Women's Track & Field Places Second at MASCAC Oudoor Championships

WESTFIELD, Mass. -- Jailene Escalera (Rockland, Mass.) broke her own school record in the 100-meter dash and won two events to lead the Bridgewater State University women's outdoor track & field team on Friday at the 2024 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) Championships held at Westfield State's Alumni Field.

The Bears, who won nine events on the day, placed second in the team standings with 175 points. Host Westfield won the MASCAC outdoor title with 201 points. Fitchburg State (94 pts.) rounded out the top three teams.

Escalera and Naomi Cass (Westport, Mass.) paced Bridgewater State with two MASCAC individual titles apiece.

Escalera won the 100-meter title with a time of 12.18 seconds as she eclipsed her previous BSU standard of 12.20 seconds set last season. She also placed first in the 200-meter dash with a time of 25.32 seconds.

Cass captured the meet crown in both the 1,500-meter run (4:49.27) and 5,000-meter run (18:04.76). Cass' time in the 1,500 was a PR.

Alison McDonough (Halifax, Mass.), Serenity Sands (East Bridgewater, Mass.), Kiara Abrantes (Somerset, Mass.), Natalie Kalgren (Ayer, Mass.), Charlie Katz (West Yarmouth, Mass.) also earned MASCAC individual championships for the Bears.

McDonough garnered the conference crown in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 14.68 seconds while Abrantes outsprinted the field in the 400-meter dash as she posted a time of 57.50 seconds.

Sands and teammate Juliana Patrone (Wilmington, Mass.) both jumped five feet, 3.75 inches (1.62m) in the high jump with Sands winning by virtue of fewest attempts. Patrone recorded a PR in the event.

Kalgren connected for a PR to win the javelin with a toss of 109 feet, four inches (33.33m). Katz earned top honors in the hammer throw with a distance of 125 feet, four inches (38.22m).

McDonough was the Bears' top individual scorer at the meet with 26 points as she added a pair of second-place performances in the long jump (17'7.5"/5.37m) and 100-meter dash (12.55). Cass finished with 20 points and was part of the Bears' 4x400-meter relay (4:27.78) which placed second.

Next weekend, qualifying members of the BSU women's outdoor track & field team will compete at the Division III New England Championships hosted by Mount Holyoke College.