New London, CT --- The WPI women's track and field team opened competition at the NEWMAC Championships on Saturday, sending multiple athletes to finals and sitting eighth after day one.
 
WPI had a pair of scorers in the javelin, as senior Katy Gorden (Wayne, NJ) led the way with a fifth-place finish (34.39m), while freshman Reese Dyson (Schwenksville, PA) added an eighth-place showing (29.20m). Both picked up valuable team points for the Engineers.
 
WPI's sprinters highlighted the preliminary action in the 100 meters, as sophomore Rayna Thompson (Brentwood, NH) qualified for the final with a fourth-place time of 12.36, while graduate student Vivienne Evans (Newtown Square, PA) also advanced, posting the eighth-fastest time at 12.40.
 
In the 100-meter hurdles, sophomore Madisen McLeod (Ledyard, CT) secured a spot in the final with a sixth-place qualifying time of 15.63, while freshman Addison Collins (Tyngsboro, MA) followed closely in seventh (15.90) to also advance. Freshman Samantha Alley (Randolph, NJ) added a 10th-place finish in the with a time of 16.10.
 
The heptathlon group of sophomore Caetlyn Embree (Sherborn, MA), sophomore Emma Conway (Suffield, CT), and senior Lauren Coutu (Baldwinville, MA) turned in a series of top-eight finishes across the opening day. Embree placed fourth in the 100-meter hurdles (16.89), while Conway (5th, 17.13) and Coutu (6th, 17.94) followed.
 
In the high jump, Conway and Embree each cleared 1.34 meters to tie for third, while Coutu added a seventh-place finish (1.31m). The trio continued in the shot put, where Coutu delivered a runner-up effort (9.53m), Conway placed third (8.86m), and Embree finished eighth (7.38m). The day concluded with the 200 meters, as Conway (4th, 28.36), Embree (5th, 28.46), and Coutu (6th, 28.77) all recorded top-six finishes.
 
Junior Charly Painter (Littleton, MA) rounded out the day one highlights with a 10th-place clearance of 2.65 meters in the pole vault.
 
After one full day of competition, WPI sits in eighth place with five points. MIT leads the standings with 96.5 points, followed by Wheaton with 23.5. Smith and Springfield are tied for third with 14.5 points, while Babson and Wellesley share fifth with 14. Coast Guard is seventh with 7.5 points, Mount Holyoke sits ninth with 4.5, and Salve Regina rounds out the field with one point.
 
WPI will continue competition at the NEWMAC Championships on Sunday, with finals action beginning at 11:00am in New London.
 
Results