PHILADELPHIA, Pa.—It looked like sixth year collegiate thrower Adria Retter (Quakertown, Pa.) was in midseason form in her 2025 debut as she tallied a lifetime best mark and the second-longest throw in school history in the discus on Saturday afternoon. Retter threw 52.31 meters during the Penn Challenge at Franklin Field and was one of six Villanova athletes who came away with PRs in the team's outdoor season opener.
 
Saturday's performance is the fourth top 10 mark in the discus that Retter has etched in the Wildcats record book. Meanwhile, she eclipsed her old PR of 51.46 meters which had won her a NCAA Division III national championship in 2023 during her undergraduate career at Swarthmore. Retter was already the number two thrower in the discus in Villanova history with a mark of 51.43 meters at last year's Penn Relays. The program standard bearer is Grayce French who threw 52.35 meters on May 15, 2021 at the BIG EAST Championships. In addition to narrowly trailing French in the discus, Retter ranks third in school history in weight throw as well as fifth in hammer and seventh in shot put.
 
A trio of Wildcats middle distance runners recorded personal bests in the 800 meters later in the afternoon. First year collegians Rosie Shay (Middletown, N.J.) and Bella Walsh (Middletown, N.J.) led a one through five Villanova sweep of that event, with Shay pacing a field of 17 runners with a PR of 2:08.83. Walsh followed her in 2:10.37 and senior Emily Robinson (Rogers, Ark.) was third with a personal best time of 2:10.80. Sixth year Maggie Smith (Halifax, N.S.) was fourth in 2:11.32 and sophomore Tilly O'Connor (Spring Lake, N.J.) placed fifth with a PR of 2:11.81.
 
Senior distance runner Margaret Carroll (Mount Wolf, Pa.) was the runner-up in the 1500 meters in 4:30.78, while junior Kinsey Pogue (Danville, Calif.) posted a PR of 4:47.15 and first year Lucy Moran (Branford, Conn.) ran the event for the first time with a mark of 4:47.24.
 
The remainder of Saturday's slate featured field events for the Wildcats. Senior thrower Faith Haught (Payson, Ariz.) recorded a throw of 45.01 meters in the discus and fifth year Teresa Rotolo (Warren, N.J.) had a mark of 35.53 meters in the javelin.
 
In the jumps, senior Taylor Woodeshick (Nescopeck, Pa.) cleared 1.56 meters in the high jump and first year Emily Staerk (Phoenixville, Pa.) led a trio of Villanovans in the long jump with a mark of 4.95 meters. She was followed by fellow collegiate newcomers Jenny Smith (Pittsburgh, Pa.) and Marin Torrens (Pittsburgh, Pa.) who had respective distances of 4.84 meters and 4.53 meters.
 
Villanova will next compete in the Raleigh Relays this week.