MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- The Allegheny College women's track and field program opened its outdoor season at West Virginia University's Stan Romanoski Open at the Mylan Park Track and Field Complex on Friday and Saturday.

The Gators combined for nine top-5 performances, including one victory and a runner-up effort from standout senior Mihaela Toader (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mt. Lebanon).

After winning the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) indoor championships in the 200- and 400-meter sprints, Toader began her pursuit of the outdoor gold. She won the 400 and was the only student-athlete to break the one-minute mark at 59.44 seconds. The only runner ahead of Toader in the 200 was Ny'Tierra Hobbs of Division II West Virginia Wesleyan University, the defending Mountain East Conference indoor and outdoor 200-meter dash champion.

Five Gators posted bronze-medal performances, including Megan Aaron (Cranberry Township, Pa./Seneca Valley) in the 5,000-meter run, Marrin Crist (Gettysburg, Pa./ Gettysburg Area) in the 1,500-meter steeplechase, and Celia Cocca (East Aurora, N.Y./East Aurora) in the 800-meter run.

In the field events, Emma Miller (Elyria, Ohio/Lake Ridge Academy) took third in the shot put at 11.60 meters, while Hope Gómez (Laveen, Ariz./Valley Christian) made her season debut in the javelin with a third-place finish at 34.07 meters.

Allegheny Top Finishes
5,000-meter run
3. Megan Aaron - 18:21.12
8. Tara Chillingworth - 18:55.55
10. Hailey Stupay - 19:20.97

1,500-meter steeplechase
3. Marrin Crist - 5:59.92
7. Rachel Walters - 6:30.24

400-meter dash
1. Mihaela Toader - 59.44 seconds

100-meter dash
23. Erica Fontan - 12.23 seconds
29. Ayah Sham - 14.67 seconds

800-meter run
3. Celia Cocca - 2:24.51
4. Nelly Stafford - 2:26.40
9. Renee Tetlow - 2:37.35

200-meter dash
2. Mihaela Toader - 26.75 seconds
12. Melina Mangino - 28.40 seconds
24. Renee Tetlow - 30.48 seconds
25. Ela Williams - 30.61 seconds

1,500-meter run
6. Nelly Stafford - 5:11.91
8. Celia Cocca - 5:16.33
10. Chloe Bonson - 5:25.42
11. Marrin Crist - 5:28.99

Hammer Throw
9. Emma Miller - 35.11 meters
16. Laila Davis - 30.20 meters
18. Jacqueline DiGiacomo - 30.01 meters

Discus
9. Jacqueline DiGiacomo - 32.62 meters
25. Caitlyn Faust - 24.99 meters

Shot Put
3. Emma Miller - 11.60 meters
5. Laila Davis - 10.77 meters

Javelin
3. Hope Gómez - 34.07 meters
9. Libby Babcock - 29.04 meters

Up Next
Allegheny's outdoor season continues at the Carnegie Mellon University Invitational next Friday and Saturday, March 24 and 25, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.