PIRINELLI, VENEZIA WIN TWO EACH AS SAINTS WIN SLU OPEN

Jan. 19: Sophomore Alyssa Pirinelli won both throws and first year Jessica Venezia won the long and triple jumps as the Saint women’s track and field team opened the 2008 portion of its indoor schedule with a win in the three-team St. Lawrence Open at the Newell Field House Saturday afternoon.

Pirinelli was named the Liberty League Field Performer of the Week while Venezia was named co-Rookie of the Week. Wendy Pavlus, who came within four seconds of a Saint record in the 3000 was the Liberty League Runner of the Week.

The Saints won the team title with 139 points with Oneonta second with 77 and Plattsburgh third with 60.

Pirinelli met NCAA provisional qualifying standards on her second throw of the shot put finals with a winning throw of 13.26 meters (43-6). She also won the weight throw with a 13.32 (43-8.5) performance to account for 14 points in the meet. Venezia was also a double winner and accounted for 17 points in the meet, adding a fourth in the 55 meters. She won the long jump with a 4.72 meter (15-6) leap, establishing the eventual winning jump on her first attempt of the day. She had a 10.64 meter (34-11) series to win the triple jump.

Other Saint winners in Saturday’s meet included Pavlus, who won the 3000 in 10:30.52, just .4 seconds off the SLU record; Stephanie Schonholz in the high jump at 1.45 meters, and Emily Bean in the pole vault with a 2.60 meter jump.

The Saint 4x800 relay team of Alexis Nuffer, Katrina Loignon, Hillary St. John and Michelle Laframboise won in 10:29.11, the 4x400 relay team of Meghan Moore, Krystin Harper, Allison Gulka and Kelsey Rebehn ran unopposed and the 4x200 relay team of Lindsey Taylor, Whitney Koch, Venezia and Beth Muller was second in 1.55.22, just .02 behind Oneonta.

Other top performances for the Saints included a second in 63.26 by Alexis Nuffer in the 400 with Koch third in 63.44. Taylor was second in 1:22.18 and Rebehn was fourth in the 500 and St. John finished second in 5:51.77 in the mile. Meaghan White was second in 9.63 and Maia Moyer was third in the 55 hurdles; Stacy Lowell was second in the pole vault, Koch was second, White third and Jennifer Leach fourth in the long jump; Holly Irion was third and Lauren Chrapowitzky fifth in the weight and Loignon finished second in 3:16.75 in the 1000. Laframboise was third, Moyer fourth and Koch fifth in the triple jump and Lisa Baron finished third in the shot put.

The Saints will return to action at the Newell Field House on Saturday, Jan. 26 when they host the eight-team St. Lawrence Invitational beginning at 11 a.m.