Purple and Gold Open
49ers Classic
WEST CHESTER, Pa. – The West Chester University women's track and field squad opened its spring 2026 season this weekend at the Purple and Gold Invitational in West Chester, while another small contingent of Golden Rams made the trip south to Charlotte, North Carolina for the 49ers Classic. West Chester finished first at the Purple and Gold open with 166 points for the weekend.
Leah Wasko (Jim Thorpe, Pa./Jim Thorpe) won the 100 hurdles in 14.58 seconds, which also served as a new personal best.
Morgan Pera (Center Valley, Pa./Southern Lehigh) was second in 14.91 seconds, followed by
Cate Hildebrand (Chalfont, Pa./C.B. South) in fourth in 15.30 seconds.
Abbie Williams (Huntley, Il./Huntley) led West Chester in the 1500 with a fifth-place finish in 5 minutes and 8.56 seconds, while
Riley Dortone (Romansville, Pa./Downingtown West) was sixth in 5:10.40. Williams also led West Chester in the 800 with an eighth-place finish in 2:31.24.
Cassie Nugin (Camp Hill, Pa./Cedar Cliff) finished second in the 400 as one of two Golden Rams in the top-five in 58.17 seconds, while
Ember Foster (Duncannon, Pa./Susquenita) was fifth in 59.92 seconds.
Pera led West Chester with a fourth-place finish in the 200 in 26.36 seconds, while
Demi Pavlides (Pottstown, Pa./Owen J. Roberts) was fifth in 26.80 seconds.
Mya Thompson (Mount Joy, Pa./Hempfield) and Foster took sixth and seventh in 27.02 and 27.04 seconds, respectively.
Amanda Marquis (Bridgeville, Pa./South Fayette) led West Chester in the 100 with a third-place finish in 12.65 seconds, while Thompson and Pavlides were fourth and fifth in 12.79 and 12.92 seconds, respectively.
West Chester wrapped up its day on the track with a fourth-place finish in the 4x400 relay in 4:35.17.
Hannah LaFave (Spring Brook Township, Pa./North Pocono) won the pole vault for West Chester with a mark of 10 feet 10 inches (3.30 meters), while
Emily Donegan (Hershey, Pa./Hershey) was second with a mark of 10-2 (3.10m).
Nikolien Bezuidenhout (Garnet Valley, Pa./Garnet Valley) finished third in the long jump with a mark of 16- 3 ¾ (4.97m). Bezuidenhout also took second in the triple jump with a mark of 35-9 ¼ (10.9m), while Wasko took sixth with a mark of 34-1 ¼ (10.39m).
Giavonna Durham (Claymont, Del./Brandywine) finished seventh in the triple jump with a mark of 32-7 (9.93m).
Emma Deyarmin (Leesport, Pa./Schuylkill Valley) took third in the hammer, while
Alyson Vogt (Southampton, Pa./William Tennent) was fifth with marks of 132-8 (40.45m) and 122-1 (37.23m), respectively.
Vogt took fifth in the discus with a mark of 105-11 (32.29m).
Kendall Thompson (West Chester, Pa./West Chester East) won the javelin title with a mark of 132-3 (40.31m). This effort also served as a new program record for the freshman as she opens her outdoor career.
Deyarmin also took second in shot put with a mark of 37-1 (11.3m), while Thompson was fifth with a mark of 34-2 ¼ (10.42m).
49ers Classic
Genevieve McDonald (Elizabethtown, Pa./Elizabethtown) led West Chester in the 100-meter dash with a 30
th-place finish in 12.49 seconds, while
Katja Larsen (Spring City, Pa./Owen J. Roberts) led West Chester in the 200 with a 31
st-place finish in 25.26 seconds.
Molly Minor (Haddonfield, N.J./Haddonfield) paced West Chester in the 400 with a 26
th-place finish in 58.73 seconds.
West Chester also finished fifth (third among non-Division I programs) in the 4x100 relay in 47.38 seconds.
Up Next
West Chester will be back in action next weekend at Widener for the Danny Curran Invitational, while another small contingent will compete at the NC State Raleigh Relays.
