NEW LONDON, Conn. — The Smith College track and field team sits tied for third place with 14.5 points after the opening day of the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Championships on Friday, paced by a podium finish in the pole vault and scoring performances across multiple events.

Smith's pole vault trio accounted for 10.5 of the team's 14.5 points. Kerry Seekamp (Destin, FL/Fort Walton Beach) led the Bears with a third-place finish at 3.55 meters (11-07.75), a mark that ranks her No. 53 in Division III for the 2026 season. Jillian da Costa Pinto (West Hartford, CT/Conard) followed in sixth at 3.40 meters (11-01.75), while Cadence Sorensen placed seventh at 3.25 meters (10-08.00) — giving Smith three scorers in a single event.

Amie Gronert (Milwaukee, WI/Shorewood) added four points with a fifth-place finish in the 10,000 meters, crossing the line in 39:44.26. In the 100-meter hurdles prelims, Elowyn Gottsacker (Portland, OR/Roosevelt) punched her ticket to Saturday's final with the fifth-fastest qualifying time at 15.28.

Through four of seven heptathlon events, Elaine McCarty () turned in a strong opening day. She took runner-up finishes in the high jump (1.40m/4-07.00, 512 points) and the 200 meters (27.36, 682 points), placed third in the 100-meter hurdles (16.45, 660 points) and added a fourth-place showing in the shot put (8.75m/28-08.50, 448 points).

Elsewhere for the Bears, Daniela Pilier (Higuey, DR/Escuela Liceo Juan XXIII de la Salle) clocked a 12.83 in the 100-meter prelims. In the throws, Mollie Doyle () finished 12th in the hammer at 36.44 meters (119-06), Annabel English () recorded marks of 33.54 meters (110-00) in the hammer and 22.32 meters (73-02) in the javelin, and Caroline Brennick (Cranston, RI/Cranston East) placed 10th in the javelin at 27.76 meters (91-01).

Up Next:
The Bears return to action when the NEWMAC Championships resume Saturday at 10:30 a.m. ET, with Gottsacker in the 100-meter hurdles final, McCarty closing out the heptathlon, and events continuing across the track, field and distance slates.

About Smith Athletics Smith College is a NCAA Division III member of the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) that sponsors 11 intercollegiate sports. For more information, log on to GoSmithBears.com and follow the Bears on Facebook and Instagram.