By Jim Fenton
BOSTON, Mass. -- Two members of the Bridgewater State University women's indoor track & field team won individual events at the Suffolk Relays on Saturday.
Senior Kiara Abrantes (Somerset, Mass.) was first across the finish line in the 300-meter race while sophomore Grace Inacio (Taunton, Mass.) placed first in the 60-meter dash and second in the 300.
The Bears opened the season at the Reggie Lewis Center in a meet that included collegiate and club teams from the region.
Abrantes, who holds school records in the 200, 400 and 500, finished the 300 in a career-best time of 40.71 with Inacio second in 42.96 and another BSU runner, sophomore Bella Grover (Warren, Mass.), fifth in 45.38.
Inacio had a time of 7.77 seconds in the 60 for the win. She posted a career-best time of 7.74 seconds in the 60 preliminaries.
The Bears' 4x400-meter mixed relay squad featuring Abrantes, Grover and men's track & field athletes Kevin McBirney (Sr., East Bridgewater, Mass.) and Nicholas Grace (Sr., Acushnet, Mass.) won the event in a time of 3:46.74.
Freshman Savana Malo (Milford, Mass.) opened her collegiate career by finishing third in the long jump in 16 feet, 3 inches (4.95m). She was also 10th in the 200-meter run in 28.19 seconds.
Sophomore Olivia Downin (Hudson, Mass.) was sixth in the mile in 5:50.85 with teammate Olivia Pendleton (Yarmouthport, Mass.) seventh in 6:05.48.
Grover finished sixth in the high jump (4'9"/1.45m) and freshman Sophia Morin (Centerville, Mass.) placed eight in the shot put with a PR throw of 31 feet, 2.75 inches (9.52m).
Also making the top 10 was sophomore Rhea Khanderia (Marlborough, Mass.), who was ninth in the 800 in a PR of 3:05.02.
Downin and Pendleton were part of the mixed 4x400 relay team that was fourth in 4:10.63. They joined BSU men's team members Aydan Fournier (Assonet, Mass.), a junior, and senior Ryker King (Wareham, Mass.).
The Bears will be back in action on Saturday at 10 a.m. for the Mini-Meet at Boston University, the final competition before the semester break.