VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — The St. Mary’s College of Maryland women’s outdoor track and field team launched its 2025 season at the Virginia Wesleyan Spring Break Invite on March 22-23, competing against Division II and III teams at the Betty S. Rogers Track & Field Center. The Seahawks delivered a strong debut, highlighted by Rocksann Smith’s school-record javelin throw and first-place finish, alongside multiple personal bests and top-10 placements across events.
Smith stole the show in the javelin throw, hurling 35.98 meters to claim first place and shatter the previous St. Mary’s record by over 15 meters. Her mark met the AARTFC qualifying standard, signaling a standout season ahead. She also secured fourth in the high jump at 1.48 meters, a personal outdoor best, and ran a personal-best 2:57.44 in the 800-meter run. In the shot put, Jillian Zukley led with a second-place throw of 11.45 meters on her fifth attempt, pacing three Seahawks in the finals.
The 100-meter prelims saw Chay’La Rivers qualify for the finals with a 13.25-second run, later finishing seventh at 13.21. Kayla Thomas debuted with a personal-record 17.72. Rivers also took fifth in the 100-meter hurdles (17.73), followed by Smith’s personal-best 20.38 for seventh and Dina Jones at 22.05 for ninth. Five Seahawks ran the 200-meter dash, led by Dami Akinsanya’s personal-best 29.69, with Chloe Tolson (29.86), Mileah Cotton (30.30), Grace Hountangni (34.25), and Thomas (38.59) rounding out the field.
In the 400-meter event, Cotton earned sixth place with a personal-best 1:07.17, followed by Tolson in eighth at 1:07.35 and Hountangni’s personal-record 1:19.06. Jones placed sixth in the 400-meter hurdles at 1:27.04. The 800-meter run featured Avery Arizzi’s sixth-place finish at 2:36.93, with Smith close behind. Macy Woroniecki led the 1500-meter run with a sixth-place debut of 5:18.81, followed by Ella Mitchell’s personal-best 5:25.22 in eighth and Alexis Hodges at 6:36.89.
Ellie Geiger grabbed second in the 3000-meter steeplechase with a personal-best 15:09.92, while Madison Kingsley took fourth in the 5000-meter run at 22:23.08. In the discus throw, Safi Stimely set a personal best of 34.08 meters (111’9”), with Zukley (21.83m), Fladaina Bruno (21.10m), and Jessica Satz (16.89m) following. The hammer throw saw Zukley lead at 36.36 meters, Bruno set a personal record at 33.43 meters, and Stimely finish at 27.04 meters. Shot put finals included Bruno’s personal-best 8.64 meters and Satz’s 7.59 meters.
The meet pitted St. Mary’s against a competitive field, including host Virginia Wesleyan, ranked No. 22 in the South/Southeast Region by the USTFCCCA. The Seahawks’ 2024 indoor season ended with a sixth-place finish at the United East Conference Championships, per smcmathletics.com, setting the stage for this outdoor opener. Smith’s javelin record builds on past successes, like Chay’La Rivers’ 2023 marks in the 200-meter dash and triple jump, noted by the Southern Maryland Chronicle.
Coach Erin Howansky’s squad showed depth, with 11 athletes posting personal bests. The team next hosts the Seahawk Invitational on March 29 in St. Mary’s City, aiming to build on this momentum against regional foes.
