LEWISTON, Maine – The University of Maine at Farmington women's track and field team returned to competition on Saturday for the first time in 2026, competing at the Bates Invitational. The Beavers placed fifth, totaling 43 points in a loaded 10-team field.

Bates College claimed the team title with 320.5 points, nearly doubling up the University of Southern Maine, which finished second.

Top Beaver Performances

Senior Erica Johnson (Nobleboro, Maine) led the Beavers in total points, earning 7.5 individual points across three events. Johnson placed sixth in both the 60-meter hurdles and the triple jump, while tying for seventh in the pole vault. She posted a time of 10.26 seconds in the 60-meter hurdle preliminaries to enter the finals seeded sixth, then finished in 10.58 seconds in the final. In the triple jump, her top attempt measured 10.28 meters, and she cleared 2.10 meters in the pole vault.

Sophomore Emma Syphers (Bangor, Maine) earned seven individual points, scoring five in the long jump and two in the high jump. Syphers placed fourth in the long jump with a best mark of 4.94 meters on her third attempt and finished seventh in the high jump after clearing 1.38 meters on her third try.

Junior Lina Martinez Nocito (Mt. Vernon, Maine) turned in a strong performance in the 3,000 meters, placing fourth overall in a competitive nine-runner field that included seven Bates athletes. Martinez Nocito finished in 11:15.43 to earn five points.

First-year Jenney Lutz (Lebanon, N.H.) scored five points in the triple jump with a fourth-place finish. Lutz recorded a best jump of 10.36 meters in the event.

Sophomore Monica Lewis (Windham, Maine) totaled 4.5 individual points, scoring in both the pole vault and the 600 meters. Lewis placed sixth in the 600 meters with a time of 2:14.92 to earn three points and tied for seventh in the pole vault after clearing 2.10 meters.

Senior Eve Poteet (Fair Hill, Md.) posted a fifth-place finish in the mile, crossing the line in 6:09.40 to earn four points.

Senior Kennedy Todd (Scarborough, Maine) added two points with a seventh-place finish in the 200 meters, clocking a time of 29.01 seconds.

First-year Alayna Marchessault (Thomaston, Maine) chipped in a point with an eighth-place finish in the 1,000 meters after posting a time of 4:35.29.

Farmington's 4x200-meter relay team of Heather Alexander (Orleans, Vt.), Todd, Syphers, and Lutz finished third with a time of 1:58.38, earning six points for the Beavers.

UP NEXT

The Beavers return to action on Friday, traveling to Waterville to compete at the Colby Mini Meet.