THE BASICS:
 
- Meet: 2024 NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field National Championship
 
- Location: Virginia Beach, Va. (Virginia Beach Sports Complex)
 
- Results: T-2nd (16 Points)
 
- The Lead: Highlighted by junior Alexis Boykin's (Clayton, Ohio) victory in the weight throw, the MIT women's track and field is tied for second place following the first day of competition at the 2024 NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championship on Friday. The Engineers also claimed fourth place in the distance medley relay while sophomore Katelyn Howard (Lake Oswego, Ore.) was eighth in the pole vault.
 
EVENT HIGHLIGHTS:
 
- Boykin's first throw of the afternoon (19.36m / 63' 6.25") would have won the meet but she followed it up with a mark of 19.79m (64' 11.25") on her next attempt. She closed out the competition with a throw of 19.98m (65' 6.75"), resulting in a PR, an MIT record, and the fifth-best distance in NCAA history. Boykin captured her first indoor championship which is also the first weight throw title in program history.
 
- Comprised of junior Christina Crow (Mercer Island, Wash.), senior Paige Cooksey (Ormond Beach, Fla.), senior Julia Howarth (Barrington, R.I.), and sophomore Lexi Fernandez (Stevenson Ranch, Calif.), the Engineers placed fourth in the distance medley relay with a time of 11:37.07. This was the second year in a row Crow, Howarth, and Fernandez represented the Engineers in the event.
 
- A first-time qualifier, Howard earned All-America honors in the pole vault as she finished eighth after clearing 3.77m (12' 45"). At the first two heights of the competition, she needed her final attempt to advance. Sophomore Hailey Surace (Snohomish, Wash.) was 17^th overall as she reached 3.47m (11' 4.5").
 
- In the prelims for the mile, Fernandez finished second in her heat in 4:53.89 to secure a spot in the finals. Making her debut at the meet, sophomore Rujuta Sane (Chandler, Ariz.) was 20^th in 5:08.50.
 
- Sophomore Katherine Sanderson (West Hartford, Conn.) placed 16^th in the finals of the 5,000m as she crossed the finish line in 17:12.83.
 
UP NEXT:
 
- MIT is back in action on Saturday, Mach 9 at 11:00 a.m. as the Engineers will compete in the shot put, triple jump, and mile during the final day of the 2024 NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field National Championship.
 
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