The Eastern Connecticut State University Warriors delivered strong performances at the U.S. Coast Guard Spring Invitational held at Nitchman Field on Saturday. The men's team captured third place with 108 points among nine competing teams, while the women finished fifth in an 11-team field with 64 points.
In the conference rivalry matchup, the women's team finished one position ahead of Little East Conference opponent UMass Dartmouth, while the men placed just behind the Corsairs.
Several Warriors posted standout performances in field events. Anaka Eaton from Coventry claimed victory in the women's shot put with a throw of 12.00 meters (39'4.5"), placing her among the top 70 performers in Division III this season.
Laci Davis of Prospect secured second place in the women's triple jump with a mark of 11.34 meters (37'7.25"), ranking her 12th nationally in Division III. Casondra Caldwell from Bridgeport jumped 5.48 meters (17'11.75") to take second in the women's long jump.
Ellis Thompson, another Coventry athlete, earned second place in the men's hammer throw with a distance of 48.98 meters (160'8").
On the track, the Warriors demonstrated equal prowess. Givanni Perry from Hartford delivered a breakthrough performance in the women's 100 meters, finishing second with a time of 12.37 seconds. Her time broke the school record of 12.43 set by Rachel Wolliston in 2004 and currently ranks 47th in Division III.
Hagen Drake of Stonington captured second place in the men's 400 meters with a time of 49.88 seconds. Zachary D'Andrea from Wallingford also finished second in the men's 800 meters, clocking 1:55.55 to rank 63rd nationally in Division III.
Noah Hauswirth from Branford secured second place in the men's 5000 meters with a time of 15:47.39.
The hurdles events proved successful for Eastern Connecticut as well. Jack Harvell of Stafford finished third in the men's 110-meter hurdles with a time of 16.03 seconds, while Izzy Northrop from Uncasville also took third in the women's 100-meter hurdles at 15.83 seconds.
In relay competition, the men's 4x400 meter team finished third with a time of 3:29.60, while the women's squad completed the event in 4:25.30.
The performance marked an improvement for the women's team over last year's invitational, where they finished seventh among twelve teams. The men's team, which finished second last year, maintained their competitive standing with the third-place finish.
The Warriors will continue their season at the Wilton Wright Invitational hosted by Southern Connecticut State University at Jess Dow Field in New Haven. Last year, both the men's and women's teams finished fifth in their respective competitions at this event.
