By Jim Fenton
MEDFORD, Mass. -- Kiara Abrantes (Somerset, Mass.) led the way for the Bridgewater State University women's track & field team at the Tufts Branwen Smith-King Invitational Saturday.
The senior set a school record and won a pair of events to help the Bears finish third in the seven-team field at the Gantcher Center.
The Bears had 87 points, placing them behind host Tufts (259) and Springfield College (140.5).
Abrantes broke the BSU indoor mark in the 200-meter dash as she won the event with a time of 25.25 seconds. The junior sprinter eclipsed teammate Jailene Escalera's (Gr., Rockland, Mass.) previous standard of 25.29 seconds set last year.
Abrantes also finished first in the 60-meter dash with a time of 7.82 seconds.
Abrantes has already been the MASCAC indoor track athlete of the week twice this season and has broken school records in the 400 and 500.
There were two other winners for BSU, graduate student Alison McDonough (Halifax, Mass.) in her season debut and senior Serenity Sands (East Bridgewater, Mass.).
McDonough won the 60-meter hurdles in 8.84 seconds in her first competition since the NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships last May.
Sands finished first in the high jump with a jump of five feet, 5.25 inches (1.66m).
In her season debut last weekend, Sands was third in the high jump at the Suffolk Relays and was the MASCAC athlete of the week.
Escalera finished second to Abrantes in both the 60 (7.90) and 200 (25.99).
Junior Naomi Cass (Westport, Mass.) finished second in the mile with a time of 5:18.05 and was eighth in the 1,000 in 3:11.10.
Freshman Grace Inacio (Taunton, Mass.) was fourth in the 200 in 27 seconds and fifth in the 60 in eight seconds flat.
Placing behind Sands in the high jump were BSU graduate student Juliana Patrone (Wilmington, Mass.), who was third (5'1.25"/1.56m), and freshman Bella Grover (Warren, Mass.), who was fifth (4'11.5"/1.51m).
Abrantes (60), McDonough (60H), Sands (HJ) Escalera (60) qualified for the NEICAAA Championships in their respective events.
Abrantes qualified for the Division III New England Championships in the 60, while Cass qualified for DIII New Englands in both the mile and 1,000. Also qualifying for DIII New Englands were McDonough in the 60 hurdles, Inacio in the 60 and Patrone in the high jump.
BSU will be in Boston on Saturday for the River Hawk Invitational starting at 9 a.m. and will take part in the MASCAC Championships on Feb. 16 at Wheaton College.