WEST CHESTER, Pa. – Ally Tama (Towanda, Pa./Towanda) captured the pole vault and Gabby Payne (Malvern, Pa./Great Valley) the long jump with PSAC qualifying marks, while Raechel Bonner (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin) won the 200-meter and 400-meter dash to lead the Kutztown University women's track & field team in its outdoor opener at the WCU Quad+ Invitational Saturday.
 
Tama, the conference's reigning pole vault champion, bested nine competitors by clearing 3.60m (11'9.75") to surpass the PSAC's qualifying standard. Teammate Kathleen Silverman (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) also qualified for the PSAC Championships with a best vault of 3.30m (10'10") to place fourth.
 
The outdoor season started the same way the indoor one finished for Payne –impressively. The freshman from Malvern, Pa., who took silver in the long jump at the PSAC Indoor Championships, won Saturday's event with a PSAC qualifying distance of 5.33m (17'6") as Golden Bears swept the top three spots. Fellow rookies Kacie Sienko (Langhorne, Pa./Neshaminy) (4.99m/16'4.5") and Haleigh Davis (Morgantown, Pa./Twin Valley) (4.96m/16'3.25") turned in the second- and third-best jumps, respectively.
 
Alexa Gulliver (Palmyra, Pa./Palmyra) gave KU its third win in the jumping events with a 10.26m (33'8") in the triple jump. Gulliver also finished sixth in the long jump (4.74m/15'6.75").
 
Bonner and Colleen Gilbert (Willow Street, Pa./Lampeter-Strasburg) were standouts on the track for the Maroon and Gold.
 
Bonner began her title defense in the 400m by leading teammates Ava Bendetti (Breinigsville, Pa./Parkland), Kiara Mayers (Damascus, Pa./Honesdale) and Anastasia Fratanduono (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Ryan) in a 1-2-3-4 finish. Bonner ran 1:01.46, with Bendetti at 1:03.15, Mayers at 1:04.75 and Fratanduono at 1:05.13.
 
The sophomore from Harrisburg also claimed the win in the 200m, running 26.32 to beat East Stroudsburg's Ariel Kyle by .52 seconds. Payne was third for the Golden Bears in 27.20.
 
In the 4x400m relay, which Bonner helped to a bronze medal at the 2021 PSAC Outdoor Championships, she teamed with Taniyah Lawler (Chester, Pa./Chester), Jaidah Mitchell (Pemberton, N.J./Pemberton Township) and Angela Iaccarino (Monroe, N.Y./Monroe-Woodbury) for the victory in 4:09.21. Kutztown also had the second-place team with Bendetti, Fratanduono, Kelly and Mayers registering a time of 4:18.15.
 
Gilbert, a sophomore from Willow Street, Pa., was victorious in the 1500m (5:10.95) ahead of teammate Sophia Knerr (Columbia, N.J./North Warren Regional) (5:11.54). The duo placed second and third in the 800m, with Gilbert posting a 2:30.75 and Knerr a 2:35.42. Jaelyn D'Amelio (Manahawkin, N.J./Southern Regional) established new personal bests in both the 800m and 1500m, finishing fourth in the 1500m (5:12.60) and sixth in the 800m (2:36.94).
 
Solt finished runner-up in the 100m hurdles (16.19) and Lawler did the same in the 400m hurdles (1:08.44). In the high jump, Davis turned in the second-best jump, clearing 1.50m (4'11").
 
The Golden Bears continue their outdoor season next weekend with part of the squad heading to William & Mary's Colonial Relays and others traveling to the Millersville Metrics.
 

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KUTZTOWN WOMEN'S TRACK & FIELD 
WCU QUAD+ INVITATIONAL RESULTS 
SATURDAY, MARCH 26, 2022 
 
100m (13 competitors) 
6. Sage Rowley, 13.63 
9. Markya Wallace, 13.99 
 
200m (18 competitors) 
1. Raechel Bonner, 26.32
3. Gabby Payne, 27.20 
8. Hazel Deschamps, 28.08 
14. Sage Rowley, 28.63 
15. Skylar Miller, 28.70 
16. Markya Wallace, 28.97 
 
400m (9 competitors) 
1. Raechel Bonner, 1:01.46 
2. Ava Bendetti, 1:03.15 
3. Kiara Mayers, 1:04.75 
4. Anastasia Fratanduono, 1:05.13  
6. Rachael Kelly, 1:06.85 
 
800m (18 competitors) 
2. Colleen Gilbert, 2:30.75 
3. Sophia Knerr, 2:35.42 
6. Jaelyn D'Amelio, 2:36.94, PR 
7. Mya Ostermiller, 2:37.04 
14. Olivia Bing, 2:43.12 
16. Julianna Elsesser, 2:46.89 
17. Lynne O'Connor, 2:47.69 
18. Madeline Barney, 2:52.45 
 
1500m (17 competitors) 
1. Colleen Gilbert, 5:10.95 
2. Sophia Knerr, 5:11.54  
4. Jaelyn D'Amelio, 5:12.60, PR 
7. Mya Ostermiller, 5:24.97 
8. Madeline Barney, 5:28.14 
9. Julianna Elsesser, 5:28.47, PR 
12. Olivia Bing, 5:38.51 
13. Lynne O'Connor, 5:39.63 
 
5000m (5 competitors) 
None 
 
100m Hurdles (5 competitors) 
2. Kira Solt, 16.19 
3. Hazel Deschamps, 17.33 
4. Jonna Pettus, 19.51 
 
400m Hurdles (4 competitors) 
2. Taniyah Lawler, 1:08.44 
3. Angela Iaccarino, 1:13.42 
4. Jaidah Mitchell, 1:14.36 
 
4x400m Relay (5 teams) 
1. Kutztown 'A' (Taniyah Lawler, Jaidah Mitchell, Angela Iaccarino, Raechel Bonner), 4:09.21 
2. Kutztown 'B' (Ava Bendetti, Anastasia Fratanduono, Rachael Kelly, Kiara Mayers, 4:18.15 
 
High Jump (5 competitors) 
2. Haleigh Davis, 1.50m (4'11") 
3. Kacie Sienko, 1.45m (4'9") 
 
Pole Vault (10 competitors) 
1. Ally Tama, 3.60m (11'9.75"), PSAC Qualifying 
4. Kathleen Silverman, 3.30m (10'10"), PSAC Qualifying 
6. Megan Kearns, 3.00m (9'10"), PR 
7. Andrea Danciu, 2.85m (9'4.25") 
 
Long Jump (11 competitors) 
1. Gabby Payne, 5.33m (17'6"), PSAC Qualifying 
2. Kacie Sienko, 4.99m (16'4.5") 
3. Haleigh Davis, 4.96m (16'3.25") 
6. Alexa Gulliver, 4.74m (15'6.75") 
7. Annika Wise, 4.72m (15'6") 
9. Celia DiLoretto, 4.38m (14'4.5") 
 
Triple Jump (3 competitors) 
1. Alexa Gulliver, 10.26m (33'8") 
3. Celia DiLoretto, 9.05m (29'8.25") 
 
Shot Put (12 competitors) 
7. Skylar Miller, 9.60m (31'6"), PR 
8. Jonna Pettus, 9.10m (29'10.25") 
9. Katherine Nolan, 8.77m (28'9.25") 
 
Discus (12 competitors) 
5. Katherine Nolan, 32.54m (106'9") 
 
Hammer (14 competitors) 
12. Molly Kutz, 26.89m (88'2") 
 
Javelin (5 competitors) 
None