BOSTON, Mass.—The UMass Lowell women's track & field team hosted the 2024 River Hawk Invitational held at the TRACK at New Balance in Boston, Mass. 
 
The event kicked off with the weight throw, where junior Arlene Davila (Peabody, Mass.) set the tone, earning a ninth-place finish with a toss of 14.99m. Senior Martina Nkwantah (Pepperell, Mass.) followed with another strong performance in the invitational shot put. She posted a throw of 14.30m to claim second place. In the shot put event, graduate student Shataeya Smith (Malden, Mass.) earned another top finish, taking eight with an 11.67m toss, while Davila (15th) and freshman Nhyira Nkansah (18th) both finished in the top 20 with throws of 11.36m and 11.28m.
 
In other field events, senior Erin Jensen (Brimfield, Mass.) put on another excellent display in the high jump, claiming seventh with a leap of 1.63m. In the long jump event, senior Rebecca Crosier (Shaftsbury, Vt.) and junior Alexandria Grasso (North Reading, Mass.) recorded top 20 finishes, taking 17th and 18th, with jumps of 5.33m and 5.32m.
 
In the running events, the River Hawks displayed their depth, with all three participants finishing in the top 20. Freshman Catrena Ghattas (Pembroke, Mass.) was the lead runner for UMass Lowell, taking 16th with a time of 10.06. Freshman Shayla Quill (Andover, Mass.) finished behind in 19th with a 10.22 mark, while sophomore Paige Murphy (Billerica, Mass.) was the last River Hawk to cross the line, taking 20th with a personal best time of 10.22.
 
In the 60-meter dash, freshman Jayani Santos (Tewksbury, Mass.) showcased her speed, taking sixth with a time of 8.03. Senior Alexis Lefaivre (Newport, Vt.) also performed well, earning 18th after running an 8.15 mark. 
 
Senior Hannah Doherty (Billerica, Mass.) led the River Hawks in the 1-mile run, crossing the line in 15th with a time of 5:10.98. Freshman Lena Takahashi (Holden, Mass.) also competed in the event, setting a new personal record time of 5:38.47.
 
The 500-meter event saw many runners break personal bests, starting with sophomore Nia Mainer-Smith (Taunton, Mass.), who recorded a time of 1:19.62 to finish in 11th. Freshman Katharine Cottone (Little Falls, N.J.) was the next River Hawk to finish, taking 14th to set a new personal best of 1:21.27, while freshman  Emily Burdick (Billerica, Mass.) rounded out the top 15 with a personal best time of 1:21.56.
 
In the 800-meter run, sophomore Nubia Pereira (Woburn, Mass.) performed well, taking home 12th after crossing the line at 2:19.55. Santos continued her fast pace to help guide her to a 13th-place finish in the 200-meter dash, recording a time of 25.06.
 
Senior Rachel Thomas (Perry Hall, M.D) propelled the River Hawks to a top 5 finish in the 1000-meter run. The long-distance runner took fifth in the event and setting a new personal best time of 2:55.60. Graduate student Arianna Braccio (Nashua, N.H) also recorded a new personal best in the 3000 meter, recording a time of 10:37.56.
 
Next, a handful of River Hawk women will compete in the BU Terrier Classic tomorrow evening, while the River Hawks then travel to Boston University to participate in the Bruce Lehane Scarlett Invitational, held at the Track and Tennis Center from February 2-3.