NEW YORK, N.Y.  –  The learning and the experience may be more important than the results as River Hawk women finished seventh at the America East Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships at The Armory in New York City.

"They are young and don't have a great deal of experience and you can't just go out there and turn it on," said Head Coach Gary Gardner.  "They worked really hard and competed, they will be much better a year from now."

UMass Lowell finished seventh in the nine team field earning 39 points.  Albany took the top spot with 197.66 points.  UMBC was second with 153, and Binghamton was third with 118 points.

UMass Lowell scored points in nine events.

"They worked hard, but sometimes the results just aren't there," said Gardner, "but that doesn't take away from the work and the effort.  They're young, there are just a couple of seniors and it's hard for one or two people to lead 38."

There were several strong performances.  Senior Taelour Murphy (Salisbury, Mass.) and freshman Kerstin Darsney (Rowley, Mass.) scored in multiple events.

Murphy hit the finish line in a time of 7.64-seconds in the 60 meter dash.  That time earned her a third place finish.  In the 200 meters, Murphy grabbed a second with a time of 24.84.  She was beaten in both events by Mercedes Jackson of UMBC.

"She was beaten by a really good kid," said Gardner.  "Those are two terrific sprinters and sometimes it just comes down to the day."

Darsney finished sixth in both the long jump and the triple jump.  She leaped 18-feet 2 1/4-inches in the long jump and 38-feet 10 1/2-inches in the triple jump.

Freshman Celeste Pipia (Elmont, N.Y.) turned in her best performance of the year in the shot put.  She threw the metal ball 44-feet 5 1/2-inches.  It was a personal best and earned her a fourth place finish.

"She competed her butt off," said Gardner.  

Junior sprinter Alexis Kitsakos (Merrimac, Mass.) scored points with a sixth place finish in the 500 meters.  She clocked in at one-minute 16.94-seconds.

Three relay teams also scored points for the River Hawks.

The distance medley relay team of freshmen Alli Wood (Chelmsford, Mass.), Katie Mulkerin (Billerica, Mass.), Kathryn Loughnane (North Attleboro, Mass.) and sophomore Jaclyn Solimine (Haverhill, Mass.) took sixth place with a time of 12:18.36.

The 4 x 400 meter relay team took fourth place points.  The team of junior Shaniece Cola (Lowell, Mass.), Mulkerin, Kitsakos and junior Andrea Fanciullo (Townsend, Mass.) finished the eight laps of the track in a time of 3:53.08.

The 4 x 800 meter relay team finished sixth.  The team of freshman Samantha Wise (Haverhill, Mass.), sophomore Jennifer Pisarik (Chelmsford, Mass.), senior Erika Shay (Waltham, Mass.) and freshman Katherine Equi (North Andover, Mass.) hit the finish line in a time of 9:52.99.

UMass Lowell women return to action Friday and Saturday, February 27 and 28, at the New England Championships at the Boston University Track and Tennis Center.