EASTON, Pa. – The Cedar Crest College track & field team began its 2024 season on Saturday at the Lafayette Open hosted by Lafayette College.

"I think today really sets us up for success later in the season when it matters most," said Head Track & Field Coach Jaryd Flank. "Half of our team was competing in ther first-ever collegiate track meet today, and had to go against multiple Division I and II teams. We really stepped up and hit a bunch of personal bests. I'm chomping at the bit to get back out there and compete next week."
 
In heat two of the 200-meter dash, first-year Gabby McDonald (Philadelphia, Pa./Imhotep Charter) placed 10th with a time of 28:02 seconds. That time broke the program record. 
 
In heat three of the 400-meter dash, first-year Krishana Brooks (Long Branch, N.J./Long Branch) placed 13th with a time of 1:16.65. Junior Abril Riley (Levittown, Pa./Harry S. Truman) followed in fourteenth place with a time of 1:19.15.
 
In heat two of the 1500-meter run, senior Olivia Kelly (Medford, N.J./Shawnee) placed 19th with a time of 7:08.02.
 
In the discus, sophomore Bella Bozen (Lockport, Ill./Lockport Township) hit a personal record of 33.56 meters and placed 14th. First-year Lexa Branson (Haymarket, Va./Heritage) placed 20th with a throw of 25.36 meters. Classmate Courtney Gibbons (Allentown, Pa./Parkland) followed in 21st place with a throw of 14.77 meters.
 
Junior Heaven Bethea (Boynton Beach, Fla./South Tech Academy) hit a personal record and placed 21st with a of 23.16 meters in the hammer throw. First-year Nikola Beasley-Crombie () placed 22nd with a throw of 20.42 meters. Gibbons followed in 23rd place with a throw of 17.69 meters.
 
Sophomore Sadie Trubilla (Coaldale, Pa./Panther Valley) placed ninth in javelin with a throw of 31.90 meters. Bozen placed 12th with a throw of 26.57 meters.
 
Sophomore Olivia Horninger (Friedens, Pa./Northern Lehigh) placed 13th in long jump with a distance of 4.24 meters. Riley followed in 14th with a distance of 4.05 meters.
 
Bozen placed 16th in shot put with a distance of 8.37 meters. Branson placed 18th with a throw of 6.77 meters. Riley followed in 19th with a distance of 6.50 meters. Bethea threw a personal record of 5.96 meters and placed 20th. First-year Ramiyah Landron (Whitehall, Pa./Commonwealth Charter Academy) followed in 21^st place with a distance of 5.82 meters.
 
Cedar Crest will next compete at the Muhlenberg College Invitational hosted by Muhlenberg College on April 5^th at 3:00 p.m.

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