PHILADELPHIA –
Jul Thomson set the tone for Villanova early on Friday at the 126th Penn Relays from Franklin Field, launching herself up the program's record book in the discus with a fourth-place distance of 49.60 meters.
With her throw, Thomson now has the seventh-best distance in program history and is the second-best performer in the event for Villanova.
Thomson got the day started with not one but two throws that reset her personal best. Through the first flight, the graduate was the leader in the pack with a 49.60-meter throw out the gate for a new personal best. Her final throw of the day ultimately went down as her new personal best at 49.63. The Otterville, Ontario native threw over 49 meters in four of her six throws. Later in the day, Thomson posted a 13.19-meter attempt in the shot put that earned 14
th.
Both Thomson and
Trinity Hart posted personal bests that moved them within top-10 lists for the program.
In the long jump, Hart turned in an eighth-place showing with a personal best, as well, at 5.72 meters. She sat as high as fifth in the field through her initial heat, bouncing back from an opening-fault with her top jump. She posted two jumps of at least 5.5 meters in her six attempts.
With her latest top-jump, she is now tied for the 10
th-best long jump in program history.
Anna Helwigh,
McKenna Keegan,
Madison Martinez and
Maggie Smith were lined up for Villanova in the Championship of America Distance Medley Relay, finish ninth in 11:12.43. Helwigh opened the race with the 1200-leg, with a split time of 3:24.39. Keegan took the baton for the 400-meter section, moving the 'Cats up three spots into fourth with a 53.81 split before handing the race off to Martinez for the 800-meter. She posted a 2:08.87 split before Smith went 4:43.45 in the 1600-meter finale.
Jane Livingston locked in a spot in Saturday's 100 meter hurdles championships, finishing seventh in the preliminary heats. She has a 13.60 time that was third in her heat, just 16-hundredths of a second out of the first spot in the heat.
Jada Thomas landed 26
th in the overall standings with a 14.49 time that was good enough for seventh in her heat.
Saturday brings the final day of action at the event. Events include shot put championship at 12:30 p.m., javelin at 1:30 p.m., 100 meter hurdles at 2:09 p.m. and 4x800 meter relay at 2:47 p.m.
