BU shines at Terrier Invite

Three Boston University women’s track and field competitors qualified for the Eastern College Athletic Conference Championships at the Terrier Invitational on Friday.

Senior Edwina Clark, junior Sarah Mosser and freshman Shelby Walton will all be heading to the ECAC Championships in March. Clark finished first among collegians and second overall in the long jump with a mark of 5.91 meters.

Even though she qualified for the ECACs, Clark has higher goals in mind.

‘I’m really happy to make the ECAC qualifying round,’ Clark said. ‘It’s sort of a stepping stone. I really want to make nationals, but this means that I’m on the right track.’

Clark hopes her performance will motivate others on her team in the upcoming meets.

‘I certainly hope that others on my team will follow in my footsteps over the next couple of weeks because there’s potential for others to qualify because a few girls are really close,’ Clark said. ‘And I hope to get the ball rolling.’

BU coach Robyne Johnson said she is looking forward to Clark’s senior leadership for the rest of the indoor season and the outdoor season.

‘She’s going to be a large contributor,’ Johnson said. ‘She has worked really hard throughout the summer and fall and good things are coming.’

Clark finished second to senior Tahari James, who competed independently after using up her eligibility for indoor track. She will still compete for the Terriers in the upcoming outdoor season, though.

Mosser finished second in the 1,000-meter run with a time of 2 minutes, 49.59 seconds, qualifying for her second ECAC event this season after qualifying in the 1-mile run earlier in the season.

Walton qualified for the ECACs with a sixth-place finish in the 200-meter dash (24.88 seconds). Walton placed fourth in the 55-meter dash, matching her season-best time of 7.14. Only a freshman, Walton has already distinguished herself as an elite sprinter in the America East, and her fast times are a step in the right direction.

‘It means a lot,’ Johnson said. ‘It means she’s one of the best sprinters in the conference. We expect her to do a great job the rest of the indoor and outdoor season.’

The ECAC has 89 Division-I members, including BU. America East is a much smaller conference, and the level and variety of competition can be intimidating, but Johnson said she has confidence in the Terriers and believes that the competition in both conferences is stiff.

‘I think our team can get up for any competition, and they should,’ Johnson said. ‘We have very good athletes in the America East and we want to win every time we step on the track.’

Other top finishers for the Terriers were freshman Jackie Dim, who crossed the line sixth in the 400-meter dash (57.63) and senior Becky Marshburn, who finished 19th in the 500-meter dash (1:17.53). Senior Katie Weider posted a 2:17.47 in the 800-meter run, finishing eighth.

The Terriers’ 4×400-meter relay team also posted its best time of the season. Dim, Marshburn, junior Casey Jordan and Clark crossed in seventh place with a 3:56.03.

However, Johnson expects even more from her relay squad, stating that she and her team ‘can run a lot faster, and we will.’

In the field events, sophomore Karly Neveu cleared the high jump at 1.65 meters, securing a tie for fourth, and junior Fiona Romeri tied for 11th in the pole vault, clearing 3.20 meters.

Sophomore Alex Jackson accomplished a personal best in the triple jump with a leap of 10.87 meters, and classmate Jen Fleser also achieved a personal best in the weight throw with a toss of 13.09 meters.

The women race again on Feb. 7 when Harvard hosts the Battle of Beantown in Allston. The team has steadily improved throughout the indoor season, and Clark gives credit to the coaching staff for the team’s success.

‘I think our coaches are doing a really good job for us,’ Clark said. ‘They’re really committed to our team and interested in seeing us improve. I think they’re doing a fantastic job.’