UB Track and Field Opens Outdoor Season at Charlotte 49er Classic; Richards Tosses NCAA Provisional Mark in Discus
Purple Knights rattle off several school records and PRs to start the outdoor campaign.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Opening the 2026 outdoor season, the University of Bridgeport's men's and women's track and field teams competed at the Charlotte 49er Classic from March 19-21 in Charlotte, N.C.
Thursday Highlights
Graduate student Emma Pastorelli kicked off the heptathlon for the Purple Knights on the opening day of competition, placing 15th overall with a total of 3446 points.
The Italy native turned in her top performance in the javelin, finishing ninth with a throw of 26.74 meters, and also posted a time of 16.52 in the 100-meter hurdles.
Friday Highlights
Graduate student Fiona Richards delivered one of the top performances of the weekend for the Purple Knights, recording an NCAA provisional mark in the discus. She placed third overall—finishing behind a pair of Division I competitors—while setting a new school record with a toss of 46.65.
Richards also added a 15th-place finish in the hammer throw at 44.97m.
Edoardo Vandelli supplied another standout effort, turning in a personal-best and school-record time of 4:02.17 in the 1500m to place 41st.
Darreyle Simpson led the way in the jumps, finishing 11th in the high jump with a clearance of 1.80m, while also placing 39th in the 110-hurdles (19.90).
Alex Sanchez impressed in his outdoor debut, placing 19th in the javelin with a personal-record throw of 44.25m—an improvement of four meters.
In the throws, Jeremy Choi placed 22nd in the hammer (40.46m), followed by Connor Isreal in 37th (28.45m). On the track, Damian Coles paced the men in the 400m with a 67th-place time of 53.25, while Tayshaun Bookal (11.71) and Jackson Sanders (12.10) competed in the 100m.
On the women's side, Abety Kivagheni placed 37th in the long jump (4.72m) and 65th in the 100m (13.78). Suweba Jawula (1:07.24) and Lynzie Lawton (1:10.78) finished 69th and 74th, respectively, in the 400m, while Marcela Bañuelos posted a time of 5:30.76 in the 1500m.
Rounding out the distance events, Julia Fortune placed 36th in the 5000m (20:52.96), and Stephanie Lickteig delivered a strong performance in her first-ever 10,000 meters, finishing 17th with a school-record time of 44:14.92.
Saturday Highlights
On the final day of competition, the Purple Knights continued to gain valuable experience across multiple events. Lucas Reinhardt led the way in the throws, placing 37th in the shot put with a toss of 11.48m.
Monsio Davies paced UB in the field events, finishing 26th in the triple jump with a mark of 10.12m, while also placing 40th in the shot put (8.74m).
On the track, Bañuelos added to her weekend with a 70th-place finish in the 800m, crossing in 2:44.51.
Lawton competed in the 200m and placed 96th with a time of 30.02.
On the men's side in the 200m, Bookal (24.49) and Sanders (24.85) followed each other closely in 105th and 109th, respectively.
UP NEXT
The Purple Knights will compete at the AIC Invitational next Saturday in Springfield, Mass.