Full Meet Results
 
Individual Winners

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (April 17, 2010) – On a day that saw four Liberty League records set by the league's women's track and field teams, sophomore Johanna Spangler highlighted host Vassar College's third place finish at the Liberty League Track and Field Championship by setting a new record in the 5,000m on Saturday.

Rensselaer defended its title with 239 points, followed by St. Lawrence University (169 points), Vassar (90 points), and Union (66 points).

In an impressive all-around effort by the women's teams on a chilly and periodically rainy Saturday, the athletes set four Liberty League records, with two NCAA Provisional and one Automatic mark achieved. In a dominant performance in the 5,000m, which she won by nearly 18 seconds, Spangler set a new league mark with a time of 17:41.57, breaking the 2001 record of 17:54.52 by Kate Nelson of Hamilton.

“Johanna showed great patience in her win in the 5k and did an excellent job pacing, getting faster every lap,” said head coach James McCowan.

Two Vassar freshmen also earned the title of Liberty League Champion as Kelly Holmes won the 800m with a time of 2:22.06 and Laura Van Eerde won the javelin with a throw of 31.41m.

“Kelly had a great race, especially for a freshman, with a season best and well run race” said McCowan. “For Laura to win the javelin as a freshman is extremely promising, and she just continues to improve.”

Van Eerde also placed fifth in the discus with a throw of 25.97m.

The Brewers had an impressive all-around day, with a number of top-five finishes. Spangler turned in a second place finish in the 1,500m with a time of 4:52.23 followed by sophomore Elizabeth Forbes in fourth place with a time of4:57.16. Forbes also complemented Spangler's 5,000m win with a fourth place finish, in 18:25.57.

“Elizabeth and Johanna did an exceptional job doubling up in the 1,500m and 5,000m,” said McCowan. “They ran personal bests in the 1,500 and then came back and placed in the 5k.”

Sophomore Brittany Davis notched a second place finish in the 3,000m steeplechase with a time of 12:02.26 while freshman Emily Crnic also finished second in the 400m in 1:02.75. In an impressively versatile performance, sophomore Katy Hwang complemented Van Eerde's win in the javelin with a third place finish (29.49m), placed fourth in the 100m hurdles with a time of 16.96, and finished fifth in both the 400m hurdles (1:10.08), the triple jump, (9.34m). Freshman Tiffany Marchell recorded a fourth place finish in the 100m (13.76).

St. Lawrence's Wendy Pavlus defended her 3,000m steeplechase title, setting a new league record and recording an NCAA Provisional mark in the process. Pavlus convincingly broke her own 2008 league record of 11:01.56 with a blistering time of 10:42.88. In the field events, Alyssa Pirinelli, also of St. Lawrence, set two new league records while recording NCAA Automatic and Provisional marks. In the shot put, Pirinelli defended her title, broke her own Liberty League record, and achieved an NCAA Automatic mark with a massive throw of 14.40m, breaking her 2008 league record of 13.79m. In the hammer throw, Pirinelli recorded an NCAA Provisional mark with a throw of 52.40 and broke the 2007 record of 51.09 set by Felicia Tsai of Rensselaer.

Rensselaer's Morgan Danner accomplished the impressive feat of concluding the day as a versatile four-time 2010 Liberty League Champion, and was named the Outstanding Performer of the Championship for her efforts. Danner recorded wins in the 100m (13.46), 200m (27.71), pole vault (3.05m), and long jump (5.20m), ran on RPI's winning 4x100 relay team, and placed fourth in the triple jump.