c/o Steve McLaughlin Photography

Following a successful indoor season that saw two runners qualify for and finish in the top 10 at the NCAA Indoor Championships, the Wesleyan women’s track and field team is off to a strong start to the outdoor portion of the season after the first two outdoor meets.

In the first home meet, the Red and Black performed well across the board in both the individual events and the team relays. Some of the highlights in the individual events were Grace Devanny ’23 finishing first in the 800 meters by seven seconds with a time of 2.17.42 and Becky Velie ’22 finishing first in the 1500 meters by five seconds with a time of 4:47. In addition to the first place finishes, two other athletes finished top five in their events, with Miranda Graves ’23 finishing second in the 3000 meters and Chiara Christie ’23 finishing third in the javelin. In the relays, Wesleyan put together a stellar performance in the 4×100 meters as the team of Gabby Harris ’23, Kenzie Kelly ’25, Augusta Burhans ’23, and Devanny took first place with a time of 48.34.

The Cardinals followed this strong performance with another outstanding outing at the Tufts Snowflake Classic this past weekend, taking third place out of 18 teams competing. The Cards were able to place 11 different athletes in the top five across many events during the entire meet. In the 4×100 meters, the team of Harris, Kelly, Burhans, and Devanny earned first place, as did the 4×400 meter team of Sarah Schlosburg ’25, Abigail Pipkin ’22, Velie, and Devanny.

Devanny and Velie each had stellar individual performances as well. Devanny came in first in the 200 meters with a time of 24.98, and Velie came in first in the 800 meters with a time of 2.17.73. Other top five finishes included Burhans and Harris in the 100 meters, Harris and Kelly in the 200 meters behind Devanny, Pipkin and Addie Thomas ’22 in the 800 meters behind Velie, and Christie finishing fifth in the javelin. In addition to the numerous top five finishes, five other athletes finished in the top 10 in their respective events to cap off a tremendous performance for the team. Throughout the season so far, Devanny has been pleased with how the team has competed and their results.

“I think everyone performed really well,” Devanny wrote in a message to The Argus. “Early outdoor season is always difficult and unpredictable because of the weather and other factors. So I think we are all putting in the work in practice and hoping it translates onto the track.”

Devanny highlighted the importance of the two-season structure of track and field for the success that the team has enjoyed thus far. 

“I think the key is building off of the work we did during indoor season,” Devanny wrote. “Many of these teams often view us as an underdog, so I think we are all using that as fuel to continue training hard after indoor season and proving we are one of the better teams in the NESCAC.”

Next up, the team heads to Amherst College to compete in the Amherst Spring Fling on Saturday, April 9. This will be followed by the Silfen Invitational at Conn. College on April 15 and 16. While having two seasons is great for building a strong foundation for the team, it can also be burdensome to compete continuously. Devanny says that in order to continue to produce good results in these meets, the team will have to take great care in ensuring that they don’t burn out.

“We have been competing and training nearly six times a week since the middle of January,” Devanny wrote. “The length of the season takes a huge toll on your body and mental health. So, keeping your mind and body healthy and strong will be the key to our success in the future.”

David Gottlieb can be reached at dgottlieb@wesleyan.edu.