By Jim Fenton

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State University women's outdoor track & field team won seven individual events and had a school record set at the BSU Bears Invitational Friday.

Senior Lily Valcovic (East Taunton, Mass.) was first in a pair of events while seniors Serenity Sands (East Bridgewater, Mass.), Natalie Kalgren (Ayer, Mass.) and Kiara Abrantes (Somerset, Mass.), graduate student Alison McDonough (Halifax, Mass.) and freshman Bella Grover (Warren, Mass.) finished first in events.

Abrantes also broke the school record in the 200-meter race, finishing second with a time of 24.83 seconds. The previous mark of 25.03 was set a year ago by teammate Jailene Escalera (Rockland, Mass.) at the Tufts Sunshine Classic. 

The Bears hosted the meet that included Worcester State University, Wheaton College, Nichols College, Regis College and Gordon College.

Valcovic was first across the finish line in the 1,500 with a time of 5:19.36, winning by nearly 20 seconds.

She was also first in the 5,000 with a time of 20:08.42.

Abrantes won the 400 in 56.79, then broke the school record in the 200. Abrantes owns the BSU indoor marks in the 200, 400 and 500.

McDonough won the 100 hurdles in a season-best time of 14.57 seconds and placed second in the 100 with a PR time of 12.24 seconds.

Grover was the winner in the 400 hurdles in 1:08.83 and took second in the high jump (5'1.5"/1.56m).

Kalgren won the javelin with a throw of 105 feet (32.01m) and was third in the discus (89'7"/27.31m).

Sands placed first in the high jump with a career outdoor-best tying leap of five feet, 6.5 inches (1.69m).

Sands currently ranks third in all of Division III in the high jump while McDonough is 16th in the 100 hurdles and Abrantes is 18th in the 400 as well as 26th in the 200.

BSU had the top four finishers in the high jump with graduate student Juliana Patrone (Wilmington, Mass.) placing third behind Sands and Grover with a leap of four feet, 11.5 inches (1.51m) and freshman Chloe Davies (Foxborough, Mass.) taking fourth (4'9.5"/1.46m).

Freshman Madison Root (Rehoboth, Mass.) finished third in the 100 hurdles in 18.64 while freshman Jordan Kosakowski (Shirley, Mass.) was third in the 400 with a time of 1:05.22.

Freshman Grace Inacio (Taunton, Mass.) was third in the 100 in 12.41 while Escalera was fourth in 12.65. Inacio was also fourth in the 200 in 25.34.

Seniors Kate Brown (Acushnet, Mass.) and Ana Imrie (Arlington, Mass.) were third and fourth, respectively, in the 800 with times of 2:40.67 and 2:40.72.

Prior to the start of the meet, the Bears held Senior Day festivities as Abrantes, Brown, Escalera, Lisa Jaeger (Medfield, Mass.), Kalgren, Imrie, McDonough, Patrone, Sands and Valcovic were honored.

The Bears will compete in the Tufts Sunshine Classic on Saturday, April 19 at 10 a.m. before hosting the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference Championships on April 25.