The Shippensburg University women's outdoor track & field team got the 2023 season started Friday night with competition in a handful of events at the Dr. Jack M. Toms Alumni Invitational hosted by Lynchburg.
 
Despite there being only two field events on the opening night of the meet, SU had 14 women in competition in throws.
 
In the javelin, Abby Reasoner paced the Raiders with a new personal-best throw of 137 feet, 11 inches that won the competition and serves as an NCAA provisional qualifier. For Reasoner, it is a new PR of three feet, with her previous best coming at last year's Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championships.
 
Nicola Puggé; and Katie Mancino also achieved PSAC qualifiers in the javelin. Puggé, competing for the first time since winning the indoor conference championship in the pentathlon, unleashed a fifth-place throw of 116 feet, 9 inches. Mancino's throw was just a couple centimeters shy in sixth place.  
 
Makayla Decker paced seven Raiders in the hammer throw, placing seventh on a top mark of 126 feet, 2 inches that came on her sixth and final attempt.
 
Shippensburg's lone competitor on the track won her event, as Belle Weikert placed first out of four runners in the 10,000 meters with a time of 39:38.29 that well satisfied the PSAC automatic qualifying standard. It was her third collegiate 10K and marked the first time that Weikert broke the 40-minute mark – improving her personal best by 37 seconds.
 
Competition resumes Saturday morning.
 
3K Steeple
No entries
 
10K
1. Belle Weikert 39:38.29 (PSAC)
 
Hammer
7. Makayla Decker 126' 2" (38.46m)
Ashley Adams 121' 6" (37.04m)
ShanAnn Simmons 115' 4" (35.17m)
Deja Winkler 115' 2" (35.11m)
Lauren Bellows 113' 4" (34.54m)
Payton Bauer 109' (33.23m)
Madison Ogden 88' 10 ½" (27.09m)
 
Javelin
1. Abby Reasoner 137' 11" (42.04m) (NCAA'P')
5. Nicola Puggé; 116' 9" (35.60m) (PSAC)
6. Katie Mancino 116' 9" (35.58m) (PSAC)
7. Brittany Nye 113' 7" (34.62m)
8. Alexis Keefer 108' 10" (33.18m)
Maddie Sieg 107' (32.63m)
Tess Patterson 93' 6" (28.50m)