The Georgetown women’s track team took first place in two events and secured spots in the top five in several others at the Nittany Lion Challenge in State College, Pa., building on a strong start to indoor track and field after the Navy Lid Lifter in December.
Director of Track and Field Julie Culley spoke positively about the results of this meet, given the short turnaround from winter break.
“When you let everybody go home over break, and especially with some of the really nasty weather that the Northeast and Midwest have had through the months of December and January, we had so many of our kids on treadmills and just piecing together their training where they could,” Culley said.
Given these circumstances, Culley said that the team performed well at Penn State.
“You almost think of it as a rust-buster,” Culley said.
Graduate student Taylor Williams won the 200-meter dash for a second consecutive meet with a time of 24.72, showing improvement from her former winning time of 24.91 and marking a new season-best for the graduate student.
In the 3000m race, sophomore Paige Hofstad earned Georgetown’s other victory in her collegiate debut in the event. Her time of 9:34.00 won her first and brought her into the top 20 in the country for the event. Senior Madeline Perez finished fifth in the 3000m with a time of 9:52.25.
Senior distance runner Piper Donaghu came in second at the Nittany Lion Challenge with a time of 2:48.57.
After notching a victory and setting a personal record at the Navy Lid Lifter, senior Jody-Ann Knight came close to repeating her success as she placed fourth in the 400m dash with a time of 57.12.
In her first appearance in the 1000m for the Hoyas, senior Piper Donaghu came in second with a time of 2:48.57.
Georgetown’s 4x800m relay team, consisting of Donaghu, seniors Josette Norris and Autumn Eastman and sophomore Kate Gobi, finished with a time of 9:12.42 to earn third in the event. Although the Hoyas did not emerge victorious in this relay, the outcome marked an improvement from the previous meet’s time.
Looking ahead to the next competition, Culley said that the team faces a major test.
“We look at Columbia Challenge as, I don’t want to say a focal point, but more of a first real test of the season,” Culley said. “That’s a 13-team competition. Some of the best teams in the country will be there.”
Culley expressed excitement regarding the
“It’s a historic venue and the energy is fantastic,” she said.
