VENEZIA SETS SLU RECORD, QUALIFIES FOR NCAA IN TRIPLE JUMP

Feb. 9: Jessica Venezia set the St. Lawrence record and came within .38 of NCAA automatic qualification with a 11.40 series in the triple jump at the New Balance Collegiate Invitational at the Armory in New York City on Saturday.

Venezia’s triple jump (37-5) was .46 meters longer than the previous record set by Alissa Bibb in 2003 and meets NCAA provisional qualification standards. It is one of the top four Division III performances in that event this season. She finished 20 th in the 44-athlete field and was one of only two Division III competitors to make the field. Kimona Smith of North Carolina A&T won the event with a 12.20 meter series.

Alyssa Pirinelli followed up a good showing in the shot with another solid outing in the weight throw, finishing 28 th with a 14.43 meter (47-4.25) toss. She was the only Division III competitor in a 44-athlete field which was led by Ohio State’s Veronica Jatsek with a 20.60 meter throw.

Wendy Pavlus finished 25 th in 5:11.64 in the mile run and was second among Division III competitors in the event which included 38 runners. She was just slightly over three seconds off the SLU record in that event.

In other Saturday events, the Saint Distance Medley Relay team finished 15 th in 12:58.09 and the 4x200 relay team was 11 th in 1:54.0. The 4x400 relay team ran in a New York only race and was fourth in 4:11.19, trailing Columbia, St. John’s and Fordham.

PIRINELLI'S SHOT PUT FINISH HIGHLIGHTS DAY ONE AT NEW BALANCE INVITATIONAL

Feb. 8: Sophomore Alyssa Pirinelli finished 23rd overall and first among Division III competitors in the shot put to highlight Saint women's track and field performances in day one of the New Balance Collegiate Invitational at the Armory in New York City.

Previous reports of a record run in the 500 by first-year Kelsey Rebehn were incorrect as Rebehn was credited with another runners' time and actually finished behind senior Lindsey Taylor in the race. Taylor was 44th in 1:20.48.

Pirinelli matched men's shot put standout Geoff Grambo with her 23rd place finish for the top Saint performances overall on Friday. She threw 13.45 meters (44-1.50) to finish in the top half of a 55-competitor field. The shot title was won by Billie Jo Grant of the University of Virginia with a throw of 16.14 meters.

Other performances for the Saint women on Frdiay included a 61st place finish in 2:23.93 by Chelsea McKenzie in the 800 metrs with Alexis Nuffer finishing 63rd in 2:24.02. Beth Muller ran 8.56 seconds in the 60 meters.