The Bison women’s track and field team began the weekend in Lewisburg on a positive note, as seven athletes finished in the top seven of their respective events at the Bison Open and Multi. The throwers had a strong showing, including first-place Delia Sipe ’21. With a score of 44-2.25, this is Sipe’s second consecutive first-place finish. Along with the other 29 throwers, Abby Whitaker ’22, Daija Misler ’21 and Jenna Phillips ’20 placed in the top seven. The underclassmen represented well for distance, as Jamie Falla ’22 finished runner-up with an impressive time of 18:36:56 for the 5000, while Katie Amaddio ’23 landed fourth. Amaddio said that racing in the five-kilometer run gave her added benefit by increasing her fitness and that her teammates were there every step of the way.

“I think I made some good progress this weekend… It was great to be able to work with my teammates in the race and use them as motivation to stay on pace … I am excited to see what I can do after we get more quality training in, ” Amaddio said. “The race was definitely a step in the right direction, and it gives me a lot of motivation to continue to improve during the rest of the season.” 

Going forward, Amaddio says that the team’s ability to hold each other accountable in order to achieve individual and team goals is what makes them a reckoning force.

“Our team is very close, and we all want each other to succeed … We are all motivated by our individual goals, but everyone is also invested in our shared team goals,” Amaddio said. “I think our team is unique because we are able to come together when it really matters … We are much stronger together than we are individually.” 

On Saturday, the women traveled to State College for the Penn State National Open. Coming in second place, Karly Forker ’22 finished with a time of 2:55:68 for the 1000. Alongside Forker, Gianna Macones ’20 finished eighth with a 2:59.74 time. Ashlyn Ramos ’22 and Hope Beyer ’20, both cross country athletes, finished second and fourth, respectively, in the 3000. In the high jump, Alexandra Butz ’21 placed third behind jumpers from Penn State and Maryland, following her performance from Friday. The distance runners shared a strong performance, placing three in the top 15. Tara Lyons ’22 ran a 5:02:66 mile to earn sixth place. The first-year runners dominated the 400, with Valerie Fischer ’23 finishing eighth and Jessie Castellano ’23 placing 19th.

The Orange and Blue will be back in action at Penn State this Saturday, Feb. 8 for the Sykes and Sabock Challenge.