Washington, D.C. – The St. Mary’s College of Maryland women’s outdoor track and field team won the United East Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championship on May 4-5, 2025, at Gallaudet University’s Thomas O. Berg Track. The Seahawks secured their first-ever conference title with 225 points, outperforming nine other institutions in the two-day event. Standout performances included multiple school and conference records, with Rocksann Smith earning Rookie of the Year and Field Athlete of the Year honors, and Reava Potter named Women’s Coach of the Year.
Rocksann Smith led the Seahawks with exceptional performances across multiple events. In the 100-meter dash finals, Smith finished third in 13.06, while teammate Saffiyah Gibson set a personal record of 13.77. Smith also claimed first place in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 17.43, followed by Dina Jones in third at 21.16. In the 200-meter dash finals, Smith took third in 27.27, and Avery Arizzi finished in 29.95. Smith’s dominance continued in the jumping events, setting a school record in the long jump with a 5.22-meter leap for first place and a triple jump record of 10.77 meters. She also earned second place in the high jump with a height of 1.44 meters.
The Seahawks swept the 800-meter run, with Mileah Cotton setting a United East conference record at 2:24.25 for first place. Macy Woroniecki took second with a personal best of 2:35.57, and Avery Arizzi placed third in 2:37.27. In the 1500-meter run, Cotton again led with a first-place finish in 4:59.61, followed by Woroniecki in second at 5:12.12 and Ariana Lecouras in fifth at 5:31.75, all setting personal bests. Ella Mitchell won the 5000-meter run in 19:55.12, with Lecouras and Woroniecki placing fourth and fifth, respectively. Mitchell also set a conference record in the 10,000-meter run, finishing first in 42:57.26, while Alexis Hodges took third in 54:35.66.
Avery Arizzi shone in the 400-meter event, setting a St. Mary’s school record and personal best with a first-place finish in 1:00.85. Chloe Tolson placed fourth in 1:06.13, with Dami Akinsanya and Ji-Young Hartman earning personal bests of 1:08.06 and 1:09.66, respectively. In the 400-meter hurdles, Dina Jones secured second place in 1:17.95, and Ellie Geiger set a personal best for fifth in 1:28.06. Geiger also took third in the 3000-meter steeplechase with a time of 15:30.15.
In relay events, the 4×100-meter team of Saffiyah Gibson, Dami Akinsanya, Tramarie Mobray, and Rocksann Smith set a school record with a time of 51.70. The 4×400-meter relay squad, consisting of Avery Arizzi, Dami Akinsanya, Mileah Cotton, and Chloe Tolson, finished in 4:17.31.
Field events saw strong performances, particularly from Jillian Zukley, who set school and conference records in the hammer throw with a first-place distance of 45.04 meters. Zukley also led in the discus throw with 30.59 meters and placed third in the shot put with 10.77 meters. In the javelin throw, Rocksann Smith led with a distance of 29.77 meters, followed by Tramarie Mobray at 19.54 meters, with Halimah Hajhassan and Jessica Satz setting personal bests of 19.39 meters and 16.55 meters, respectively.
The Seahawks’ depth was evident as multiple athletes achieved personal bests. In the shot put, Rocksann Smith, Safi Stimely, and Fladaina Bruno recorded personal bests of 9.76 meters, 9.69 meters, and 8.80 meters, respectively. In the discus, Halimah Hajhassan set a personal best of 17.07 meters. Safi Stimely threw 32.94 meters in the hammer throw, contributing to the team’s strong field event performance.
The team’s victory was a testament to their preparation and talent, as noted by the United East Conference awards. Rocksann Smith’s 24 points earned her Rookie of the Year, and her 35 points in field events secured the Field Athlete of the Year title. Coach Reava Potter’s leadership was recognized with the Women’s Coach of the Year award.
St. Mary’s College will next compete at the All-Atlantic Region Track & Field Conference (AARTFC) Outdoor Championships on May 14-15, 2025, in Williamstown, Massachusetts, aiming to build on their historic conference win.
