BRIDGEWATER, Mass. --- Senior sprinter
Rachael Smith (Somerset, MA) broke one of the
oldest records in Bridgewater State College Outdoor Track history
and qualified provisionally for the NCAA’s in the 400 meter
hurdles (1:03.86) at the Division III New England Regional's this
past weekend.
The meet hosted by Coast Guard was won by Williams who scored 111
points while the Bears tallied eight points to finish 20th.
With a second place finish Smith earned All-New England Division
III honors and she will await word whether she qualified for the
2008 NCAA Division III Women's Outdoor meet in three weeks. Smith
passed Lee Gifford’s mark of 1:04.7 which
was set in 1979. Along with Debbie Mueller’s
time in the 1500, the 29-year old standard in the 400 meter hurdles
was one of the oldest records in BSC Outdoor track board yet to be
passed.
In relay action, Smith and freshmen classmates Amanda
Hauswirth (Methuen, MA), Carissa Penney
(Gardner, MA) and Jessica Eidinger (Sutton, MA)
combined for an 11th place finish in the 4 x 800 meter relay with a
time of 9:58.50. The time was only 14 seconds away from breaking
the BSC Outdoor record set in 1983.
This weekend Smith and distance runner Nicole
Mauro (Mashpee, MA) will try to qualify for the
NCAA’s at the NEICAAA meet this weekend in the 400 meter
hurdles and the 5,000, respectively. The first gun will fire at
noon on Thursday, for the three-day event hosted by the University
of New Hampshire.
Release written by Steven M Miller, Jr --- Sports Information Correspondent