Olyvia Leahy
Olyvia Leahy

Powell Finishes 4th in Decathlon; Leahy Breaks School Record in Heptathlon

AMHERST, Mass. – Freshman Matt Powell (Charlton/St. John's Shrewsbury HS) and sophomore Olyvia Leahy (New Bedford/New Bedford HS) turned in solid performances for the Bentley University outdoor track and field team while competing in the UMass-Amherst Multis, which concluded Friday at the UMass Track and Field Complex.

Powell was fourth of six overall, finishing 57 points shy of 5,000, and Leahy, despite being last among eight competitors, broke a 26-year-old school record.

Powell's second-day performances included 5:04.88 in the 1500 meters, 17.41 seconds in the 110 meter hurdles, 9'4.25" in the pole vault, 71'11" in the discus and 101'5" in the javelin. His effort in the hurdles was his most productive, earning 582 points. He had the third best showing in that event, and also in the 1500.

Leahy totaled 2,917 points in her first career heptathlon, bettering the Bentley record of 2,727 achieved by Sheila Kennedy at the 1988 ECAC Division II Championships. Her day included 14'4.75" in the long jump, 61'3" in the javelin and 3:18.85 in the 1500.

The next action for the full Bentley team will be the Sean Collier Invitational at MIT on Saturday.