Utica, N.Y. – Redshirt junior Mallory DiFelice (Webster, N.Y./Webster Schroeder) scored in three events to lead the Le Moyne College women's indoor track and field team to a ninth-place finish at Utica College's Winter Opener on Saturday at the Hutton Sports & Recreation Center. The men's 4x200-meter relay squad led the men's team to an eighth-place finish.
 
"I'm very excited with what I saw today," said head coach Robin Wheeless. "Even though we are still early in our training, we had several people achieving personal records. Mallory DiFelice set a school record in the 60-meter dash, Julianna Szczech set a school record in the pole vault and our men's team set a school record in the 4x200."

"Next week we will get to see some conference competition at Southern Connecticut," added Wheeless. "It will be good to see where we can score some points at our conference championship."

After registering the then second-fastest time in the program's history in the prelims at 8.21 seconds, DiFelice registered a time of 8.14 seconds in the finals of the 60-meter dash to place third and set the new program record. She broke the previous mark of 8.19 seconds set by Bethia Nivens '19 on January 29, 2016 at the Brockport Golden Eagle Multi & Invitational. DiFelice added four points by placing fifth in the 200-meter dash with a time of 27.86 seconds, the fastest time by a Dolphin in five years.

Junior Julianna Szczech (Camillus, N.Y./Marcellus) cleared the bar in the pole vault at 9-feet, 6.25-inches to place fourth and break her own program record by eight inches, which she set at the NE10 Championships on February 20, 2020.

Redshirt freshman Madison Kozyra (Marcy, N.Y./Whitesboro) placed fourth in the shot put with a distance of 37-feet, one-inch.

Junior Shaina Smith (Clifton Park, N.Y./Shenendehowa) placed fourth in the 60-meter hurdles in 10.18 seconds to earn five points.

Redshirt freshman Grace Kitterman (Farmington, N.Y./Victor) finished seventh in the 60-meter hurdles in 11.07 seconds for two points.

Junior Catherine Durant (Arverne, N.Y./Metropolitan Expeditionary Learning School) placed eighth in the 500-meter dash in 1:37.13 to earn one point.

Junior Cleo Baker (Painted Post, N.Y./Corning-Painted Post) collected one point in the 800-meter run by placing eighth in 2:34.19.

Freshman Hailey Beckwith (Stephentown, N.Y./Berlin) recorded a time of 13:21.45 in the 3000-meter run to place 10th.

The quartet of Smith, freshmen Brianna Simon (Douglasville, Ga./New Manchester) and Natalie Lavello (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Arlington) and DiFelice placed second in the 4x200-meter relay with a time of 1:54.89.

The team of senior Samantha Pellegrini (Loudonville, N.Y./Colonie), Durant, freshman Delaney Manahan (Marcellus, N.Y./Marcellus) and Baker placed seventh in the 4x400-meter relay in 4:37.13.

On the men's side, the quartet of juniors Nicholas Hafner (Hamburg, N.Y./Hamburg) and Nolan Hillhouse (Beacon, N.Y./Beacon), freshman Brandon Scott (Camillus, N.Y./West Genesee) and freshman Dominic Abbott (Fulton, N.Y./G. Ray Bodley) set the program record in the 4x200-meter with a time of 1:36.10. They broke the previous record of 1:37.7 set at Hamilton on January 21, 2017.

Senior Kenny Barrett (Lagrangeville, N.Y./Lady of Lourdes) won the 800-meter run by almost one second with a time of 2:00.27.

Junior Christian Carlin-Saracene (North Syracuse, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse) placed third in the 800-meter run in 2:01.82.

Abbott placed eighth in the 200-meter dash in 23.69 seconds to earn two points.

Hafner registered a distance of 20-feet, 2.5-inches to place eighth in the long jump.

Senior Paul Stannard (Camillus, N.Y./West Genesee) finished 10th in the 500-meter dash in 1:14.73.

The quartet of freshman Evan Breitbeck (Cicero, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse), Carlin-Saracene, senior Kyle VanCoughnett (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Arlington) and Barrett placed fourth in the 4x400-meter relay in 3:39.61.

The Dolphins return to action on Saturday at Southern Connecticut State University.