Springfield, MA --- The WPI women's track and field team turned in a strong showing on Sunday afternoon, finishing second at the Springfield College Outdoor Invite held at Blake Track. The Engineers tallied 174 points to place behind host Springfield (251) in the nine-team meet.
 
WPI collected seven individual victories and added a relay win to highlight a well-rounded team effort.
 
Freshman Rayna Thompson (Brentwood, NH) sprinted to wins in both the 100-meter (12.80) and 200-meter dashes (26.12). She also anchored WPI's winning 4x100-meter relay, teaming up with Corryn Fisher (Swansea, MA), Lauren Mitcheson (West Bridgewater, MA), and Julia Fronc (Plaistow, NH) to post a season-best 50.45.
 
Junior Sophia Reynolds (Andover, NH) headlined the distance events with a first-place finish in the steeplechase, crossing in 11:38.64, the seventh-fastest time in program history. Freshman Catherine Daly (Groton, MA) followed in second at 12:11.41 to complete a one-two finish.
 
Senior Piper O'Connell (North Attleboro, MA) claimed gold in the javelin with a top throw of 34.10m. In the 400-meter hurdles, junior Bethany Brown (Allentown, PA) clocked a personal-best 1:07.85 to win the event, while junior Bailey Allmon (Woodbine, MD) and freshman Caetlyn Embree (Sherborn, CT) finished third (1:11.57) and fourth (1:12.12), respectively. Freshman Emma Conway (Suffield, CT) was sixth in the same race in 1:15.53 and placed eighth in the javelin (23.90m).
 
Fronc placed fourth in both the 100m (13.48) and 200m (27.74) dashes. In the 400m, Mitcheson was runner-up in 1:02.14, with sophomore Maeve Steckley (Rochester, NY) close behind in third (1:02.25). Steckley also ran the third leg of WPI's second-place 4x400m relay, alongside Mitcheson, Allmon, and Brown, who combined for a 4:18.30 finish.
 
In the field events, senior Olivia Spielberger (Hingham, MA) punched her ticket to the New England Division III Championships with a second-place finish in the triple jump (10.89m). Senior Cassie Zimmerman (East Hampton, CT) added a fifth-place effort in the triple jump (10.11m) and was second in the high jump (1.46m), with junior Lydia Beers (Norfolk, CT) taking third (1.46m). Junior Lauren Coutu (Baldwinville, MA) rounded out the Engineers' scorers in the high jump with an eighth-place mark of 1.36m.
 
Fisher also placed sixth in the triple jump (10.00m) and took third in the 100m hurdles (17.60 seconds). In the pole vault, sophomore Charly Painter (Littleton, MA) cleared 2.80m (9-2.25) for fifth, with classmate Drew Perry (North Andover, MA) finishing eighth at 2.65m (8-8.25).
 
Junior Katy Gorden (Wayne, NJ) placed fourth in the javelin (32.41m), and freshman Catherine Polo (Huntingtown, MD) earned seventh in the discus with a 31.59m (103-8.00) throw. In the hammer throw, freshman Sydney Shilts (Flemington, NJ) secured sixth place with a mark of 34.33m (112-8.00).
 
WPI returns to action next week with a busy slate at UMass Amherst, beginning Wednesday with the two-day UMass Amherst Multi Meet, followed by the UMass Amherst Commonwealth Invitational on Saturday.

Results