Four Titles & Steeplechase Record Set At Larry Ellis Invite

Photo by: Scott R. Galvin/Galvin Photo, LLC

Four Titles & Steeplechase Record Set At Larry Ellis Invite

Apr 22 | Women's Track & Field

Oneisha Clarke Captures 100m & 200m Titles While Lou Mialhe Resets Steeplechase Mark For A Second Time This Season

PRINCETON, N.J. – The Rutgers women's outdoor track and field team earned four first place finishes and set a new steeplechase record in their appearance at this season's Larry Ellis Invitational held at Princeton's Weaver Stadium this weekend.

Junior Oniesha Clarke led the way with two event victories along with a runner-up performance. The Waterbury, Connecticut product captured the top time in the 100m in 11.81 and reset her top time in the 200m as the first one across the finish line. Her 200m time of 24.11 bested her previous PR of 24.19 captured at the Valentine's Invitational during the indoor season. Clarke also placed second in the long jump at a distance of 5.90m.

Also collecting a first place finish on the track for the Scarlet Knights this weekend was freshman Olympia Martin in the 3000m. The Ridgewood, New Jersey native registered a new PR of 9:54.36 in her first place run, surpassing her previous best of 10:03.36 recorded at the Red Raider Invitational during the indoor season.

Rounding out the first place finishes for RU was fifth-year senior Bryanna Grant in the triple jump. Grant earned her second triple jump crown of the 2018 outdoor season and reset her outdoor season best for a fourth time with a distance of 12.56m.

In the steeplechase, redshirt freshman Lou Mialhe set a new Rutgers benchmark in the event for a second time this season. Mialhe raced to a Scarlet Knight best of 11:06.17, resetting her own RU record of 11:15.52 logged at the Florida Relays in late March.

The Scarlet Knights also had several other notable performances on the track. Redshirt freshman Ain Jones raced to new PR in the 400m with her eight place finish in a time of 56.70. She bettered her previous time of 58.00 from the Tennessee Relays two weekends ago. Freshman Kiera Nealon, meanwhile, also posted a new PR in the 5000m in 17.29.42, besting her previous top finish line time of 17:38.00 also set at Weaver Stadium at the Sam Howell Invitational in early April. Freshman Dakota Gerges also set a new personal record in the 400m hurdles logging a time of 1:01.75, surpassing her previous time of 1:03.12 at the Florida Relays, to take sixth.

The Rutgers women's outdoor track and field program returns to completion at the prestigious Penn Relays at Franklin Field helped April 26-28.

Larry Ellis Invitational Results
100m
1. Oniesha Clarke – 11.81
7. Bria Saunders – 12.14
9. Ariel Strunkey – 12.22

200m
1. Oniesha Clarke – 24.11
3. Bria Saunders – 24.40
9. Ariel Strunkey – 24.69
12. Phyllis Gordon – 24.69
23. Kayla Jackson – 25.36
28. Oksana Sokolova – 25.57
33. Imani Beauliere – 26.27

400m
8. Ain Jones – 56.70
14. Kayla Jackson – 57.40
28. Phyllis Gordon – 58.99
35. Imani Beauliere – 1:03.10

800m
58. Brianna Haspel – 2:21.82

1500m
24. Alexandra Juzwiak – 4:48.19

3000m
1. Olympia Martin – 9:54.36
5. Kaitlyn Bragen – 10:11.35
14. Allyson Black – 11:05.16

5000m
20. Kiera Nealon – 17:29.42

100m Hurdles
20. Lynnea Davis – 14.94
25. Sabrina Alexander – 15.23

400m Hurdles
6. Dakota Gerges – 1:01.75
24. Bukola Akinsola – 1:06.36

3000m Steeplechase
25. Lou Mialhe – 11:06.17

4x400m Relay
9. Rutgers (Ain Jones, Phyllis Gordon, Dakota Gerges, Kayla Jackson) – 3:54.31

High Jump
4. Rhonda Rogombe – 1.70m
12. Selena Thorne – 1.62m
16. Courteney Campbell – 1.58m

Long Jump
2. Oniesha Clarke – 5.90m
18. Oksana Sokolova – 5.26m

Triple Jump
1. Bryanna Grant – 12.56m

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