Villanova University

Dec. 1, 2012

Complete Results

HAVERFORD, Pa. - Sophomore Alexandra Wasik (Medina, Ohio) and freshmen Kelsey Margey (Huntington, N.Y.) and Angel Piccirillo (Homer City, Pa.) set new meet records in the pole vault, the 800 meters and the 1,000 meters, respectively, and Villanova opened the indoor season by finishing in first place in eight different events at the Jack Pyrah Invitational on Saturday afternoon.

Wasik cleared a height of 3.90 meters in the pole vault to eclipse the previous meet record of 3.81 meters which had stood for eight years. The height for Wasik tied a personal best indoors and also matches her second best mark in collegiate competition.

Margey won the 800 meters with a time of 2:10.99 and beat the previous meet record by more than five seconds. Led by her victory the Wildcats occupied the first four finishing spots in the 800 meters, with junior Mary Bohi (Shamong, N.J.), sophomore Amanda Borroughs (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) and senior Shannon Browne (Staten Island, N.Y.) coming in from second through fourth. Bohi crossed the finish line in 2:16.13, while Borroughs and Browne were separated by less than half a second with times of 2:17.19 and 2:17.57.

In the 1000 meters Piccirillo registered a mark of 2:51.21 and lowered the old record set by Villanova senior Ariann Neutts two years ago. Neutts had previously established a mark of 2:52.34. Piccirillo led a 1-2-3 finish for the Wildcats in the 1000 meters. Sophomore Leanne Tucker (Tewksbury, Mass.) was the runner-up with a time of 2:54.16 and sophomore Faith Dismuke (Passaic, N.J.) came in third (2:57.11). In addition to the second place finish Tucker also set a new personal best time.

Sophomore Varonica Johnson (Charlotte, N.C.) swept the 60 meters and the 300 meters and was the only Villanova double winner for the day. She comfortably won the 60 meters in 7.70 and later posted a winning time of 40.60 in the 300 meters. Fellow second-year sprinter Emerald Walden (Lafayette Hill, Pa.) came in fourth in the 300 meters (42.22) and was the individual winner in the 60 meter hurdles with a time of 8.70.

The other running event that the Wildcats won was the 4x400 meter relay, in which Villanova took first and second with its top two relay quartets. The winning time for the first Wildcats relay was 3:54.53, while the Villanova "B" squad came in with a time of 3:55.96.

In the field events junior Samantha Francis (Kingston, Jamaica) started out strong with a victory in the triple jump. Francis had a distance of 11.44 meters and Villanova had four of the top six finishers in the event. Freshman Anne Yahiro (Downers Grove, Ill.) was second to Francis with a mark of 11.23 meters.

Another strong performance for the Wildcats came from the collegiate debut of freshman sprinter Michaela Wilkins (Ellicott City, Md.) in the 500 meters. Wilkins came in second overall out of 16 runners with a time of 1:15.62 and was the first runner affiliated with a school to cross the finish line.

The annual Jack Pyrah Invitational is a good chance for Villanova to evaluate where it stands at the beginning of the indoor season. This is the only meet before the holiday break for the team, which will return to action at the New York City Gotham Cup on Friday, January 11. That meet is the first of four competitions for the Wildcats at the New York Armory this season.

NOTES: The 10th annual Jack Pyrah Invitational was held in memory of longtime Wildcats coach Jack Pyrah ... A bench in his honor was dedicated on the track in Villanova Stadium in 2010 to celebrate the Jack Pyrah Memorial Fund reaching $100,000 in donations.

COMPLETE VILLANOVA RESULTS

3000 Meters

Meghan Smith                   3rd of 5                10:31.27

60 Meter Hurdles

Emerald Walden                 1st of 11               8.70
Katherine Petruzzellis         4th                     9.44

60 Meters

Varonica Johnson               1st of 14               7.70

500 Meters

Michaela Wilkins               2nd of 16               1:15.62
Qualitra Brown                 7th                     1:22.30

300 Meters

Varonica Johnson               1st of 18               40.60
Emerald Walden                 4th                     42.22

800 Meters

Kelsey Margey                  1st of 10               2:10.99
Mary Bohi                      2nd                     2:16.13
Amanda Borroughs               3rd                     2:17.19
Shannon Browne                 4th                     2:17.57

1000 Meters

Angel Piccirillo               1st of 11               2:51.21 (MR)
Leanne Tucker                  2nd                     2:54.16
Faith Dismuke                  3rd                     2:57.11

Mile

Caitlin Bungo                  2nd of 9                5:18.10

4x400 Meter Relay

Villanova "A"                  1st of 9                3:54.53
Villanova "B"                  2nd                     3:55.96
Villanova "C"                  6th                     4:15.42

Weight Throw

Alita Ostapkovich              2nd of 4                11.69m

Long Jump

Kathleen McPhillips            3rd of 15               5.31m
Anne Yahiro                    4th                     5.24m
Samantha Yeats                 tie-5th                 5.23m
Alexandria Reo                 8th                     5.04m
Katherine Petruzzellis         11th                    4.92m

Pole Vault

Alexandra Wasik                1st of 11               3.90m
Kathleen McPhillips            tie-2nd                 3.60m
Virginia LaMacchia             tie-2nd                 3.60m
Bianca Reo                     3rd                     3.60m
Samantha Yeats                 6th                     3.35m

Shot Put

Alita Ostapkovich              3rd of 7                10.89m

Triple Jump

Samantha Francis               1st of 9                11.44m
Anne Yahiro                    2nd                     11.23m
Marie Minasi                   4th                     11.08m
Victoria Profit                6th                     10.92m