BOSTON, Mass. – The River Hawks and some local Division I programs in the New England area traveled to the Boston University Track & Tennis Center this Saturday to compete at the Battle in Beantown. 

"The team performed really well today," said Head Coach Gary Gardner.  "During this time of the year we look for progress week to week, and this week we had a big step up from the last meet. We had a large amount of personal bests which makes everyone feel great about where we are right now."

The fielding events kicked things off with shot put up first. The lone sophomore Nhyira Nkansah (Chelmsford, Mass.) would make her mark throwing 11.50m, claiming seventh-place. 

Graduate student Alexandria Grasso (North Reading, Mass.) would launch her way into a top-7 finish in the long jump for the River Hawks, taking seventh at 5.46m. Also taking part in the long jump were sophomore Nethica Auguste (Bridgewater, Mass.) (14th, 4.89m), senior Olamide Bamgbose (Fitchburg, Mass.) (16th, 4.47m), and freshman Chloe Champagne (Brockton, Mass.) (18th, 4,20m). 

Only one thrower would compete in the weight throw, with senior Arlene Davila (Peabody, Mass.) recording a mark of 12.89m for 15th place. 

In the high jump, freshman Avery Pitts (Willington, Conn.) raised herself to sixth-place at a mark of 1.55m. Senior Fleur Balogh De Galantha (Grafton, Mass.) was next, jumping to seventh (1.55m).

The last field event of the meet was the pole vault, with senior Jules Gravier (Bronxville, N.Y.) taking 14th, rising for a 3.42m mark. Sophomore Úna Brice (Cork, Ireland) and senior Madison Sanchez (Amesbury, Mass.) also competed in the event. 

Grasso, already having a stellar day, would add to it by finishing third in the 60m hurdles prelim, advancing to the final heat. She crossed the line at a time of 8.81. Following behind, Balogh De Galantha and Champagne ran in the event as well. Grasso would ultimately grab a top-3 finish for third-place in the 60m hurdles, clocking in at 8.81 again. 

Freshman Georgia Brooks (Groton, Mass.) led the pack in the one mile run, claiming 29th at a time of 5:13.53. Flowing in the rear, freshman Lauren Long (Lunenburg, Mass.) would finish in 32nd place (5:16.91) with junior Kylie Maron (Baldwinville, Mass.) in 33rd (5:19.83). Senior Delaney Swanson (Swanzey, N.H.), senior Vivian Mac (Randolph, Mass.), freshman Haley Evans (Glastonbury, Conn.), freshman Selena Wood (Abington, Mass.), senior Kaitlyn Stevens (Oxford, Mass.) and sophomore Lena Takahashi (Holden, Mass.) ran in the event as well. 

Two River Hawks claimed top-5 placements in the 600m run with junior Nia Mainer-Smith (Taunton, Mass.) in front taking third at 1:34.17 and graduate student Rachel Thomas (Perry Hall, Md.) right behind in fourth-place at 1:35.23. Freshman Brenna Corcoran (Haverhill, Mass.) would finish in 11th at a time of 1:38.98 while sophomore Emily Burdick (Billerica, Mass.) took 12th at 1:39.93. Sophomore Katharine Cottone (Little Falls, N.J.), freshman Isabel McIntrye (Dover, N.H), and freshman Alyssa Fiorino (Billerica, Mass.) also ran in the 600m event. 

The 400m dash was next where junior Danielle Thompson (Groton, Mass.) ran her way to eighth-place at a time of 59.18, with freshman Amelia Stebe (Honolulu, Hawaii) taking ninth at 59.56. Also competing in the 400m dash was freshman Brianna Phelan (Billerica, Mass.).

In the 300m dash, sophomore Jayani Santos (Tewksbury, Mass.) had beaten out another runner to earn fifth-place clocking in with a time of 39.26. Sophomore Soria Roberts (Warwick, N.Y.) and freshman Anya Neira (Methuen, Mass.) ran in the event as well. 

Junior Raihana Yameogo (Dillsburg, Pa.) was the lone runner for the River Hawks in the 800m run, bursting for a fifth-place finish at a time of 2:18.25.

The 3000m run was highlighted by graduate student Mary Yount (Northampton, Mass.) who finished with a top-3 mark for third at 10:02.41. Junior Miana Caraballo (Methuen, Mass.) would finish in 10th of the group at a time of 10:10.74. Other runners included junior Mia Jones (Blacksburg, Va.) and sophomore Emma Eagan (Danvers, Mass.).  

The last event of the Battle in Beantown was a 4x400 relay where Lowell claimed fifth-place overall, with a time of 3:56.31. The group running for Lowell consisted of Santos, Stebe, Thompson, and Burdick. 

UMass Lowell will look ahead when they host the River Hawk Invitational on January 24 and 25 in Boston, Mass at the Track at new balance. The invitational is also organized to be a Morgan's Message Dedication Meet.