READING, Pa. – The history book for Widener women's indoor track and field team was rewritten after taking first at the 2023 MAC Indoor Championships.
 
The Pride earned first for the second time in program history after 29 years. Following the 1994 title, the Pride saw a high of fourth in team standings.
 
"It was an exciting weekend," Head Coach Logan Stroman said. "We had a lot of people step up and have amazing performances. To have our team get 25% of the medals was really fun to see." Stroman would also earn Coach of the Year after the team performance. "It is humbling to receive coach of the year. I am lucky to be with a great coaching staff that makes being a head coach look easy. Soon we look to the outdoor season to try and compete for the Triple Crown."
 
After two days of racing the Pride accumulated 147 team points with 66 of those points being attributed to Butz's group. Stroman was "proud to see Coach Butz win Assistant Coach of the Year. The amount of progress their group has made over the season is incredible."
 
Butz led sprinters to a 1-2 finish in the 60-meter dash with Maria Muzzarelli taking home the gold and a Widener school record with a 7.68. First year Jayla Gore, who was awarded Rookie of the Year, took home the silver with a 7.87 time. Following Muzzarelli's record breaking time, she currently ranks 15^th in the nation with Gore ranking 42^nd after her performance at the NYU DIII Invitational.
 
Muzzarelli and Gore continued their sprint dominance in the 200-meter dash but this time adding in teammate Kelly Barr. The three would run to earn 18 team points with Muzzarelli leading the pack in second with a 26.26 to set her new best mark. Gore would go on to improve her best to a 26.49 and grab third. Barr rounded out the three with a fifth, a personal best with a 26.82, and four points.
 
Butz's group would continue with the 60-meter hurdles where Sydni Bell would run a 9.61.
 
In relay placing, the Pride would earn a first and second in the sprint relays. The 4x200 team of Muzzarelli, Gore, Emma Schultz, and Barr would finish first with a 1:45.74. The 4x400 quartet would cross the finish line for a second. Schultz, Elise Daniel, Carly Lownes, and Barr finished in a 4:09.96.
 
The 400-meter dash wouldn't change for Barr as she ran for a silver medal with a 59.64. Her time would earn her another personal best.
 
Donna Holt continued the Pride trend with a first place in the 800-meter run. Holt would cross the line in a 2:22.55 to earn 10 points. Jaden Sweely would run in a 2:26.23 to earn a point.
 
Gabby Nye would go on to grab first in the mile with a 5:06.70. Nye's performance currently ranks her second in Widener's All Time Top 10 list and would set a new personal best.
 
In the 3000-meter run, Nye crossed the finish line in a 10:25.35 to grab a silver and eight points. Senior Carly Gable finished fourth with a 10:33.20.
 
Nye would end her individual championships in the 5000-meter run. Her time of 18:29.51 earned her a silver. Gable would finish just behind Nye with a 18:44.98 and senior Emily Cooney would sneak into the top 10 with a seventh-place finish. Cooney would cross in a 19:01.48.
 
The 4x800 team of Jaden Sweely, Nye, Gable, and Holt would set a Widener school record with a 9:53.08 which would earn the team 10 points. The distance medley ran a 13:03.21 time which would consist of Holt, Erin O'Brien, Serena Azzalina, and Sweely.
 
In the field events, Savannah Steger finished with a silver medal in the pole vault. Steger would register a 3.40-meter mark which would set her new personal best.
 
Muzzarelli switched over from the track to compete in the long jump and would place seventh. Muzzarelli jumped a 5.05-meter mark to earn two points.
 
In weight throw, Isabel Rodriguez hit a 13.23-meter mark. Rodriguez earned a point in team scoring.
 
UP NEXT
Widener will hit the track this coming weekend for the AARTFC Championships which will run from March 3 to 4 in New York City.