WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The Elon University women's track and field team had five of its athletes earn qualifying marks for the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Indoor Championships in the Phoenix's season-opening meet at the Winston-Salem College Kickoff on Saturday, Dec. 4 inside the JDL Fast Track Complex.
 
Elon had two of the top three finishers in the weight throw with Kaitlin McGoogan and Lauryn Carlton going second and third, respectively, in the event. McGoogan had a toss of 17.00m – the third-best mark in school history – while Carlton had a heave of 16.54m. Both athletes qualified for the ECAC Indoor Championships. Kristine Strazdite moved into the program's top-10 performance list with a new personal-best toss of 14.79m.
 
Madison George was fifth overall in the pole vault as the junior cleared the bar at 3.65m. She also qualified for the ECAC Indoor Championships. Teammate Jessica Anderson posted a cleared height of 3.05m – moving into the program's top-10 performance list.
 
Meghan Wilcox raced a time of 7.75 in the prelims of the 60-meter dash to qualify for the ECACs. Alyssa Sandy also punched her ticket to the ECAC Indoor Championships as she clocked a time of 8.89 in the prelims of the 60-meter hurdles.
 
The Phoenix had four athletes finish in the top-10 of the 400-meters led by Aliya Barrows' runner-up finish. The junior raced a time of 58.52 while Piper Jons was fourth overall with a time of 59.27. Tessa DiPierdomenico was fifth at her time of 59.31 while Riley Drometer rounded round the top-10 Elon runners with her eighth-place standing with her time of 1:00.54.
 
Wilcox was fourth overall in the 200-meter dash with her time of 25.69 while Jordan Haywood was eighth with her time of 26.17. The Phoenix's 4x400-meter relay "A" team of Barrows, DiPierdomenico, Drometer and Jons were fifth overall with a time of 3:59.76.
 
Alex Tudor was fifth in the long jump with her mark of 5.52m. Carlton was Elon's top finisher in the shot put with her heave of 13.12m.
 
Notes
• Elon returned to indoor competition for the first time in 636 days since competing at the 2020 ECAC Indoor Championships. The Phoenix did not compete during last year's indoor season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The Phoenix has six athletes who have qualified for the ECAC Indoor Championships total so far this indoor season. Maria Ahm qualified for the meet on Thursday, Dec. 2 after she set a school-record in the 5,000-meter run with a time of 16:35.02 as she competed as an individual at the Liberty Kickoff.
• Eleven members of the Phoenix made their indoor debuts with the team on Saturday.
 
On Deck
Elon will be off for the holiday break before returning to the JDL Fast Track Complex for the Mondo College Kickoff on January 15.