Sydney Packard of Georgetown, Mass., Competes on Day One of NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field Championships

2018 Mar 10

Sydney Packard competed on the first day of the 2018 NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field Championships.

Sophomore Sydney Packard advanced to Saturday's 800-meter run final while the distance medley relay and a pair of individuals also competed at the national meet, hosted by Birmingham-Southern at the Birmingham CrossPlex, on Friday.

Packard was third in her heat and had the fifth-fastest time of 2:12.24. Amherst's Danielle Griffin will be the favorite Saturday while Emily Richards of Ohio Northern, who set the Division III all-time record this season, was second. Richards won both 800m titles last year.

Later in the day, Packard teamed with seniors Emily Newman, Maggie LaRoche and Lea Strangio to place 11th in the distance medley relay (12:06.02). Junior Ryan Wittenberg was fourth in his heat of the 800m, and a tenth of a second shy of competing in the final, with a 1:53.23. He is headed to Namibia for his IQP on Sunday.

Graduate student Austin Scott, the only WPI student-athlete to compete in a cross country and a track & field national championship, wrapped up an outstanding career with a 14th-place finish in the mile (4:14.76).

Packard looks to officially earn her second All-America nod Saturday. The 800m final is slated for 4:50 p.m. Eastern / 3:50 p.m. Central.

About Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Founded in 1865 in Worcester, Mass., WPI is one of the nation's first engineering and technology universities. Its 14 academic departments offer more than 50 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science, engineering, technology, business, the social sciences, and the humanities and arts, leading to bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees. WPI's talented faculty work with students on interdisciplinary research that seeks solutions to important and socially relevant problems in fields as diverse as the life sciences and bioengineering, energy, information security, materials processing, and robotics. Students also have the opportunity to make a difference to communities and organizations around the world through the university's innovative Global Projects Program. There are more than 40 WPI project centers throughout the Americas, Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Europe.