Full Results

BOSTON, Mass. – Senior Kaley Richards (Lowell, Mass.) grabbed gold twice and sophomore Izzy Giesing (Bradford, Vermont) earned gold as well, Saturday, to help propel the UMass Lowell women's track and field team to a second place finish at the America East Indoor Track and Field Championships at the Track and Tennis Center at Boston University.

"It was a terrific day," according to UMass Lowell Track and Field Head Coach Gary Gardner.  "Everybody did a great job; the runners, the throwers, the jumpers.  Everybody stepped up, the competed their butts off."

UMass Lowell finished second in the team standings earning 122.5-points.  Albany defended its title topping the team board with 175-points.  Stony Brook finished third and New Hampshire was fourth.

Kaley Richards has been dominant on the track during the indoor season and Saturday was no different.  He earned gold twice, winning the mile run and the 1,000-meters.  

"She was awesome, I've run out of words to describe what she does," said Gardner.  "She's special, she's fun to watch.  She's got endurance, she's got speed, she can finish out a race as well as anyone that I have ever coached."

Richards won the mile, to start her day, clocking in at four-minutes, 50.36-seconds.  She had been the top seed and did what she had to without wearing herself down.  Teammate graduate student Nicole Murphy (Mendon, Mass.) ran a strong race as well.  She finished fourth posting a time of 5:00.30.

Richards was not done.  Less than 90-minutes later she was back on the track and back in the winner's circle.  Richards, with a late kick, won the 1,000-meters with a time of 2:48.58.  She was the first UMass Lowell woman to win the event.  

"She loves to win," said Gardner.  "You either have that drive or you don't; you can't teach that.  There is no question in my mind that she is the best athlete in America East."

Richards was not the only UMass Lowell athlete to win gold.  Izzy Giesing won the 800-meters.  The sophomore punched the clock at 2:12.04.  She finished a half second ahead of the field after taking command of the race in the final 175-meters.

"She's gotten a little bit stronger," said Gardner.  "She's a good racer.  She knows what to do and she has the ability to do it.  It was impressive the way she handled that race."

The River Hawks scored points in a variety of events both on the track and off it.

Two River Hawk women scored points in the 60-meter hurdles.  Sophomore Kayley Moran (Hackettstown, N.J.) and sophomore Nine Tasker (Lebanon, Maine) posted times of 9.13 and 9.25-seconds.  They finished third and seventh in the event.

Junior Lauren Eddy (Grafton, Mass.) earned a third place finish in the 400-meters with a personal best time of 55.03.  Teammate senior Cristina Galvagno (Newton, Mass.) bettered qualifying time hitting the finish line at 56.53-seconds to earn a sixth place finish.

Eddy earned some points with a sixth place finish in the 200-meter dash and a time of 25.05-seconds.

Three UMass Lowell women scored in the 500-meters.  Sophomore Avery Leydon (Woburn, Mass.) took third place posting a time of 1:14.76.  Junior Kristin Hohenstein (Chelmsford, Mass.) was fifth and senior Kristin Devellis (Framingham, Mass.) finished sixth with times of 1:15.85 and 1:16.17.

A couple of relay teams scored points as well.  

The 4 x 800-meter teams earned a second place finish.  The group of freshman Leah Rudolph (Gloucester, Mass.), Leydon, sophomore Juliana Selser (South Portland, Maine) and Giesing combined for a time of 9:08.14

The 4 x 400-meter team finished third.  The team, Hohenstein, Devellis, Galvagno and Eddy totaled 3:49.01

Two River Hawks scored in the shot put.  Junior Chloe Eressy (Centerville, Mass.) finished second.  Her best toss was marked at 46-feet, two-inches.  Junior Jasmine McFarlane (South Yarmouth, Mass.) heaved the metal ball 42' 04.75" for a fifth place finish.

Four River Hawks scored points in the high jump as UMass Lowell athletes took positions five through eight.  Senior Danielle Poublon (Nashua, N.H.) and sophomore Mia Herrling (Pelham, N.H.) split fifth place points.  Senior Sydnee Spruill (Mystic, Conn.) finished seventh and junior Sierra Rudolph (Gloucester, Mass.) finished eighth.  All four were part of a group of six that cleared the bar at five-feet, five inches.  Placement was based on attempts made during the competition.

"The women did a great job," said Gardner.  "As a group they overachieved."