PORTSMOUTH, R.I. – In its first year competing for the Commonwealth Coast Conference crown, Suffolk women's outdoor track & field took fourth at the CCC Championships Sunday at Portsmouth High School.
Despite six personal records, some Rams felt the pressure and did not perform to their potential. Overall, the blue-and-gold combined for 94 team points with a pair of individual champions to finish in the middle of the eight-team pack. The tournament host's Roger Williams topped the field with a 147.5. Gordon (131.5) and Endicott (130) rounded out the podium in second and third, respectively.
Allison Rodrigues, who entered the day unbeaten in all four throwing events this season, opened the day with a first-place performance in the javelin. The junior registered a 37.28 toss to stand atop the podium of the 13-thrower field and make the Rams' record book as the first student-athlete to be crowned a CCC Champion.
From there she turned her sights on the shot put. The event favorite had to catch Endicott's Nicole Dangelo's 11.93 mark, which came on the third throw, but all the North Andover, Massachusetts, product could muster was 11.50 meters to be defeated for the first time this year. Rodrigues still recorded a medal finish though as she placed second out of 14.
Rodrigues went to use the upset in the shot put in the hammer and managed to mark a personal-best 38.29-meter performance on her second throw of the heat. This time though Roger Williams' Kristen Norray one-upped the Rams' captain with a 39.19-meter showing to hand Rodrigues her second runner-up finish.
Disappointed carried into the discus for Rodrigues, who fouled off her first three attempts to not score in the event.
Nicole DiBenedetto joined Rodrigues as a CCC Champion. The freshman from Manchester, Connecticut cleared a personal-best 1.47-meter mark in the high jump to capture the title.
DiBenedetto's classmate Grace Dreher stood out in the jumping events as well with a pair of third-place finishes. She started in the triple jump where her three hops combined for 9.80 meters. In the long jump she set a personal-record with a 4.68-meter leap.
Megan Qualters and Payton Dockus represented the Rams in the pole vault and placed fourth and fifth, respectively, each clearing 2.15 meters. Dockus' mark was a personal-best.
Suffolk's sprinter Amanda Walden entered the day unbeaten in her collegiate career in the 100 and 200. She looked to keep those records perfect, but Endicott's Jordan Williams had other things in mind as she handed the Rams' rookie her first setbacks.
In the 100 Walden was 0.01 second shy of a PR, however, Williams set a meet record with a 12.47 showing to put the Foxboro, Massachusetts, native in second. Dakhensey Marcellus (13.84) and Lauren Wood (13.96) placed eighth and ninth for Suffolk in the 100 as well.
In the 200, Walden clocked a career-high 27.15, but it would not be enough to beat Williams, as the Gull crossed the line in a CCC Tournament record time of 26.63.
Jocelyn Trisciak secured points in the 400. The freshman made one lap around the track in 1:02.97. The personal-best was good for fifth out of 14 runners.
Sarah Roberts logged a PR of 2:56.46 in the 800 to round out Suffolk's sprinters.
Sydney Fogg highlighted the Rams' distance runners. The freshman finished second in the 1500 and 5000. She produced a 1500 time of 5:06.91 and two hours later notched a personal-best 20:15.64 time in the 5000.
The blue-and-gold also put in a 4x400 relay team of Fogg, Qualters, Walden and Trisciak. The foursome combined for a 4:21:58, which was good for third in the field of seven.