MIDDLETOWN, Conn. (3/26/16) – The Lasell College men's and women's track and field teams opened up the outdoor season this weekend at the Wesleyan Invitational Saturday afternoon. 

The meet began with the men at 10 a.m. with Josh Nixon (Bloomfield, Conn.) on the long jump pit where he posted a 5.53m jump, placing 16^th overall.  The track events started with sophomore Nick Garifalos (Spotswood, N.J.) running the 1500m.  There out of 33 runners he took 5^th place overall and a set a personal best along with a new school record of 4:16.20.  In the 400m, freshman Kyle Vonick (Wethersfield, Conn.) had a solid performance nabbing a 10^th place finish out of 31 total participants and a running time of 52.82.  Freshman Ben Lane (Rutland, Vt.) opened up his outdoor career with the 100 meter dash at a respectable 11.72 and would later come back to double in the 200m where he ran a strong 23.68 to cap off his outdoor debut.  Lastly the trio of Garifalos, senior Jeremy Shriber (Central Valley, N.Y.), and sophomore Troy Gonsalves (Providence, R.I) would take on the 3000 meters.  Garifalos would come back from his strong performance in the 1500m and hit another personal best and school record running a 9:28.00, besting the record by 51 seconds.  Shriber ran an outdoor personal best with a 10:01.91 outing, and Gonsalves rounded the group out at 10:47.49.

On the women's side freshman Jordan Immerman (Tarzana, Calif.) opened up her outdoor career in the long jump with a PR of 3.94 meters.  Next up was the 100 meter face, where junior Ayumi Ranucci (Auburn, Maine) ran a time of 14.06, good for 25^th overall out of 59 total.  In the 800 meter senior Melissa Cooley (Huntington Beach, Calif.) was the top performer placing 4^th overall and taking down the school record by 9 seconds, running a 2:28.56.  Alongside Cooley in the 800 was senior Jamie Russo (Watertown, Mass.) and sophomore Shannon Hart (Mashpee, Mass.).  Russo opened up with a 2:38.56 and Hart with a reputable 3:20.53.  To cap off the women's side the quartet of Lauren Lenahan (Weymouth, Mass.), Nora McCabe (Cranston, R.I.), Elizabeth Bennett (Warwick, R.I.), and Emmy Guzman took to the 200 meters. Lenhan was the top finisher for the Lasers placing 34^th and running a 29.47.  McCabe and Bennett worked together as they came in right behind each other to run 32.54, and 33.14, while Guzman rounded out the group at 34.83.

The Lasers will be back in action on Saturday, April 2, as they head to UMASS Dartmouth for the Corsair Classic.