Boston College Women’s Track & Field Opens 2026 with Record-Breaking Day at Beantown Challenge
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - If Boston College was looking to make a statement in its indoor season opener, message received. The Eagles came out flying at the Beantown Challenge hosted by Harvard, with a pair of school records falling and several all-time program marks being rewritten.
Let’s start with Anna Sonsini, who wasted no time setting the tone. In the 60-meter prelims, she clocked a 7.55, already a personal best.
But she wasn’t done. In the final, she shaved off two more hundredths, crossing the line in 7.53 to take third overall and set a new Boston College record in the event.
That’s how you kick off a season.
And she wasn’t the only one lighting up the sprints. Ava Carter tied the second-fastest 60m time in program history with a 7.75, while Gina Certo wasn’t far behind, posting a 7.76 - good for fourth all-time at BC.
Anna Becker also joined the party, running a personal-best 7.83 to tie for seventh on the school’s all-time list. That’s four Eagles in the top seven all-time - in one meet.
Depth like that doesn’t just happen. It’s a sign of a program trending in the right direction.
In the distance events, Ellie Buckley led the way in the mile, finishing in 5:08.22 for 12th place, with Kylie Wild just behind her at 5:11.49 in 17th. Solid openers for both, and a good foundation to build on as the season progresses.
The 600m saw a strong showing from Yaroslava Yalysovetska, who finished second overall with a time of 1:34.06. That performance stands out not just for the podium finish, but for how it stacks up historically - and she wasn’t alone.
Kyra Holland (1:34.63) and Claire Crowley (1:36.98) both etched their names into the record book with the fourth- and fifth-fastest times in program history, respectively. That’s a trio making serious moves.
But the headline of the day might belong to Sydney Segalla. Already a record-holder in the indoor season, she added another to her resume by winning the 500m with a blistering 1:11.31 - a new school record.
She’s now two-for-two in rewriting the Boston College record books this winter. Kyla Palmer also impressed in the same event, finishing third with a 1:14.51, which now ranks ninth all-time at BC.
In the 1000m, Hanna Hollins delivered a strong performance, finishing fourth in 2:48.99. That time puts her eighth on the program’s all-time list - another name added to the historical ledger on a day full of them.
All told, it was a standout meet for the Eagles - not just because of the records, but because of the depth and momentum they showed across the board. From sprints to distance, this team looks sharp early, and there’s every reason to believe the best is still ahead.
Next up: Boston College heads across town next weekend for the Bruce Lehane Scarlet and White Invitational at the BU Track & Tennis Center on Saturday, January 24. If this weekend was any indication, the Eagles are just getting started.