of the 60-meter hurdles final back to the starting line for the 60-meter dash final and still ran faster than the previous school record! Apparently, that wasn't enough to tire her out because she volunteered to run on the 4x400-meter relay later."
• "Sophia Zuo had an incredible day, setting three personal bests and improving by over a half-second in the 60-meter dash and the 60-meter hurdles."
• "Ashley Muliawan improved her personal best in the weight throw by nearly two meters!"

From the Blocks - Assistant Coach John Kolibab

• "Caroline Tighe and Allie Canciani had a great day in women's high jump, placing first and second, while both recording indoor personal bests. They've both shown exceptional promise in the limited high jump practices we've had and it was great to see the first meet go so well."

Up Next

• Women's Track & Field returns to competition on Jan. 15 for the Lions Indoor Invitational, hosted by TCNJ at the New York City Armory.

Facebook: "Like" Stevens Athletics         
Twitter: @stevensducks
Instagram: @stevensducks
#AllRise