Results

BOSTON, Mass. – Graduate student Kenzie Doyle (Swansea, Mass.) broke her own school record in the 5,000m run, as the UMass Lowell women's track and field team found much success at both the BU Season Opener and Suffolk Invitational on Saturday in Boston.

"The highlight of the day was Kenzie in the 5K," said Head Coach Gary Gardner. "Her 15:27.42 is one of the fastest times in NCAA history and the third fastest time in the NCAA this season. It was a great day overall and it's awesome to see the track and field team compete and compete well. It makes me excited for January when we get into the meat of the season."  
 
Doyle faced off against some of the top runners in the nation at the BU Season Opener, claiming 10th place in the 5,000-meter race with a record-breaking time of 15:27.42. This tops her former record of 16:03.62 which occurred one year ago at the same race by a whopping 36.20 seconds. With the time, she qualifies for the 2024 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships, which the River Hawks will be co-hosting in March. 

"Kenzie's race was absolutely incredible," said Gardner. "To run that fast, and one of the fastest times in NCAA history was amazing. Getting qualifying for the indoor championships out of the way so early makes it really special with us hosting."  
 
The majority of the women's squad competed over at the Suffolk Invitational, where senior Alexandria Grasso (North Reading, Mass.) got the season started with an impressive 8.95 mark in the 60m hurdles for second place overall. Junior Fleur Balogh De Galantha joined her in the event, finishing seventh with a time of 9.38.
 
In the 60m dash, senior Madison Marsh (Dudley, Mass.) collected a top-three finish, missing out on second place by just .01 second with a 7.79 mark. Freshman Jayani Santos (Tewksbury, Mass.) had a great first collegiate meet, finishing just behind Marsh in the 60m with a time of 7.86 for fourth, before winning the 200m dash with a time of 25.34. Marsh finished the 200m in fourth with a 26.09 mark.  
 
The 400m dash saw another River Hawk freshman make her debut, as Katharine Cottone (Little Falls, N.J.) earned fifth place with a time of 1:02.03. The squad also found success in the 800m run, as sophomore Nia Mainer-Smith (Taunton, Mass.) and senior Delani Dorsey (Haverhill, Mass.) finished back-to-back in fourth and fifth place, respectively, with just a 0.20-second difference. Mainer-Smith earned a time of 2:27.48, while Dorsey came in with a 2:27.68 mark.
 
In the field events, senior Wonuola Ashaju (Lagos, Nigeria) secured a long jump victory, leaping to 5.47m in the first event of her senior campaign. Senior Rebecca Crosier (Shaftsbury, Vt.) also jumped impressively, collecting second place with a 5.40-meter mark. Balogh De Galantha and Grasso joined them in the long jump, finishing in sixth and seventh place, respectively, with jumps of 5.28m and 5.26m. Ashaju made it two first-places with a triple jump win, reaching 11.40m. UMass Lowell represented the top three, as Nethica Auguste and Crosier finished second and third, respectively, with jumps of 10.81m and 10.56m.
 
Senior Martina Nkwantah (Pepperell, Mass.) gave the River Hawks another victory in the shot put, hitting a personal-best 14.35m. Freshman Nhyira Nkansah finished fifth in her collegiate debut, throwing 11.60m, while junior Arlene Davila (Peabody, Mass.) picked up seventh place with an 11.46m toss. Graduate student Shataeya Smith (Malden, Mass.) also competed, taking 13th with a distance of 10.66m.   
 
Senior Erin Jensen (Brimfield, Mass.) was the lone River Hawk in the high jump, earning herself a third-place finish, clearing 1.60m.  
 
In the weight throw, Nkwantah and junior Arlene Davila (Peabody, Mass.) collected fifth and sixth place, respectively, with distances of 15.01m and 14.77m, while Úna Brice (Cork, Ireland) competed in her first collegiate pole vault event, grabbing 10th place with a 3.20m mark. Junior Jules Gravier (Bronxville, N.Y.) vaulted to 13th, with a height of 3.05m.
 
Next up, the River Hawks will travel to the Rhode Island Multi Event Meet hosted by Rhode Island next Thursday, December 7 and Friday, December 8 at the Mackal Fieldhouse in Kingston.