The women’s track and field team overcame wet conditions in Baltimore at the UMBC Big Dawg Invitational on March 29, with seven individual champions in its outdoor season opener. The meet was called off early with two events to go because of lightning in the area.

The Bison performed exceptionally well in all three phases of the track and field, finishing first in throws, jumps, and running events. Alyssa Cardillo ’14 leaped into first place in the long jump with a mark of 5.44 meters. Abigail Brundage ’16 won the shot put, heaving 12.18 meters.  Brundage’s fellow classmates Sophia Nnadi ’16 and Dayna Simone ’16 both won the hammer throw and javelin, respectively. Nnadi finished first in the hammer throw with a mark of 45.79 meters and Simone finished first in the javelin with a toss of 34.21 meters. Emily Waksmunski ’14 won the 800 meter (2:18.06), Hana Casalnova ’14 won the 1500 meter (4:38.83), and Jenn Silvestri ’16 won the 400 meter hurdles (1:05.21).

Overall, the women’s track and field team kicked off their outdoor season with a challenging but rewarding experience. Excelling in such inclement weather proves to be a good step in the right direction for the team that they hope to repeat at Patriot League Outdoor Champions for the second year in a row. Next up on their schedule are the Colonial Relays in Williamsburg, Va., which take place today and tomorrow.