PLYMOUTH, N.H. – The Keene State College indoor track and field teams posted nine first or second-place finishes combined as the women won the Panther Invitational and the men finished third at the Bank of New Hampshire Field House at ALLWell North on Saturday.
Molly Lu McKellar, who had a standout effort that is still 15th nationally in Division III in the pentathlon in mid-December, set two new personal bests to help lead the women's team victory, winning the 60 hurdles in 9.38 and finishing second of 29 in the shot put by throwing 11.73 meters. She was also fifth in the high jump with a mark of 1.46 meters. McKellar's 60 hurdles PR occurred in the preliminaries of the race, crossing the line in 9.37 – one hundredth of a second faster than she posted in the finals.
The KSC women also posted three other event wins and two second place finishes. Freshman
Keely Giordano placed first in the 60 meters in 8.09 and added a third place finish out of 17 competitors in the 200 meters (27.03).
Anna O'Reilly took home the mile in 5:34.11 and
Drea Defreitas the triple jump, recording a 10.31 meter effort in her first collegiate appearance in that event.
Sarah Ames added a second place finish in the 800 meters (2:26.29), and the women's distance medley relay team of O'Reilly, Ames,
Ava Fortin, and
Bryn Dickinson finished second of the four relays in 13:10.38, behind only Southern New Hampshire's group of four that finished in 13:06.46.
On the men's side,
Jayden Baker posted their lone event victory, winning the shot put with a mark of 13.80 meters.
Jonathan DeAguiar placed second of 25 runners in the 200 meters with a time of 23.76, while
Keith O'Donnell was fifth of 17 in the 400 meters, finishing in 52.91. Nicholas Terranova placed third of 13 entrants into the mile race (4:42.83) and fourth in the 800 meters (2:03.52).
"After our last meet, this one was a step in the right direction. Getting a team win on the women's side is always fun. It was a great team day and some highlights by Molly Lu with a PR in three events."
KSC is back at it next weekend when they travel to the River Hawk Invitational hosted by the University of Massachusetts Lowell on Friday (January 24) and the Husky Invitational at the University of Southern Maine on Saturday (January 25).
