2008 Season Recap

• 2008 Schedule and Results
• 2008 Roster

Under the direction of 22nd year head coach Tina Lee, the Mount Holyoke College outdoor track and field team competed in seven events in 2008. Pacing the squad were seniors Grace Zeigler, Halaina Demba and Meghan Lynch. The season was highlighted by the debut of the College’s recently constructed outdoor track and field complex.

On Saturday, April 5, Mount Holyoke hosted an outdoor track and field meet for the first time in ten years. Joining the Lyons in the Mount Holyoke Invitational were the University of Southern Maine, Smith College and Wellesley College. It was the first meet on Mount Holyoke's campus since the NEW 8 Championships on April 26, 1997. A total of six Lyons picked up first place finishes at the non-scoring event. Senior Joan Meiners took top honors in the 3,000-meter steeplechase (12:50.08), while classmate Caroline Gillaspie finished first in the high jump (4'11").

Mount Holyoke kicked off its 2008 campaign at Westfield State College’s Jerry Gravel Classic. Zeigler grabbed first place in both the 100-meter dash (13.62) and the long jump (4.65 meters) to help the Lyons to a third place team finish. Following its home invitational, Mount Holyoke traveled to Wesleyan University to compete in the non-scoring Swanson Invitational. For the second time of the season, Zeigler produced a victory in the 100-meter dash (13.55). One week later, the Lyons recorded a sixth place finish at Bowdoin College’s Aloha Relays.

Smith College served as the host for the 2008 NEWMAC Championships. Gillaspie’s fifth place result in the triple jump (9.92 meters) was Mount Holyoke's high finish of the day. Out of the eight competing teams, the Lyons finished sixth.

Eight Mount Holyoke individuals and one of its relay teams qualified for the NCAA Division III New England Regional Championships, which were hosted by the Coast Guard Academy. Of the 28 teams earning points at the event, the Lyons finished in 22nd place with seven points. Zeigler highlighted the weekend, posting a third place showing in the long jump (5.18 meters). She earned All-New England honors as a result of her finish. Zeigler also competed in the 100-meter dash and the 4x100-meter relay. Lynch added an eighth place result in the 10,000-meter run (38:41.99), and Meiners broke her previous school record in the 3,000-meter steeplechase (12:41.05) by eight seconds.

Demba (1,500-meter run), Zeigler (long jump) and Lynch (10,000-meter run) represented Mount Holyoke at the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Championships at Springfield College.