Mar. 28, 2022

The Basics

• The lead: Senior AnaMaria Laccetti posted a regional-qualifying mark in the discus to lead the Stevens Institute of Technology women's outdoor track and field team at the Monmouth Outdoor Season Opener and the Oscar Moore Invitational.
• Location: Kessler Stadium - West Long Branch, N.J. (Monmouth Outdoor Opener) | Coach Richard Wackar Stadium - Glassboro, N.J. (Oscar Moore Invitational)
• Short Story: At the 26th annual Monmouth Outdoor Season Opener, Laccetti touched 36.84 meters on her third attempt at the discus throw to place fifth overall out of a field of 26 competitors. Laccetti was the top Division III finisher by over two meters. It was the longest season-opening mark of her career and surpassed the All-Atlantic Region qualifying standard. At the Oscar Moore Invitational, Laccetti reached 11.55 meters on her final attempt at the shot put to place fourth. She was third among Division III competitors. Additionally, Laccetti had an impressive toss of 38.30 meters on her second attempt at the hammer. She ranks inside the top-three in the Middle Atlantic Conference in all three events.
• Of note: The two events kicked off the Ducks' outdoor season.

Top Finishes

• Doctoral student Gina Dello Russo made her outdoor debut, competing for the first time since the 2021 outdoor nationals. She competed in the 200-meter dash, the pole vault and the long jump. In the 200, Dello Russo finished second with a time of 25.78 seconds, while she also finished second in the pole vault, clearing 3.05 meters. In the long jump, Dello Russo topped the field with a distance of 5.27 meters on her second attempt. Her time in both the 200-meter dash and the long jump surpassed the AARTFC standard. Dello Russo's time in the 200 ranks first in the MAC.
• Sophomore Allie Canciani finished 15th in the 200, with a MAC-qualifying time of 27.84 seconds to set a new PR. The Montvale, New Jersey also qualified for the conference meet in the high jump with a height of 1.44 meters, which was good for third overall.
• Stevens had three top-8 finishes in the high jump. First-year Caroline Tighe placed fourth with a height of 1.34 meters, while junior Liana Meyer took seventh with a height of 1.29 meters. Meyer also finished fourth in the long jump with a distance of 4.85 meters.

Key Performances

• Junior Ashley Muliawan placed 12th in the discus at the Monmouth Opener, clearing 32.66 meters on her first attempt in an outdoor event. She also finished fourth in the hammer at the Oscar Moore Invite with a mark of 36.97 meters to qualify for the conference meet. 
• Sophomore Nicole Waletzki finished fourth in the triple jump with a distance of 9.85 meters on second attempt.
• Junior Rachel Pinho placed fourth in the 1,500 with a personal-best time of 5:14.65.
• First-year Shannon Rhatigan placed 11th in the 400-meter dash, reaching the finish in 1:08.02. Junior Sophia Zuo finished a little more than a second later, placing 14th with a personal-best time of 1:09.51.
• Junior Kristen Williams posted a MAC standard mark in the 100-meter hurdles, finishing ninth with a time of 16.66 seconds. Zuo finished right behind Williams with a time of 17.59 seconds to also qualify for the conference meet. 
• Sophomore Fionna Feerick also competed at the Monmouth Opener, achieving a new personal best in the 10K, completing the race in 45:46.17.

From the Blocks - Head Coach Lance Harden

• "It was great to be back in action, particularly for our athletes who specialize in events that are only offered outdoors and have been training for months without competition. We faced wind, rain, and even a brief hailstorm at Rowan. The 10,000-meter runners battled a similar wind on Friday at Monmouth."
• "Our women's horizontal jumpers contended with a brutal headwind on every attempt, but that did not stop them from achieving several MAC and AARTFC qualifiers. It was great to have Gina Dello Russo back in action for the first time in 10 months. She displayed phenomenal speed on the runway and had a great series in winning the long jump."
• "AnaMaria Laccetti had a fantastic third round throw in discus at Monmouth to make the finals, qualify for AARTFC, and beat everyone in the field outside of the home team. She returned Saturday at Rowan and saved her best effort for the final round in shot put, punching her ticket to AARTFC there, too. She was looking solid in the prelims of hammer before the competition was suspended due to lack of daylight. Similarly, Ashley Muliawan debuted in hammer and demonstrated that she will be a contender in that event, as well as discus in the MAC."
• "Allie Canciani set a new personal best in the 200 on her way to qualifying for MAC's in two events."

Up Next

• Women's Track & Field heads to Mahwah, New Jersey for the Ramapo College Invitational. The two-day event kicks off on April 1.

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