Esslinger Paces Goucher Track And Field At Messiah Invitational With Two Top-5 Finishes

MECHANICSBURG, Pa. – Devon Esslinger (Las Cruces, N.M./Las Cruces) recorded two Top-10 finishes to pace Goucher College track and field at the Messiah Invitational on Saturday.

Esslinger posted the fastest preliminary time in the 110m hurdles with a time of 15.96, good for 10th on the program's all-time list. He then finished third in the event with a time of 16.34 and with his preliminary time he sits second fastest in the Landmark Conference. The sophomore then bested his own triple jump school record with a leap of 12.61m to place ninth.

Sydney Smith (Falls Church, Va./George Mason HS) finished fourth in the long jump to pace the women's team with a jump of 4.95m. Her best mark was her first collegiate jump while she also finished 15th in the 100m (13.43).

Anna Gallina (Whitehall, Pa./Whitehall) was sixth in the 100m (12.94) and 12th in the 200m (27.64). Victoria Wheeler (Kinnelon, N.J./Kinnelon) finished 13th in the 400m hurdles (1:26.30) and Jennifer Alves (Rockville, Md./Richard Montgomery) placed 18th in the 400m (1:10.36) while Charlotte Birnbaum (Princeton, N.J./West Windsor-Plainsboro North) was 38th in the 100m (15.87).

Kai Miller (Harlem, N.Y.), Miles (Mia) Taylor (Bowie, Md./Wakefield), Langston Henry (New York, N.Y./Grace Church School) and Esslinger placed seventh in the 4x100m relay (47.07) and 13th in the 4x400m relay (4:10.43). Henry also placed 21st in the 400m (58.53) and Taylor was 37th in the 100m (12.49).

Goucher returns to action on Wednesday at the York College Twilight. Events start at 2 p.m.