ALFRED, NY – The Alfred University women's track & field team competed across the valley at Alfred State College for the Alfred State Alumni Track & Field Open on Friday, April 18^th
 
Natalya Ryckman (New Eagle, PA/Ringgold) opened the meet with the hammer throw. On her second to last attempt of finals, Ryckman threw an impressive 43.92m (144'-1.00") to score first place and break the 2018 Alfred University school record set by Brynn Hyde '18. Ryckman was joined in the hammer throw by Meridian Bremel (Reading, VT/Woodstock Union), Briana Dorr (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa) and Shansanique Pollack (Troy, NY/Lansingburgh), who all achieved personal best marks. Bremel placed third with a throw of 35.66m (117'-0"), followed by Dorr, who threw for 33.85m (111'-1") to register sixth. Pollack came in ninth place with a throw of 27.89m (91'-6").
 
Dorr won the shot put event. Her best throw and personal record of 10.53m (34'-6.5") surpassed the competition by almost two meters. She went on to claim another personal best in the discus throw. Her throw of 30.24 meters (99'2.5") was her best of all time and scored her second place. 
 
Bremel claimed second place in the discus throw. She marked 34.26m (112'-5") on her first attempt. Pollack placed fourth in the event with a 24.59m throw (80'-8"). 
 
Annabelle Townsend (Woodsville, NH/Woodsville) won the 400-meter hurdles. She ran a personal best time of 1:09.33 to cross the finish line in first.
 
Another first place finish for the Saxons came from Anne Spila (Mechanicsburg, PA /Trinity) in the javelin throw. Spila scored the top place with her best throw of 30.74m (100'-10"), throwing into an incredibly strong wind. Bremel joined her in the event for the first time in her career as she notched fifth with a throw of 20.27m (44'-4").
 
The Saxons swept second, third and fourth place in the 400-meter dash. Zoe Rainville (Saranac, NY/Saranac) crossed the finish line with 1:03.14 on the clock. Octavia Fred (Dunkirk, NY / Dunkirk) finished with a personal best time of 1:07.49 and Alivia Kocan (Hornell, NY/Arkport Central) came through at 1:08.35.
 
McKenzie Hall (Hornell, NY/Hornell) was third to cross the finish line in the 1500-meter run. She finished the race at a time of 5:06.46.
 
"We had an outstanding day today," Head Coach Matt Phillips '10 said. "Our Saxons showed up and competed. It was so great to see all the family, friends and alumni showing their support. That truly goes a long way for the athletes. Thank you."
 
"I'm really proud of this team overall," Volunteer Assistant Coach Connor Scriven '24 commented. "We had a lot of people try a lot of different events that they might not usually do, but it was great to see them go out there and give it their best and to see the rest of the team really support them in this too. We're at a point in the year that is really critical for us with Empire 8s coming up. I think this meet was exactly what we needed to head in the right direction."
 
The Saxons next travel to St. John Fisher University on Saturday, April 26^th, for the last regular season meet before the Empire 8 Outdoor Championships.