ROCHESTER, NY – Sophomore Kennedy Benjamins won the Pole Vault and freshman Ava Wierda won the Shot Put to lead the Roberts Wesleyan University Women's Track and Field team to a second-place finish Thursday at the East Coast Conference (ECC) Championship meet at Roberts Stadium.

Roberts was second to the University of the District of Columbia by a narrow 12-point margin as the Firebirds won the team title with 165 points while the Redhawks finished at 153. Daemen University (98 points) was third followed by Molloy University (84), D'Youville University (52), the College of Staten Island (41), Queens College (32) and St. Thomas Aquinas (26).

Benjamins led a clean sweep of the Pole Vault with her personal best height of 4.11 meters (13' 5 ¾"). She was followed by sophomore Karis Kraf, junior Melia Couchman, freshman Natalie Murray, sophomore Molly Winger, sophomore Sarah Ouelette and junior Cora Seaburg.

Wierda was first in the Shot Put with a winning throw of 10.85 meters (35' 7 ¼") and was second in the Discus and fourth in the Hammer Throw.

The 4x400 relay with freshman Abigail Bowen, freshman Emma Lipa, freshman Solki Martin-Lacayo and freshman Michaela Goettel raced to a first-place time of 4:05.70 and the 4x800 relay with sophomore Mia Lucyshyn, freshman Rose Wilson, freshman Lydia Demarest and sophomore Paige Reeser clocked a winning time of 10:00.35.

Reeser was second in the 1500 with her time of 4:46.69 with Demarest, Lucyshyn and Wilson finishing third, fourth and fifth.

Sophomore Evelyn Schmit was second in the 5K and senior Rachel Horner-Richardson was second in the 10K. Senior Lydia Roselund was fourth, sophomore Zoe Maupin was fifth and sophomore Amelia Mickelson was sixth in the 5K behind Schmit.

Senior Gianna Tribotte was third in the 3K Steeple Chase with her time of 12:09.91 while junior Jessica Montemorano was fifth and freshman Olivia Fesmire was sixth in the race.  

Murray was third in the High Jump, sophomore Madelyn Rutledge was third in the Triple Jump and fourth in the Long Jump while Goettel was fourth in the 800 for Roberts.