PRINCETON, N.J.—Fifth year sprinter
Madison Martinez (Gahanna, Ohio) won the elite section of the 800 meters and junior
Emma McGill (Lebanon, N.J.) was one of three Villanova athletes who recorded personal bests in the 1500 meters during the Larry Ellis Invitational at Weaver Stadium on Friday evening. McGill recorded a time of 4:22.72 in the 1500 meters to move up to fifth on this year's BIG EAST performance list in the event. The two-day meet at Princeton continues on Saturday morning.
The first event for the Wildcats on Friday was the elite section of the 800 meters which featured the trio of Martinez, sophomore
Micah Trusty (Philadelphia, Pa.) and junior
Alex Stasichin (Massapequa, N.Y.) in the fastest heat. Martinez, the BIG EAST leader in the 800 meters entering the weekend, tallied a time of 2:05.20 to hold off the rest of the field by just over a tenth of a second. Trusty recorded a time of 2:06.67 and Stasichin posted her best result of the season with a mark of 2:09.15. In later sections of the 800 meters, first year collegian
Caelen O'Leary (Taunton, Mass.) finished in 2:14.68 and junior
Maya Dorer (New York, N.Y.) recorded a time of 2:14.81.
McGill ran in the elite section of the 1500 meters and lowered her previous PR by more than six seconds. She placed seventh in the fastest heat of the night and moved up to fifth on the BIG EAST performance list this season with her time of 4:22.72. First year collegian
Tilly O'Connor (Spring Lake, N.J.) and junior
Margaret Carroll (Mount Wolf, Pa.) also lowered their personal best times in the 1500 meters. O'Connor won her heat in 4:28.23 and Carroll finished with a time of 4:28.78. Friday night's trio, along with junior
Emily Robinson (Rogers, Ark.), have all run below 4:30 so far this season.
Senior distance runner
Elizabeth Vaughn (Dayton, Ohio) and sophomore
Kinsey Pogue (Danville, Calif.) ran in the unseeded section of the 5000 meters. Vaughn was the runner-up out of 28 competitors and posted a personal best time of 17:10.36. Pogue competed in the event for the first time as a collegian and recorded a time of 17:55.88.
Saturday's schedule of events begins with women's discus at 11 a.m. followed by the high jump at 12 p.m. Villanova's first event on the track is the 100 meter dash at 2 p.m.
