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Feb. 19, 2004
The Virginia indoor track teams compete this weekend, Feb. 20-21, at the ACC Indoor Championships in Clemson, SC. The men are led by McGavock Dunbar, the defending outdoor 800 champion and last year’s runner-up at the indoor meet, who has the second-fastest time in the conference in 2004. Dunbar has won his last three starts in the 800m run. Joining Dunbar in the 800m will be Jon Britt, Amr Kouchouk, and Matt Antunes. Also looking to lead the Cavalier men is All-Region performer Will Christian, who led the men’s cross country team to the NCAA championships in November. Christian, who ranks among the conference leaders in the 3K, will again lead an experience distance corps that includes NCAA teammate James Atchison, who ranks among the conference leaders in the 5K. Walton Kingsbery and Ryan Neuhart, both of whom also ran at NCAAs for cross country, will join these two in the 3000/5000 along with Matt Gutridge and Grady Sullivan.
Leading the sprinters is second year Kellen Blassingame, who is ranked third in the 400 meter dash and is also among the ACC’s best in the 200 meter dash this year. Joining Blassingame in the short sprints are Jason Young, Erik Schulman. Isi Azeke, and first year Shadion Buckley. Michael Johnson, who has posted Virginia’s fastest time this year in the 60-meter dash, is among the ACC top-10 going into the meet. Buckley leapt into the top-10 in the conference with a 22-foot long jump last week at the Virginia Tech Challenge, the Cavaliers’ longest jump of the year. Azeke joins teammate Gemayel Hazard in the 60-meter hurdles, with both men ranking among the ACC top-10. Hazard placed fourth in last year’s ACC Indoor Championships. Herb Reid and Devin Canaday will join Azeke and Hazard on the line for the hurdle event.
David Sullivan, Virginia’s most versatile athlete, took third place in the pole vault of last year’s ACC Indoor Championships. He is ranked in the top 10 in the conference not only in the pole vault but also in the high jump. Sullivan looks to add a second All-Conference honor in the pole vault while also competing in the heptathlon. Joining Sullivan in the pole vault is Greg Blair, while Mike Riso and Chris Clementsen will compete in the high jump. Riso ranks fifth in the ACC in the high jump after his leap of 6′ 8.75″ at Penn State, which took top honors at that meet. Walker Anderson will double up in the shot put and the weight throw.
The women are led by fourth year Caroline Harvey, who is competing in the long jump and the 60 meter dash. Harvey scored in the long jump in last year’s ACC indoor and outdoor championships and is one of only five ACC athletes to leap over 19 feet in 2004. Joining Harvey in competition in the horizontal jumps is first year Tomika Fergasun, who ranks in the top-10 in the ACC in the triple jump.
Another first year ranks prominently in the jumps, high school All-American Meggie Schulke. Schuelke has already won a high jump competition in only her first year and ranks third going into the meet. Teammate Rachel Marks also ranks in the top-10 in the high jump in the conference. The pole vault will feature three Cavaliers; Alicia LaRoche, Kathryn Pettine, and Lauren Taggart.The distance corps will be led by Sharon O’Connor, who took third place the mile in last year’s ACC Indoor Championships. She is joined in that event by Shannon Hawrylo. Kelly Behan ranks in the top-10 in the conference in the 5K and will double in that event and the 3K. Joining Behan will be NCAA steeplechase qualifier Melanie Matthews, Laura Hodges, Cheryl Carr, and first years Angie Saterstad and Janine Ricci.
First year Huma Husain, who leads the Cavaliers in both the 800 and 1000m, will lead four Cavaliers–Husain, Lauren Hovland, Ashley Gore, and Erin Crawford, who will compete in the 800. Tiffany Roberts will join Caroline Harvey in the 60 meter dash and is the only Cavalier competing in the 200 meter dash. Virginia will also look to improve on last year’s runner-up finish in the distance medley relay.
Competition starts on Friday, Feb. 20 with five men’s events and five women’s events set to crown champions on the first day. The championships conclude on Saturday, Feb. 21.