New York, N.Y. – The Elon University indoor track & field team won two conference championships and sit in second place after the opening day of the 2024 CAA Indoor Track & Field Championships. The Phoenix scored 44 points and trail favorite Northeastern by just five points after Thursday's action.
 
After winning the CAA indoor championship a year ago, Elon entered this year's meet ranked fifth in the conference by the US Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association rankings. But the Phoenix won a pair of championships, placed multiple point scorers in two events, and qualified for Friday's finals in enough events to remain in contention.
 
Lauryn Carlton began the day by winning the weight throw and the distance medley relay team of Hannah Miller, Meghan Wilcox, Alison Hodgson and Leandra Lorenz capped the day with a championship.
 
TITLES AND SCHOOL RECORDS

• Senior Lauryn Carlton entered Thursday's weight throw competition seeded third in the conference but after fouling on her first attempt, she tossed a season-best 60-feet-2 (18.34m) on her second. That mark held up despite heavy threats from Hampton's Abria Smith (60-0.5 | 18.30m) and Elon teammate Kaitlin McGoogan (58-8.75 | 17.90m). Amazingly, it is the first time in her five-year career that Carlton has taken first place in any regular season or postseason weight throw competition.
• Midway through the day, senior Piper Jons broke her own school record in the 200. She ran the event in 24.13 seconds to shrink .1 second off her previous fastest time and qualify for Friday's finals, where she will look to break the record again.
• The final event of the day was the distance medley relay and Elon's quartet did not disappoint. Hannah Miller and Meghan Wilcox ran the first two legs and the Phoenix jockeyed between first and second place throughout the first half of the race. But when Wilcox handed off the baton to Alison Hodgson, she built a sizable lead. Once Leandra Lorenz took over for the final leg, it was almost automatic. Lorenz built a huge lead before a late charge from William & Mary closed the gap, but the Phoenix still won by more than three seconds. The time of 11:41.27 was the third-fastest in program history.

 
MORE SCORING PERFORMANCES

• Although Lauryn Carlton won the weight throw, teammate Kaitlin McGoogan had a strong performance as well, finishing third with a distance of 58-feet-8.75 (17.90m). That effort gave Elon six critical team points.
• In the 5,000, Elon saw three runners place among the top eight. Maggie Springer finished fourth in 16:38.96, followed by Katie Blount in fifth at 16:41.35. Hattie Reynolds added a personal best time of 16:55.66 to finish eighth. The trio scored ten points for Elon.
• Linn Hertz Saebboe posted a season-best mark in the long jump and finished sixth. She leaped 19-0.5 (5.80m) to earn three points for Elon.
• Lizzie Lopez and Hollie Thurgood combined to score five points for Elon as the duo placed sixth and seventh in the pentathlon. Lopez's 3,169 points were a personal best and rank fourth in school history. Thurgood's total of 3,164 points was just four shy of her personal best. Lopez had PRs in three of the five events in the pentathlon – 60 hurdles, long jump and 800.

 
OTHER NOTABLE PERFORMANCES

• Elon qualified four runners to the 12-woman finals in the mile. Jette Beerman, the defending CAA Champion in the event, was third in the trials. Anna Twomey was fifth, Abby Beville placed sixth and Quinn Smith was 11^th. Smith had a PR 5:00.62 to make finals and teammate Julia Bell also had a PR time of 5:01.03 but just missed finals in 13^th place.
• Prior to her performance in winning the DMR, Meghan Wilcox tied her own personal record with a time of 7.61 seconds in the 60.
• Along with breaking the school record in the 200, Piper Jons qualified for Friday's finals in the 400 with a season-best time of 55.68 seconds to place fourth.
• Stavriana Adamou qualified for finals in the 60 hurdles, setting a personal best time of 8.74 seconds. That time is No. 5 in school history. Ja'mia Johnson also had a season-best time of 9.18 seconds.
• Alexa Mark made the finals in the long jump but finished ninth overall. She had a personal best leap of 18-8.5 (5.70m), tied for fourth in program history.
• Arianna Sakoutis and Sarah Petitjean both set PRs in the 800. Sakoutis was 12^th in 2:15.09 seconds, while Petitjean finished 13^th in 2:15.35.
• Adriana Clarke set a personal best in the weight throw. She ended 15^th with a toss of 51-3.75 (15.64m).

 
UP NEXT

• Elon begins day two of competition at the CAA Indoor Track & Field Championships Friday at 10:15 am. The Phoenix are scheduled to take part in the high jump, shot put, triple jump, mile finals, 60 hurdles finals, 400 finals, 200 finals, 3000, 3200 relay and 1600 relay.

   
Elon Results
60 trial – 11. Meghan Wilcox 7.61
200 trial – 7. Piper Jons 24.13
400 trial – 4. Piper Jons 55.68, 32. Hampton Turton 1:02.69
800 trial – 12. Arianna Sakoutis 2:15.09, 13. Sarah Petitjean 2:15.35, 14. Emily Alps 2:15.82
Mile trial – 3. Jette Beermann 4:54.72, 5. Anna Twomey 4:54.28, 6. Abby Beville 5:00.23, 11. Quinn Smith 5:00.62, 13. Julia Bell 5:01.03
5000 – 4. Maggie Springer 16:38.96, 5. Katie Blount 16:41.35, 8. Hattie Reynolds 16:55.66, 11. Hannah Weber 17:25.45, 15. Kate Buerger 17:38.13
60 hurdles trial – 7. Stavriana Adamou 8.74, 16. Ja'mia Johnson 9.18
Distance Medley Relay – 1. Elon (Hannah Miller, Meghan Wilcox, Alison Hodgson, Leandra Lorenz) 11:41.27
Long jump – 6. Linn Hertz Saebboe 5.80m (19-0.5), 9. Alexa Mark 5.70m (18-8.5)
Weight throw – 1. Lauryn Carlton 18.34m (60-2), 3. Kaitlin McGoogan 17.90m (58-8.75), 15. Adriana Clarke 15.64m (51-3.75), 21. Amelia Metz 14.75m (48-4.75)
Pole vault – t13. Caden Cerminara 3.35m (10-11.75)
 
Pentathlon
Scoring – 6. Lizzie Lopez 3,169, 7. Hollie Thurgood 3,164
60 hurdles – 6. Hollie Thurgood 9.37 (834), 10. Lizzie Lopez 9.58 (792)
High jump – 4. Lizzie Lopez 1.61m (747), 8. Hollie Thurgood 1.49m (610)
Shot put – 2. Hollie Thurgood 11.53m (630), 16. Lizzie Lopez 7.14m (344)
Long jump – 7. Lizzie Lopez 5.13m (595), t9. Hollie Thurgood 5.07m (578)
800 – 5. Lizzie Lopez 2:30.12, 11. Hollie Thurgood 2:45.49