Track and Field Concludes Indoor Regular Season in Boston

Friday, February 1

Boston, Mass.

Florida Atlantic

Harvard White & Crimson Invite

Photo by: Michael Wade/Wade Event Photogra

2/3/2019 3:41:00 PM | Women's XC/Track & Field

BOSTON – The Florida Atlantic University track and field team closed out the indoor regular season in Boston this weekend, competing in Harvard's Crimson Elite event on Friday and then Boston University's Bruce Lehan Scarlet and White Invite on Saturday. Two school records were broken and nine new personal records were set over the weekend.

A team score wasn't kept at the Crimson Elite, but the Owls finished sixth at the Bruce Lehan Scarlet and White Invite. FAU finished one point behind fifth place George Mason.

QUICK HITS

Natalliah Whyte continued her impressive start with the Owls this weekend setting a new school record and claiming first and second place titles. Whyte claimed second place in the 60-meter dash at the Harvard Elite Invite with the time of 7.35 in the finals, just 0.03 behind first place winner, Gabreille Thomas, who was running for New Balance, making Whyte the top collegiate finisher. Whyte raced to a 7.33 time in the preliminary round, setting a new school record. Whyte's time broke the record that she had set on Jan. 11 in her FAU debut by 0.03 seconds. At the Bruce Lehan Invite, Whyte took first place in the 60-meter dash with a time of 7.44. She ran 7.39 during the prelims
Jenae Ambrose also broke a FAU record this weekend. Ambrose raced to a time of 24.30 in the 200-meter dash to break the previous best time by 0.08. The senior claimed third place in the race
Kennedie Reese and Morgan Shortridge participated in a pentathlon at the Harvard Crimson Elite Invite on Friday. The two ran the 800-meters and 60-meter hurdles then took on the high jump, long jump and shot put. At the conclusion, Reese finished with a score of 2793, putting her in fourth place and Shortridge finished with 2311 for fifth place
On Saturday, Searra Woods set a new personal best in the 400-meter dash with a time of 57.67 for a ninth place finish
Two new personal records were set in the 800-meter run at the Bruce Lehan Invite. Erica Lersch finished in 2:15.09 for 22nd place and Brooke Butterfield crossed the line in 2:20.79 for 37th. Butterfield also set a PR in the 1-mile run on Friday. She ran the mile in 5:22.54 for 13th place
The Owls had seven total running in the 1-mile on Friday. All seven finished in the top 15 of the event. Elizabeth Wellman finished in fifth place with a time of 5:05.64. Mikaela Jonsson came in right behind Wellman in sixth place (5:09.14) and Erica Lersch was seventh (5:11.60). Megan Giovanniello was two spots behind at ninth (5:12.94) and Lauren Macon (14th; 5:28.55) and Morgan Graff (15th; 5:36.76) rounded out the group
The next day Wellman, Graff and Macon ran the mile again and Graff and Macon set new personal bests. Graff finished in 5:21.92 and Macon in 5:23.75
Kelsey Meltzer had a PR in the 3000-meter run on Saturday with a time of 10:48.55

COACH RANDOLPH'S TAKE
"We are pleased with improvements made since our last outing. We are getting better as we have come to the end of our indoor regular season. Championship time is upon us and we are focused on executing our full cycle mentally and physically."

UP NEXT
The Owls will head into the indoor postseason with the Conference USA Championship on the horizon. The Championship will be held on Feb. 16 and 17 in Birmingham, Alabama.

OWLS ON SOCIAL MEDIA
For complete coverage of FAU cross country and track & field, follow along on Twitter (@FAU_XC_Track) or Instagram (@FAUXC.TF).