NEW ROCHELLE, NY — The Monroe Mustangs women’s indoor track & field team competed over the weekend in both the Great Dane Classic at the Ocean Breeze Track & Field Complex and Ramapo Season Opener at the Armory Track & Field Center in New York.
On Friday at the Ramapo Invite, in the 60 meter dash, the Mustangs had three runners place in the top ten. Sophomore Denesha Ransome finished second with a season best time of 7.69. Sophomore Ernestine Conteh finished seventh with a mark of 8.03. Freshmen Shaiah Vandenburgh ran a season best of 7.98 in the prelims but didn’t advance to the finals.
In other events Angel White placed second in the 500 meter dash in a time of 1:21.05, good enough for nationals. Sophomore J’renda Rivera finished fourth in the 400 meter dash in 58.41, good enough for nationals. Ernestine Conteh also finished fourth in the 200 meter dash in 26.31.
On Saturday at the Great Dane Classic, the Mustangs had another record-setting day. Freshman Zakiya Denoon finished second overall in the 60 meter dash in 7.39. Denoon also won the 200 meter race in 24.10, earning a place in the national championship and establishing a new school record. With that time she sets a new school record and qualifies for the indoor national championships. Breaisha Morton set a new school record and qualified for nationals in the 60 meter hurdles with a time of 8.93. Morton also set a new school record and qualified in the triple jump with a jump of 11.95 meters.
Monroe dominated the distance-races as well on Saturday. After being named runner of the week by the USTFCCCA last week, freshman Susan Ejore wasn’t done yet. She finished the day off with new school record and qualified for nationals in the mile run in a time of 5:00.28. The Kenyan also run the 3000 meter run with a time of 9:44.47, which is a new school record. Freshmen Nokuthula Dlamini also joined in on the fun, running a record-setting and national qualifying time in the 5000 meter run of 18:15.63. Dlamini also placed third in the 1000 meter with a clocking of 2:56.85. Tashay Roberts ran her personal best and also qualified for nationals in the 800 meter run in 2.24.88. Arianne Strunkey placed eighth overall in the 200 meters with a time of 24.96. Her sister, Ariel Strunkey, logged a season-best time of 7.90 in the 60 meter dash. Also, the women’s 4X400 relay of the Arianne Strunkey, Morton, Roberts and White clocked a season-best of 3:56.47. Finally, Ksenia safonova tossed the weight and shot put distances of 13.77 and 11.72 respectively.
The Mustangs will be back to compete next weekend at the Wesleyan College Invitational in Middletown, Connecticut on Saturday.