SOUTH HADLEY, Mass.  -  After one day of competition at the 2025 NEWMAC Women's Track & Field Championships, Coast Guard sits in third place with 18.5 points. Ahead of the Bears are #3 MIT (92) and Springfield College (26.5).

Junior multi-specialist Tara Jessen (Signal Mountain, Tenn.) exited day one as the top point-getter in the heptathlon, accruing 2,293 points. Jessen had the top times in the 100-meter hurdles (16.41) and 200-meter dash (27.85), the latter being a personal best, and won the high jump by clearing 1.47 meters (4' 10"); she also placed sixth in the shot put at 7.96 meters (26' 1"). Jessen will look to finish the job tomorrow while competing in the long jump, javelin, and 800-meter run.

In pole vault, Coast Guard's lone competitor in junior Mollie Brinker (Wilmington, N.C.) tied for eighth place by clearing 3.10 meters (10' 2"). Jacey Tippman (Venice, Fla.) was the Bears top performer in the throws as the senior was seventh in the hammer throw at 38.92 meters (127' 8") and sixth in javelin at 33.37 meters (109' 5"). Third-year teammate Mercedes Bowman (Cincinnati, Ohio) was 14th in hammer at 31.69 meters (103' 11") while senior Maureen Hammond (Downington, Pa.) was ninth in javelin at 31.75 meters (104' 2").

The Bears' biggest performance of the day came from junior jumper Kaylee Wright (Plainwell, Mich.), whose best long jump of 5.44 meters (17' 10.25") earned her the runner-up spot on the podium. Wright's efforts also secured a NEWMAC All-Conference nod, which is given to each events' top two placers.

Another big performance on the day came from junior sprinter Alaina Stonebraker (Sandy, Utah), who won the first heat of the 100-meter dash preliminary with a lifetime best time of 12.22. Stonebraker's time ended up being the second-fastest of the day, which mean's she'll compete in the event's finals tomorrow.

The day ended with the 10,000-meter run, which saw freshman Brooke Hunter (Phillipsburg, N.J.) as the Bears' top finisher in fifth after completing the race in 39:31.92, cracking the program's all-time list at #10. Sophomore teammate Lucy Smith (North Stonington, Conn.) was eighth at 41:21.68, and junior Alexa Allen (Monmouth, Maine) wasn't far behind in tenth at 42:21.79. Sierra Wangen (University Place, Wash.) rounded out Coast Guard's entrants, with the freshman running 43:27.10 for fourteenth.

The 2025 NEWMAC Women's Track & Field Championships continues tomorrow at 10:30 AM.