New Haven, CT (12/4/11) – The Montclair State women’s indoor track and field team posted a Top 5 finish in all five events it competed in as the Red Hawks opened their season with a solid performance placing fifth at the CTC Relay Carnival at Yale University on Sunday.

The Red Hawks placed in the Top 3 three times and were fourth in two others as MSU totaled 14 points in fishing fifth among a field of 14 teams.

Montclair’s 1,600 sprint medley relay team which consisted of two freshmen registered the best showing as the group placed second. Freshman Beaira Thomas (Irvington, NJ / Science Park), junior Heather Gearity (Rutherford, NJ / Rutherford), freshman Shali Muhammad (Philadelphia, PA / Paul Roberson) and sophomore Angelina Ollo (Parsippany, NJ / Parsippany) covered the track in a time of 4:26.18 .

MSU’s second group in the event consisting of freshman Stephanie Fego (Verona, NJ / Verona), freshman Mahalia Caise (East Brunswick, NJ / East Brunswick), freshman Sheneya Murphy (Somerdale, NJ / Collingswood) and sophomore Sara Douma (West Milford, NJ / West Milford) timed in at 4:46.30.

The freshman quartet of Imani Jones (Roselle, NJ / Abraham Clark), Muhammad, Fego and Thomas placed third in the 4x400 relay with a time of 4:11.12. The Red Hawks 4x200 relay team of Shannon Kermah (Woodland Hills, CA / Burroughs), Jones, Gearity and Ashadaya Patterson (Trenton, NJ / Northern Burlington) also finished third with a combined time of 1:49.05.

In the field events, freshman Tanaya Jones (Newark, NJ / Weequahic) and Cassandra Coate (Hamilton, NJ / Steinert) finished fourth in both the shot put and weight throw relay. Jones threw 33-feet, 3 ¾-inches) while Coate posted 28-feet in the shot put with the two tossing 30-feet, 6-inches and 34-feet, 1-inch, respectively in the weight throw.

The Red Hawks are back in action on Saturday, December 10 as they take part in the Princeton New Year Invitational.