STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.—Sophomore sprinter Jada Thomas (Kingston, Jamaica) and junior Sarah Jones (Sewell, N.J.) each broke 8.50 in the 60 meter hurdles for the first time in their careers during the Villanova Invitational on Saturday evening.  Their performances were part of a successful day for the Wildcats, who hosted their lone home meet of the season at the Ocean Breeze Track & Field Athletic Complex. 
 
Thomas and Jones posted the two fastest times in both the preliminary heats and the final of the 60 meter hurdles.  There were 23 competitors in the opening round of the event and Thomas paced the field with a time of 8.51 which would be her PR ever so briefly.  Her previous top time had been 8.61 at last year's ECAC Championship while competing for Liberty as a collegiate freshman.  Jones was second overall in the heats with a time of 8.58 which tied her previous personal best. 
 
Both athletes lowered their times in the final, with Thomas recording a winning time of 8.41 and Jones following in 8.45.  Thomas takes over the BIG EAST lead in the hurdles this season and also surges into sixth place on the all-time Villanova performance list.  Jones, who already owned a spot among the Wildcats all-time top-10, moved up a spot to eighth on the list and is second in the BIG EAST behind Thomas for the season.  There have now been 10 athletes in school history to break 8.50 in the 60 meter hurdles.
 
Senior sprinter Amari Onque-Shabazz (Plainfield, N.J.) was in strong form on Saturday in the 200 meters and the 400 meters.  She came in sixth in the 200 meters in 25.41 after earlier finishing fourth overall in the 400 meters.  Her time of 55.17 in the 400 meters was just two-hundredths of a second off a personal best for an open race.  Freshman Alexis Martin (Gaithersburg, Md.) and senior Adrianna Letros (North York, Ont.) posted times of 59.29 and 59.50, respectively, in the 400 meters.
 
Also competing in the sprints at the team's home meet were freshman Faith Robinson (St. Louis Park, Minn.) and junior Jennifer Barbour (Middletown, Conn.) who each advanced to the final of the 60 meter dash.  Robinson posted times of 7.97 in the preliminary heats and 7.99 in the final, while Barbour was clocked in a personal best time of 8.02 in the heats before running 8.07 in the final.  Barbour also established a new personal best in the long jump during the day with a mark of 5.23 meters.
 
Freshman Anna Helwigh (Soborg, Denmark) was the lone member of the Villanova distance group in action on Saturday.  She came in fourth in the 1000 meters in 2:50.87. 
 
In the field events, junior Amanda McNelis (Commack, N.Y.) scored a win in the pole vault with a season-best height of 3.75 meters.  Robinson and Barbour each recorded marks of 5.23 meters in the long jump, while senior Gloria Donou (East Brunswick, N.J.) jumped 5.18 meters and sophomore Trinity Hart (Scotch Plains, N.J.) recorded a mark of 4.78 meters.  Donou also came in fifth in the triple jump with a distance of 11.32 meters and senior Katie Ciccarone (Freehold, N.J.) was ninth with a mark of 10.74 meters.
 
Sophomore thrower Emily Galvin (Pitman, N.J.) posted a mark of 12.34 meters in the weight throw.
 
Villanova is next in action when it competes in the Sykes & Sabock Challenge next Friday at Penn State.