FREDERICKSBURG, VA – Freshman runner Mandy Parshall (Dover, Pa./Homeschooled) captured a pair of titles Saturday and Caitlin Rizzardo (Jacobus, Pa./Dallastown) set a new league record as the York College women’s track & field squad finished third at the Capital Athletic Conference Championships. The Green and White garnered 95 points while Mary Washington and Salisbury captured 247.50 and 161.50 points respectively.
      Parshall, who is also a member of York’s women’s basketball team, ran meet-bests in the 800- and 1500-meter races. Her victory in the 800 came by way of a 2:25.92 time while 1500 title was the result of a 4:47.39 time. She also anchored the 4x400 squad that took second at this season’s championships.
      Rizzardo successfully defended her 2008 pole vault championship by reaching a new conference high in 2009. The sophomore registered a height of 10’ 9” to trump the previous best by two inches.
     Kate Paczynski (Marriottsville, Md./Liberty) notched York’s fourth Championships victory by taking the high jump. Paczynski, who is only in her rookie season, posted a 4’ 11.75” height to record her first All-CAC first-team honor.
      The Spartans’ fielded the conference’s second-fastest 4x400 team this season. Ally Montello (Adamstown, Md. /Urbana), Anna Spaniol (Hillsborough, N.J./Hillsborough), Laura Zimmerman (Enola, Pa./East Pennsboro), and Parshall crossed the line at 4:21.37 to secure second-place points for the Green and White.
      Mackenzie Dolan (Toms River, N.J./Toms River East) led the way for York’s throwing unit, taking third in the hammer throw. Dolan, who also finished fifth in the discus (85’ 5”), threw the hammer 104’ 4” to garner third-place. Zimmerman came in fourth in the javelin (99’ 2”) while sophomore Caitlin Mahan (Delran, N.J./Delran) came notched fifth- and sixth-place finishes in the hammer (100’ 10”) and the shot put (31’ 3.75”) respectively.
      Zimmerman also put in a solid showing on the track. In addition to her performance in the 4x400 team, the junior notched a pair of fourth-place times in the 100- and 200-meter dashes. Zimmerman posted a 13.14 in the 100 while finishing in 27.36 in the 200.
      In the 400 Montello and Alaina Smelko (Punxsutawney, Pa./Punxsutawney) notched back-to-back finishes. Montello crossed the line fourth with a time of 1:03.47 while Smelko followed behind with a 1:07.45. Smelko top event, the triple jump, yielded a fourth-place result as she bounded 33’ 8”.
      The 400 hurdles and the 5,000-meters also resulted in fourth-place points for the Spartans. Freshman Katrina Cooper (Piedmont, Calif./Piedmont) posted a 1:16.48 in the hurdles while Melody Parshall (Dover, Pa./Homeschooled) registered a 20:31.22 in the 5K.
      The Spartans will return to action on Saturday, April 25, as the Green and White travel to the Shippensburg Invitational. The meet is slated to begin at 10:00 am.

COMPLETE CAC CHAMPIONSHIPS RESULTS

Mandy Parshall photo courtesy of Charlie Covell