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READING, Pa. – Lizzie Brown (Wallingford, Conn./Mark T. Sheehan) cruised to victory in the 5,000-meter run and Natalie Holland (Lancaster, Pa./Lampeter-Strasburg) tied for top honors in the pole vault as the Kutztown University women’s track & field team returned to action at Saturday’s Alvernia Winter Invitational.
 
Holland was one of two student-athletes to achieve PSAC cuts along with Mackey Donovan (Blauvelt, N.Y./Tappan Zee) (800m), while the Golden Bears accounted for 12 top five event finishes across individual events and relays.
 
Holland set a new indoor PR by clearing 3.40m (11-1.75) to match Shippensburg’s Carissa Bender for the top mark at Saturday’s meet. Teammate Marissa McNamee (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin) finished fifth in the event with a best vault of 3.20m (10-6).
 
Brown led three Golden Bears in the top five of the 5k with a winning time of 19:04.51. Sage Dunkleberger (Watsontown, Pa./Warrior Run) was the runner-up, finishing in 19:31.64, and freshman Nina Castellano (Hasbrouck Heights, N.J./Hasbrouck Heights) was fifth in 20:06.04.
 
Donovan contended for the win in the 800m before placing third in a PSAC qualifying time of 2:23.34, just 1.2 seconds off the winning pace. It was one of two top three finishes for the senior from Blauvelt, N.Y. She also teamed with Aubrey Carlson (Lebanon, N.J./North Hunterdon), Deandra Young (East Stroudsburg, Pa./Stroudsburg) and Kadia Stover (Hershey, Pa./Hershey) to take third in the 4x400m relay (4:31.20).
 
Junior sprinter Brook Smith (Lancaster, Pa./Hempfield) collected a pair of top four finishes on the day with a third-place showing in the 200m (27.18) and a fourth-place performance in the 60m (8.18).
 
Deandra Young (East Stroudsburg, Pa./Stroudsburg) took fifth in the mile (5:27.27) and Maura Lenhart (Center Valley, Pa./Southern Lehigh) was fifth in the 3000m (10:49.28) to complete the Bears’ top five contingent on the track.
 
Maria Clark (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Mechanicsburg) recorded the fourth-best throw in the shot put among 55 competitors with a top mark of 11.53m (37-10).
 
Saturday’s meet kicked off a busy stretch for the Maroon and Gold, which will compete each of the next six weekends ahead of the PSAC Indoor Championships on Feb. 28-March 1.
 
Kutztown travels to Bucknell next Saturday for the Gulden Invitational.
 


ALVERNIA WINTER INVITATIONAL

Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026 | Reading, Pa. | Flynn PLEX (200m Flat)
 
KUTZTOWN WOMEN’S RESULTS
 
60m Prelims (49 competitors)
4. Brook Smith (Lancaster, Pa./Hempfield), 8.20q
26. Aziah Wilkins (Bethlehem, Pa./Liberty), 8.89
32. Samantha Boyle (Bayville, N.J./Central Regional), 8.99
33. Grace Tedesco (Ocean View, N.J./Ocean City), 9.12
 
60m Finals (8 competitors)
4. Brook Smith (Lancaster, Pa./Hempfield), 8.18
 
200m (58 competitors)
3. Brook Smith (Lancaster, Pa./Hempfield), 27.18
32. Aziah Wilkins (Bethlehem, Pa./Liberty), 29.43
55. Addison Houck (Mount Joy, Pa./Donegal), 32.78
 
400m (33 competitors)
None
 
800m (37 competitors)
3. Mackey Donovan (Blauvelt, N.Y./Tappan Zee), 2:23.34, PSAC Qualifier
15. Olivia Solomon (Sunbury, Pa./Shikellamy), 2:33.12
19. Aubrey Carlson (Lebanon, N.J./North Hunterdon), 2:36.08
22. Faith Belote (Easton, Pa./Easton), 2:38.08
23. Maya McDonnell (East Stroudsburg, Pa./East Stroudsburg South), 2:39.04
29. Kadia Stover (Hershey, Pa./Hershey), 2:41.52
 
Mile (42 competitors)
5. Deandra Young (East Stroudsburg, Pa./Stroudsburg), 5:27.27
6. Olivia Solomon (Sunbury, Pa./Shikellamy), 5:28.16
11. Faith Belote (Easton, Pa./Easton), 5:33.89
 
3000m (31 competitors)
5. Maura Lenhart (Center Valley, Pa./Southern Lehigh), 10:49.28
17. Allie Pavone (Broomall, Pa./Marple Newtown), 11:41.22
 
5000m (15 competitors)
1. Lizzie Brown (Wallingford, Conn./Mark T. Sheehan), 19:04.51
2. Sage Dunkleberger (Watsontown, Pa./Warrior Run), 19:31.64
5. Nina Castellano (Hasbrouck Heights, N.J./Hasbrouck Heights), 20:06.04
 
60m Hurdles Prelims (35 competitors)
23. Samantha Boyle (Bayville, N.J./Central Regional), 10.56
28. Addison Houck (Mount Joy, Pa./Donegal), 10.90
 
4x200m Relay (7 teams)
None
 
4x400m Relay (7 teams)
3. Kutztown ‘A’ (A. Carlson, M. Donovan, D. Young, K. Stover), 4:31.20
 
4x800m Relay (4 teams)
None
 
High Jump (25 competitors)
8. Samantha Boyle (Bayville, N.J./Central Regional), 1.45m (4-9)
 
Pole Vault (21 competitors)
T1. Natalie Holland (Lancaster, Pa./Lampeter-Strasburg), 3.40m (11-1.75), PSAC Qualifier
5. Marissa McNamee (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin), 3.20m (10-6)
10. Evelyn Kruczek (Mountain Top, Pa./Crestwood), 2.90m (9-6.25)
11. Cassandra Tipa-Bowman (Grantville, Pa./Lower Dauphin), 2.75m (9-0.25)
 
Long Jump (21 competitors)
None
 
Triple Jump (17 competitors)
None
 
Shot Put (55 competitors)
4. Maria Clark (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Mechanicsburg), 11.53m (37-10)
11. Sofia Beard (York, Pa./Red Lion), 10.33m (33-10.75)
 
Weight Throw (45 competitors)
8. Kennedy Bulger (Manahawkin, N.J./Southern Regional), 13.19m (43-3.25)
17. Maria Clark (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Mechanicsburg), 11.72m (38-5.5)
23. Sofia Beard (York, Pa./Red Lion), 10.48m (34-4.75)