TROY, N.Y. – The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) women's track & field team turned in a strong collection of event wins, podium finishes, and scoring performances this weekend at the annual Under the Lights home meet on Harkness Track, highlighted by a victory in the javelin, a win in the 10,000 meters, and a first-place finish in the 3,000-meter steeplechase while adding points across sprints, hurdles, distance, relays, and throws.
RPI found early success on the track, led by Alyssa Fici, who placed third in the 100-meter dash (12.63). In the one-lap event, Lauren Szalkowski scored with a sixth-place effort in the 400 (59.39), while the Engineers added a pair of top-five finishes in the 800, paced by Erin vonHousen in fourth (2:22.12) and Laura Hoag in fifth (2:23.01).
The middle-distance group produced multiple top-eight results in the 1500, as vonHousen added another scoring performance with a fifth-place finish in the seeded section (4:39.48), while Josie Howard (6th, 5:12.87), Niamh Heraghty (7th, 5:16.33), and Chloe Nebel (8th, 5:16.48) all landed inside the top eight in the unseeded section.
RPI's distance corps delivered the meet's biggest point totals, beginning with a sweep of the top three spots in the unseeded 5000 as Olivia Reid won in 19:26.17, Grace Turner followed in second (19:46.69), and Alice Einhorn placed third (20:12.32).
In the seeded 5000, Tessa Bossom posted a runner-up finish (18:26.19) and Alyse Karanian added sixth (19:24.28). The Engineers also stacked the top of the results in the 10,000, led by Gianna Coryea's win in 37:29.20, with Fran Mavricos taking second (37:35.30) and Ava Handel placing third (37:54.15), while Karina Martinez (4th, 39:40.06), Theresa O'Connor (6th, 40:39.64), and Kaitlyn Fleming (7th, 41:04.61) all scored as well.
Alice Brambati delivered a key scoring run with a fourth-place finish in the 100-meter hurdles (14.72), and RPI also picked up a major event win as Claudia Wolf captured first in the 3000-meter steeplechase (11:18.30). On the relay side, the Engineers' 4x100 quartet of Fici, Brambati, Szalkowski, and Ava Marcucci combined for a second-place finish in 48.98.
RPI scored in multiple field events, starting in the vertical disciplines where Ainsley Rausch placed second in the pole vault (3.00m) and Isabelle Sullivan added fifth (2.40m). Brambati continued her standout weekend in the horizontal jumps with a second-place finish in the long jump (5.90m) and another runner-up effort in the triple jump (11.77m), while Sonia Staroscik (5th, 9.73m) and Becca Itty (6th, 9.70m) rounded out additional top-eight finishes in the triple jump.
The throws group added several key scoring efforts, paced by Leanna Wells in second in the shot put (13.06m), with Katie Lynch (6th, 11.50m) and Kylie Allen (7th, 11.33m) also contributing points. Lynch added a fifth-place finish in the discus (36.86m) and a fourth-place mark in the hammer (49.18m). In the javelin, Emma Muir won the event with a first-place throw of 36.07m, while Lynch (5th, 29.94m) and Grace Garman (6th, 29.67m) added additional top-eight results.
RPI also picked up points in the multi-events, with Gabby Irvin finishing fourth in the heptathlon (3278) and Lillybeth Kurosz taking sixth (3053).
