NORTHFIELD, Minn. -- Clare Franco (Fy./Brunswick, Maine) had a memorable first collegiate track competition, winning a pair of races, including the 400 meter dash in school-record time. The Knights won a total of 10 events during a dual meet against the College of St. Benedict inside the Carleton Recreation Center.
Franco started her night by placing second in the 55 meter dash with a time of 7.78, trailing the Blazers’ Tasha Harr by 0.01 second. Franco returned to the track for the next event and established a new Carleton standard with her time of 58.73 at the 400 meter distance, only 0.03 off the provisional qualifying mark. She later bested Harr at the line in the 200 meter dash, winning by a 0.03-second margin as she finished in 27.29.
“Everyone on the team put forth tremendous effort,” said head coach Donna Ricks. “I am so pleased with the overall accomplishments this evening.”
Although it’s early in the season, a number of Knights recorded new personal bests.
Rookie Simone Childs-Walker (Seattle, Wash./Lakeside) posted Carleton’s fastest indoor 5000 meters since the 2003 season as she ran an incredible race. Her time of 17:49.49 was 59 seconds faster than the second-place finisher and put her into the second slot on the Knights’ all-time Top 10 list.
Two other first-years won their first collegiate races. Taylor Ffitch (Portland, Ore./St. Mary’s Academy) reached the tape first in the 3000 meter run with a time of 10:39.42. Jill Merkle (Wayzata, Minn./Hopkins) traversed the 55m hurdle course for a time of 9.49.
Other track winners were senior Lindsey Nietmann (Kirkland, Wash.) in the 800 meters and junior Sarah Forzley (South Windsor, Conn.) in the 1000 meter run.
Kelly Lovett (So./Portland, Ore./Lincoln) placed first in the shot put with a 2-foot personal best of 36’3”.
The Knights’ 4x200 meter relay entry had a strong showing with a time of 1:56.02. The quartet included Kristine Nachbor (Fy./Plymouth, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong), Kyla Walter (So./Aspen, Colo.), Nicole Tomita (Fy./Redwood City, Calif./Woodside High School) and Merkle. Carleton also won the 4x400 meter relay.
The Knights next compete at the annual Meet of the Hearts on Valentine’s Day, Saturday, Feb. 14.