LOWELL, Mass. – The UMass Lowell women's outdoor track and field team kicked off championship weekend at home on Saturday, competing in day one of the 2026 America East Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

After day one of the Outdoor Track and Field Championships, the women's team sits tied for fifth place with Maine, totaling 17 points after a solid day of competition. The River Hawks collected eight points in the javelin throw event, seven in the 10,000m event, and two in the 3,000m steeplechase event.

Bryant leads the field with 54 points, followed by New Hampshire with 47, while UAlbany and Vermont share third place with 20 points each.

Graduate student Sarah Ross (Agawam, Mass.) led the way for the River Hawks in the 1,500m preliminary event, running hard throughout the race, as she finished in the top five for fifth place after punching in at a time of 4:38.30 to qualify for the final heat. Also finishing in the top twenty in the 1,500m event, senior Raihana Yameogo (Dillsburg, Pa.) claimed 15th place at 4:43.89, and sophomore Salma Boukhtam (Quincy, Mass.) finished in 19th place with a time of 4:45.95. Junior Shayla Quill (Andover, Mass.) was the solo competitor for the River Hawks in the 100m hurdles preliminary, finishing in 19th at a time of 16.85, respectively.

In the 400m dash preliminary, senior Danielle Thompson (Groton, Mass.) finished in 19th place with a time of 1:00.71, and junior Bridget Geary (Lowell, Mass.) finished in 22nd place at a time of 1:01.19. Running in the 100m dash preliminary for the River Hawks, sophomore Meredith Feener (Walpole, Mass.) finished in 23rd place at 12.89, respectively. UMass Lowell competed well in the 800m preliminary event, as three River Hawks finished consecutively, with sophomore Brenna Corcoran (Haverhill, Mass.) in 11th at 2:17.72, senior Nubia Pereira (Woburn, Mass.) in 12th at 2:18.02, and junior Emily Burdick (Billerica, Mass.) in 13th at 2:18.27. Junior Katharine Cottone (Little Falls, N.J.) was also close by in 15th place with a time of 2:19.59. Competing solo for UMass Lowell in the 400m hurdles preliminary, freshman Kathryn Perrone (Washington, Mass.) clocked in at 1:09.22 for 14th place, respectively.

The 3,000m steeplechase event came next, as sophomore Lauren Long (Lunenburg, Mass.) showed great effort during the heat, earning two points after punching in at 11:14.49 for seventh place. Freshman Krista Bettez (Gardner, Mass.) also ran in the event, finishing in 13th place at 11:42.31. Junior Jayani Santos (Tewksbury, Mass.) cruised her way into third place in the 200m dash preliminary, crossing the line with a time of 24.81 to qualify for the final heat. The 10,000m event closed the day, as senior Mary-Kate Finn (Nashua, N.H.) held a competitive pace, running past the line at 34:46.46 for third place to earn six points for the team, and senior Miana Caraballo (Methuen, Mass.) claimed eighth place at a time of 36:39.28, collecting a point for the team. Also competing in the event were freshman Anna Fondakowski (10th, 37:10.92), junior Emma Eagan (Danvers, Mass.) (11th, 37:15.80), and senior Mia Jones (Blacksburg, Va.) (16th, 38:51.52), respectively. 

The fielding events began day one, as graduate student Fleur Balogh De Galantha (Grafton, Mass.) was the lone competitor for the River Hawks in the long jump event, finishing in 12th place at a mark of 5.43m. The javelin throw event followed, as freshman Alessandra Forgione (Peabody, Mass.) shined, tossing a 44.82m mark for a second-place finish and collecting eight points for the team.  

In the heptathlon, freshman Nyrah Joseph (Billerica, Mass.) leads the River Hawks in second place with 2,791 points, while senior Paige Murphy (Billerica, Mass.) sits eighth with 2,433 points. Joseph earned second-place finishes in the 100m hurdles event (14.88), shot put event (10.04m), and 200m dash event (26.32), along with a fourth-place showing in the high jump (1.51m). Murphy placed eighth in the 100m hurdles (15.96), seventh in the high jump (1.42m), third in the shot put (9.73m), and eighth in the 200m (27.53).

]​​​​​​​The team looks ahead to the final day of the 2026 America East Outdoor Track and Field Championships on Sunday, May 10, at the Cushing Field Complex in Lowell, Mass.