Bullets place 4th at Ursinus Bow-Tie Classic
Sophomore Emily Waddell placed second in the triple jump and third in the 400-meter dash at Ursinus. (Photo courtesy of David Sinclair, GCC&M)
By Elizabeth Hilfrank, Contributing Writer
Waking up before the sun did not hinder the Bullets’ performance last Saturday, as the women’s track and field team placed fourth out of twenty teams at the Ursinus College Bow-Tie Classic Invitational. Boarding the bus at 5:30 a.m., the team was up and ready for success. With strong performances in every aspect, the Bullets proved their talent and demonstrated a promising future.
Gettysburg represented the jumping events well with senior Taylor Flatau scoring points in the triple jump (second place), high jump (fifth place) and long jump (seventh place). Sophomore Emily Waddell also scored in the triple jump, placing second in a competition of seventeen. First-year Emily Brown made a strong debut in collegiate track, as she placed 17th among 33 competitors in the long jump.
First-year Ellery Lyon also competed in her first collegiate track meet Saturday, as she participated in the triple jump, jumping 8.88m. She also competed in the high jump, clearing 4-ft.-6-in. When asked about the experience, Lyon remarked, “It was an awesome experience to compete in my first collegiate track meet!” Continued success was seen in the pole vault competition as junior Betsy Atkinson placed eighth, vaulting seven- foot-six, and was the only vaulter for Gettysburg. Atkison gathered enough strength to throw the shot put and race the 60-meter dash as well, where she was the sole representative in both.
This committed attitude seen throughout the team is what gives the Bullets the additional drive needed to succeed.
The Bullets showed strength in the running events as well, thanks to the junior class. Emily Waddell placed 7th out of 24 in the 400-meter dash, while Cynthia Greenberg placed seventh out of 36 in the 800-meter run.
Also a junior, Katherine Cavanaugh placed second in the 60-meter hurdle race. Senior Faltau participated in the hurdle competition as well, in addition to all her other events. First-years Alexandra Wykoff and Sarah Congdon debuted in the hurdle race, with strong performances across the board.
From beginning to end the Bullets were strong, placing seventh in the 4x200m relay and third in the 4x400m relay. Junior Katherine Cavanaugh, sophomore Emily Waddell, junior Sara Stupi and first-year Emily Brown clocked a time of 1:53.50 in the 4×200. Junior Cynthia Greenberg, first-year Sara Congdon, sophomore Emily Waddell and first-year Ellery Lyon clocked a 4:23.01 in the 4×400.
With the full distance team not participating at the meet, as many runners are still recovering from cross country, the track athletes who competed Saturday stepped up to the occasion to represent the team. Sophomore Amy Kaiser-Jones ran solo in the one-mile race, while also racing the 800-meter with Greenberg. With the full team back second semester, there is only more success to be awaited.
It was a busy day in Collegeville, PA, and the Lady Bullets came ready to perform. As Lyon stated, “There were a lot of great competitors and I can’t wait for the rest of the season!” The Bullets now enjoy a long rest until split squads return to compete on January 24 at either the Bucknell Invitational or the Lebanon Valley Invitational. Both start at 10:00 a.m.
