Complete Results | Villanova Results

PHILADELPHIA, Pa.--Senior middle distance runner Angel Piccirillo (Homer City, Pa.) won both the 800 meters and the 1500 meters on Saturday afternoon at the Penn Challenge in her first official race for Villanova since the cross country national championships last fall. Piccirillo, who had used up her indoor collegiate eligibility, was part of the Wildcats successful start to the outdoor season on a busy day at Franklin Field. Villanova had a total of 27 athletes competing in 13 different events.

Piccirillo recorded winning times of 2:09.23 in the 800 meters and 4:19.27 in the 1500 meters to lead a large group of Wildcats who competed in both events. Sophomores Ann Campbell (Mission Hills, Kan.) and Bella Burda (Pleasant Valley, N.Y.) each tallied personal best times in their races on Saturday. Campbell ran the 800 meters in 2:14.75 and the 1500 meters in 4:31.50, while Burda's new top marks were 2:16.26 in the 800 meters and 4:28.47 in the 1500 meters.

Villanova boasted the top five finishers in the 800 meters, as Piccirillo was followed by junior Nicole Armstrong (Sydenham, Ont.) in second place (2:12.73), Campbell, freshman Jacquelyn Smith (Palos Verdes Estates, Calif.) in fourth place (2:14.83) and Burda. In the 1500 meters, Burda and Campbell placed fifth and seventh, respectively, and were followed by Smith in eighth place (4:33.10) and Armstrong in ninth (4:35.50).

Senior Veronica Scott (Plymouth, N.H.) finished second in the 400 meter hurdles and sophomore Sarah Knowles (Clifton Park, N.Y.) was the runner-up in the 400 meters. Scott started the outdoor season off on a high note with a time of 1:01.62 in the hurdles, while Knowles ran the 400 meters in 58.23. Freshman Danielle Burns (Phoenix, Ariz.) came in third in the 400 meter hurdles (1:03.03) and was also fourth in the 100 meter hurdles (14.57). Junior Katie HoSang (Bedford, N.H.) tallied times of 1:04.24 and 14.86, respectively, in those events. Another junior, Yazmin Wilson-Jones (Staten Island, N.Y.) came in fourth in the 400 meters in 59.18.

The field events were highlighted by a runner-up finish for sophomore Adeline Scelzi (Glen Allen, Va.) in the pole vault. Scelzi cleared the bar at 3.60 meters, while junior Bridget Owen (Northborough, Mass.) was successful at 3.45 meters to tie for fifth place. Freshman Gloria Donou (New Brunswick, N.J.) came in fifth in the long jump with a mark of 5.10 meters, while freshman Katie Ciccarone (Freehold, N.J.) and sophomore Courtney Caldwell (Trenton, N.J.) were fourth and fifth, respectively, in the triple jump. Ciccarone measured a jump of 11.10 meters and Caldwell had a mark of 11.06 meters.

Senior Caroline Hamilton (Nottingham, Pa.) finished second in the javelin with a throw of 42.45 meters and was followed by senior Hannah Lee (Scituate, R.I.) in fifth place (36.49m). Senior Kristen Erickson (Princeton, Mass.) registered mark of 12.38 meters in the shot put, 30.35 meters in the discus and 31.10 meters in the javelin.

Two meets are on the schedule for the Wildcats next weekend, as the team will send athletes to both the Florida Relays and the Colonial Relays on March 31 and April 1.