Bila breaks program record in 60-meter dash as women's track and field opens 2026 at Wesleyan

MIDDLETOWN, Conn. -- Bates women's indoor track and field sophomore Graca Bila broke the program record in the 60-meter dash, highlighting the Wesleyan Invitational Saturday for the Bobcats.

Meet Highlights

Bila (Westbrook, Maine) qualified for the finals of the 60-meter dash with a time of 8.07 seconds. Then she made history, becoming just the third Bobcat to break eight seconds in the 60 meters, racing to the finish in a school-record time of 7.95 seconds in the final, taking first place at the meet and surpassing Alexis Dickinson '16 for first on the Bates all-time performance list in the event. Dickinson had set the previous school record in the 60 of 7.96 seconds 10 years ago.
Bila also impressed in the 200 meters on Saturday, placing second out of 35 runners with a personal-record time of 26.48 seconds.
First-year Hannah Pawlowski (Bow, N.H.) won the 400 meters in 59.19 seconds, good for eighth on the Bates all-time performance list.
Senior Kylie Musante (Brentwood, Tenn.) led a 1-2 Bates finish in the 600 meters, crossing the finish line in 1:41.13. First-year Charlotte Everhart (Vienna, Va.) was the runner-up in 1:43.55.
Senior captain Moriah Scharn (Dunstable, Mass.) won the 60-meter hurdles in 9.11 seconds.
Sophomore Campbell Johnson (Naples, Maine) and first-year Kaitlyn Quealy (Holliston, Mass.) took the top two spots in the high jump, with both athletes clearing the bar at 5-1 (1.55m).
Johnson won the triple jump with an indoor personal-record leap of 36-6.75 (11.14m), good for third on the Bates all-time performance list.
First-year Alisandra Lindos (Westbrook, Maine) placed second in the long jump at 17-2.25 (5.24m), good for seventh on the Bates all-time performance list.
First-year Temperance England (Havertown, Pa.) won the shot put with a top effort of 39-3.75 (11.98m), good for sixth on the Bates all-time performance list. Sophomore Marie-Ève Maillet (Saint-Antoine, New Brunswick) was the runner-up with a new indoor personal-best throw of 38-4.25 (11.69m).
The Bobcats took the top three spots in the 20-pound weight throw. Senior captain Carli Ciavarelli (Ridgefield, Conn.) won the event with her toss of 51-1 (15.57m), while England took second at 48-1.25 (14.66m), and Maillet placed third with a mark of 45-11.25 (14.00m).