BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Highlighted by gold-medal performances from senior Gillian Morrison and freshman Sophia Jacobs-Townsley, the Boston University women's track & field team competed in day one of the Patriot League Championships on Saturday at Lehigh University's Rauch Field House.
 
Morrison got the Terriers off on a winning note, taking gold in the pentathlon with 3,656 points,  a new personal best. Morrison took the lead after the second event when she finished first in the high jump with a jump of 1.65m (5'5"). In the final event of the pentathlon, Morrison was clutch, finishing second in the 800m run with a personal-best time of 2:25.35, to earn 752 points towards her total score of 3,656. Morrison edged Navy's Lindsey Lewis who took home silver with 3,605 points. 
 
Later in the meet, freshman phenom Sophia Jacobs-Townsley took home gold in the 5000 meter run, blowing away the field with a time of 16:55.17. Jacobs-Townsely won the event by more than 9 seconds over silver medalist Emily Craig of Navy (17:04.83).
 
In addition to Morrison and Jacobs-Townsely, several Terriers had successful semifinal races and advanced to Sunday's finals. Defending Patriot League 60m hurdles champion Bridget Chiaravalle finished second in her prelim with a time of 8.83 to qualify for Sunday's finals. Emma Montoya also qualified for the finals of the 60m hurdles with a time of 8.94, good for seventh. 
 
Freshman Joceline Wind finished fifth in the 800m semifinals with a time of 2:14.13 and qualified for finals. 
 
Cecelia Gerstenbacher took sixth in the 60m dash prelims with a time of 7.80 and qualified for finals. 
 
In the 400m dash, Emma Montoya (sixth- 58.29) and Greer Liguori (eighth – 58.69) both qualified for Sunday's finals. 
 
Andrea Claeson took fourth in the mile run prelims with a time of 5:03.48 and qualified for the finals along with Stephanie Forbes who finished eighth with a time of 5:08.72. 
 
In the 200m dash, both Noelani Phillips (fifth – 25.33) and Cecelia Gerstenbacher (sixth -25.34) qualified for the finals.
 
In the field, Zoe Beard had a terrific performance in the pole vault, finishing seventh with a personal-best vault of 3.65m (11'11.75") to earn the Terriers two team points. Beard's vault is tied for the second-best vault ever by a Terrier.

Freshman Natalie Kwortnik had a strong performance in the long jump, placing sixth with a jump of 17'11" to earn the Terriers three team points. 
 
Team Results Day One
1. Navy  - 83
2. Army West Point – 37
3. Holy Cross – 31
4. Lehigh - 26
5. Boston University - 25
6. Bucknell – 21
7. Loyola – 8
8. Lafayette – 2
9. Colgate - 1
 
The PL Championships will continue on Sunday with the women's high jump scheduled for 10 a.m. while running events begin at 11am with the men's mile run.