CHESTER, Pa.—A trio of Villanova distance runners had impressive races in the 1500 meters at the Widener Invitational on Friday night in performances that served as a final preparation for the Penn Relays next week and other upcoming meets during the remainder of the collegiate season. Fifth year standout Lydia Olivere (Wilmington, Del.), sophomore Sadie Sigfstead (Edmonton, Alta.) and senior Anna Helwigh (Soborg, Denmark) all raced for the Wildcats in the elite section of the 1500 meters at Leslie C. Quick Jr. Stadium.
 
Olivere won the race with a personal best time of 4:16.11, pacing a field of 11 runners and crossing the finish line just over 1.8 seconds ahead of unattached runner-up Carey Celata (4:17.95). Sigfstead was fourth overall with a personal best time of 4:25.58 and Helwigh finished seventh in 4:28.68. Each of the three have already posted times this season in their primary events that are likely to qualify them for regional competition later in the year.
 
Friday's race was nevertheless a notable one, as Olivere cut nearly two full seconds off her previous top time in the 1500 meters. Her old mark of 4:18.03 had been set less than a month earlier in her first race of the outdoor season at the Raleigh Relays. She has since run the second-fastest 3000 meter steeplechase in school history, second to only her own school record in the event. Olivere and Helwigh are ranked first and second in the Villanova record book in the steeplechase, while Sigfstead surged to sixth in school history in the 10000 meters earlier this year.
 
Sigfstead also established a new personal best with Friday's performance, cutting nearly three seconds off her previous PR of 4:28.51 which came at last year's Raleigh Relays in the first outdoor race of her collegiate career.