The University of Rhode Island women’s track and field team traveled to Orlando, Florida over the weekend to open its outdoor season at the University of Central Florida’s Black and Gold Invitational.
The team sent 10 student-athletes to compete in 12 different events across Friday and Saturday.
Temperatures in Orlando reached as high as 75 degrees Fahrenheit over the course of the meet. For a Rams team that doesn’t have access to their own outdoor track in Kingston, the Black and Gold Invitational provided a much-needed chance to run outdoors this early in the season.
“It’s just a great opportunity and experience to get into the warmth,” URI Head Coach Laurie Feit-Melnick said. “[It’s a] very good meet to start the season.”
The meet was highlighted by fifth-year thrower Megan Wood’s top-10 finishes in three separate events. URI’s team captain continued to build on a strong winter season with a fourth-place finish in the discus, fifth-place finish in the shot put and eighth place in the hammer throw.
“Wood is just an outstanding leader and captain,” Feit-Melnick said. “She’s such a good kid. She leads by example and… is doing such a good job in her fifth year.”
Wood’s throw of 14.18 meters in the shot put is fourth all-time in the URI record books. That distance is also fourth in the Atlantic 10 Conference rankings. In addition, her throws of 45.87 meters in the discus and 50.79 meters in the hammer throw rank fourth and eighth in the A-10, respectively.
“I thought, overall, it was a good opener,” Wood said. “It left me wanting more, but I’m excited to see where it takes me this season.”
The graduate student from East Setauket, New York was tabbed for the A-10 All-Academic team a couple weeks prior. Her 3.94 GPA in URI’s education master’s program earned her the achievement for the first time in her athletic career. As someone who has made great strides academically, Wood said she is not taking this honor for granted.
“That was a big accomplishment for me,” Wood said. “[It] made me feel good, like I’m on the right path.”
Wood was not the only Rhode Island athlete who placed well at the meet, however. The Rams got an eighth-place finish from second-year thrower Alyssa Yankee in the discus. Her best throw went for 44.49 meters, a personal best, as well as eighth in the A-10 and 10th best all-time mark at URI.
The team received standout performances from both the 4×400-meter and 4×100-meter relay teams as well. The 4×400 team made up of second-year Abigail Colella, first-year Nya Santana, third-year Odette van Wyk and fifth-year Sydney Federico finished 10th overall with a time of 3:45.94. That time currently leads the A-10. The same group finished 13th in the 4×100 relay with a time of 46.87, less than half a second away from a top-10 finish, and is third-best in the A-10.
On Thursday, March 27, the URI women’s track and field team will send a group of athletes to the Raleigh Relays hosted by North Carolina State University. That same weekend, the Rams will also send student-athletes to Bryant University’s Black and Gold Invitational.
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