Mahwah, NJ - Under cloudy skies and brisk temperatures, a group of track and field team members opened the outdoor season at the Ramapo College Invitational, hosted on Friday and Saturday. 

Women's Highlights: 

• Caleigh Hopkins highlighted the weekend with a season-opening PR in the 5,000 meter race, clocking in at 18:55.93 to place fifth overall in the field. Teammate Karen Jackson also had a PR performance in the 10,000 meter event, clocking in at 41:50.28 to land inside the top-10. 
• Lori Melville was responsible for a 10.38m mark in the shot put to sit fourth, ash she also put together a fifth-place showing in the discus with a launch of 34.14m on her second attempt. 
• Madeline Staley was the fourth place finisher in the women's discus, landing two meters shy of her personal best at 35.45m. 
• Gabrielle Stafford opened the outdoor season placing second in the field for javelin, using an attempt of 36.47m on her final throw. 

Men's Highlights: 

• Chris Leonard kicked of his final outdoor campaign with a 15:40.26 5000 meter race, leading two other teammates inside the top-10. Deven Bernardin was fifth in the field, coming in seven seconds behind Leonard as rookie Mosiah Calderon placed eighth with the help of a 15:50.97 finish. 
• Nicholas Paul ended his indoor season with a PR in the shotput and successfully opened outdoor with a personal best in the hammer throw, launching a 46.60m attempt. He ultimately placed fifth overall at the first meet of the season. 
• Ryan Mortiz competed in the shotput, discus and hammer throw and placed inside the top-15 in all events. His best finish of the afternoon came during the shotput, as he placed seventh (13.66m) and tenth in the hammer throw (38.32m). 

Up Next: 

• Majority of the team will head to the All-American Meet hosted by East Stroudsburg University on Saturday, April 4. A small group of those who hit qualifying marks, will compete at the Sam Howell Invite on the same day.