Opening Weekend Highlighted by First-Year Avery Dowkus Sweeping Throwing Events

Friday, December 1

Bethlehem, Pa.

Lehigh University

Mountain Hawk Opener

Opening Weekend Highlighted by First-Year Avery Dowkus Sweeping Throwing Events

12/2/2023 7:54:00 PM | Track and Field, Women's Track and Field

BETHLEHEM, Pa. - First-year Avery Dowkus was one of many first-years making their collegiate debuts as the Lehigh track and field program opened its indoor season with the Mountain Hawk Opener this weekend. Dowkus won both the weight throw and shot put in her first appearance as a Mountain Hawk.

"For the first-years, I just get excited to see how they perform under pressure at a new level where no one knows them and they don't know anyone and the competition expectations change," said head coach Khayla Atte. "I think they did relatively well."

The Mountain Hawks won 10 events with four student-athletes earning PRs after an offseason full of training.

"We did a pretty good job of shaking the rust off, " said Atte. "We are getting back into the groove of competing and learning the importance of intentionality at practice in order for the performance to match.

"My main takeaway today is what I did tell the team in our meeting on Thursday, is that I want you to do your best in putting yourself in the position to compete. I don't want to hear about the numbers, distance, time - you need to learn how to compete because that's how you learn how to win. Winning is a habit and it only happens by knowing how to compete in many different circumstances and making the adjustments and I think they did very well with that."

THROWS
Dowkus picked up her first collegiate win on Friday in the weight throw with a distance of 14.08m. Jennifer Whipple earned third with a distance of 13.10m, while Karina Roze's 12.64 earned her seventh.

On day two, Dowkus went on to win the shot put with a throw of 12.41m. Whipple placed fifth with 10.31m and Brooke Acoveno earned 13th with 9.01m.

POLE VAULT
Sophomore Laura Reigle picked up where she left off last season, winning pole vault with a height of 3.85m. Reigle was followed by Randi Conroy (3.35m), Lena Perlmutter (3.05m), Sarah Goode (2.90m) and Rory Stein (2.90m).

JUMPS
Senior Nina Cialone won the triple jump with a distance of 11.0m, while junior Lauren Roy took second and earned a PR with a 10.73m jump.

Junior Keisha Modi took second in the long jump with a distance of 5.32m. Sophomore Grace Nation finished fifth with a PR of 5.24m.

In high jump, sophomore Melanie LaCorte earned a PR of 1.62m as she tied with Kerry Perna for first place. Gaea DePass earned third with 1.57m while Emma Sanford landed in fifth with 1.52m

SPRINTS/HURDLES
In the 60m, sophomore Gianna Mangili won with 7.88. Junior Stephanie Webb followed in second with 7.96, Lillian Mauger placed fourth with 8.08 while first-year Kasey White debuted in fifth with 8.11.

After placing second in the 60m, Webb won the 200 with 26.44. Mangili earned third with 27.02 and senior Jordyn Hock claimed fifth with 27.28. Another first-year debuting in their collegiate career, Iciar Gorospe placed 12th with 29.17.

Sanford continued producing across events, finishing second in the 60m hurdles with 9.33.

Sophomore Grace Kennedy claimed first place in the 400 with 58.81.

MID-DISTANCE
The Mountain Hawks swept the 800, led by junior Riley Morrell with a PR of 2:21.65. Following Morrell from second to fifth place, respectively, included senior Ashley Struck (2:23.35), first-year Carly Griffin (2:25.26), first-year Mila Jovanovic (2:27.39) and sophomore Sydney Kusner (2:27.86).

Lehigh claimed the top two slots in the 4x400, with the B squad consisting of Kennedy, Kusner, Griffin and Morrell earning first with 4:11.44. Just behind in second was Lehigh's A squad of Hock, Jovanovic, Roy and Klebe.

The Mountain Hawks round out the calendar year with Fast Times Before Finals, Dec. 9 and 10 at Rauch Fieldhouse.