STANFORD/FRESNO, Calif. – The University of San Francisco men's and women's track & field teams faced off against a highly competitive field this past weekend, competing in the Payton Jordan Invitational on Friday, Apr. 26, and Fresno State Invite on Saturday, Apr. 27.

At the Payton Jordan Invitational, the team of Noa Grochowski, Tatumn LaChapelle, Sophia Priester-Veasley, and Lucia Gifford-Groves continue to succeed in the 4 x 100-meter relay, setting a new program record at 47:08 while earning a second-place finish.

LaChapelle also set a personal best in the 200 meters, crossing the finish line with a time of 24.71. LaChapelle, surpassing her previous best by just under one second, beat the mark set at the Bryan Clay Invitational during the 2021 season.

In the field events, Lilly Gerhard set a new program record in the javelin, grabbing second place with a throw of 45.00 meters.

Traveling south on Saturday, the Dons continued to set records at the Fresno State Invite. Olivia Alexandre remained undefeated in the 400-meter hurdles this season as she broke her program record with a time of 58.00 and a first-place finish. Alexandre continues to climb the West Region rankings in the 400-meter hurdles and is now 16th in the region.

Coming off a personal best in the 200 meters at the Payton Jordan Invitational, LaChapelle continued to succeed in the short-distance races, setting a new record in the 400 meters. Taking sixth place out of 21 competitors, LaChapelle finished with a time of 55.78, breaking her previous best of 57.95 by over two seconds at the same event in 2021.

Alexandre, LaChapelle, Gifford-Groves, and Julia Morales shined in the 4 x 400-meter relay, taking fifth place at 3:46.32.

PAYTON JORDAN INVITATIONAL RESULTS:
Women's 100 meters
6. Sophia Priester-Veasley – 12.28
7. Lucia Gifford-Groves – 12.49
 
Women's 200 meters
6. Lucia Gifford-Groves – 24.67
7. Tatumn LaChapelle – 24.71
 
Women's 800 meters (Section 1)
5. Olivia Alexandre – 2:04.75
 
Women's 1500 meters (Section 4)
5. Mathilde Valadier – 4:39.59
 
Women's 1500 meters (Section 2)
9. Natalie Hlusi – 4:40.33
 
Women's 1500 meters (Section 3)
3. Petra Helebrantova – 4:30. 24
4. Kamilla Vanadzina – 4:31.21
5. Julia Morales – 4:31.27
7. Hannah Kehoe – 4:49.21
 
Women's 4x100 meter relay
2. Noa Grochowski, Tatumn LaChapelle, Sophia Priester-Veasley, and Lucia Gifford-Groves – 47.08
 
Women's Long Jump
3. Noa Grochowski – 5.76 meters
 
Women's Javelin
2. Lilly Gerhard – 45.00 meters
 
Men's 800 meters (Section 3)
1. Trevor Deane – 1:54.79
 
Men's 1500 meters (Section 3)
3. Daniel Abramowicz – 4:00.32
4. Reid Headrick – 4:01.55
 
Men's 3000-meter steeplechase
7. Ellis McKean – 9:14.81
 
FRESNO STATE INVITE RESULTS:
Women's 100 meters
22. Sophia Priester-Veasley – 12.28
32. Noa Grochowski – 12.65
 
Women's 400 meters
6. Tatumn LaChapelle – 55.78
 
Women's 800 meters
20. Kaylee Noda – 2:25.67
 
Women's 1500 meters
15. Marlee Kwasnica – 4:59.48
19. Lily Mourer – 5:01.58
 
Women's 400-meter hurdles
1. Olivia Alexandre – 58.00
 
Women's 4x100 meter relay
5. 2. Noa Grochowski, Tatumn LaChapelle, Sophia Priester-Veasley, and Lucia Gifford-Groves – 47.14
 
Women's 4x400 meter relay
5. Olivia Alexandre, Tatumn LaChapelle, Lucia Gifford-Groves, Julia Morales – 3:46.32
 
UP NEXT:
San Francisco returns to action on Saturday, May 4, when it competes in the Oxy Invitational, hosted by Occidental.

FOLLOW US:
For more information on the San Francisco men's and women's track & field programs, be sure to follow @donsxctf on Twitter, @donsxctf on Instagram and @donsxctf on Facebook.
 
MERCHANDISE:
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SPONSOR THE DONS:
The University of San Francisco Athletics Department would like to acknowledge and thank our primary sponsor - Provident Credit Union - for their continued support of USF Athletics. Interested in sponsoring the Dons? Please contact Frank Allocco, the Executive Senior Associate Athletics Director of External Relations, at fallocco@usfca.edu or at (415) 422-4561.