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April 15, 2006
The Virginia discus throwers swept the men’s and women’s competition at the Milton G. Abramson/Lou Onesty Invitational today as Yemi Ayeni and All-American Billie Jo Grant both won their respective divisions, with Grant leading a 1-2 charge with her season-best toss and Amy Bilmanis hitting 50 meters for the first time in her career. Both women’s relays won as did Erin Crawford (400IH) and All-American Tomika Ferguson (TJ) while Rachel Marks hit a career best mark in the high jump en route to the gold medal and the top mark in the ACC as of April 11. Soeren Lindner won the men’s steeplechase in 9:11.08, the second-fastest time in the ACC in 2006.
Grant’s 53.57m is the best of the 2006 season for the All-American, while Bilmanis hit 50.00m and moved up to No. 5 all-time at Virginia in the event. She also moved into the top-10 in the ACC for this season while qualifying for the NCAA East Regional. Ayeni won the discus, and in the shot put, both he and Rob Rankin had career-best throws to take third and sixth overall. Grant also finished third in the shot put. Sarah Convery’s season-best throw in the javelin earned her a fifth place finish in the meet.
The women’s long jump featured five athletes who hit their career-best mark, led by All-American Ferguson, who qualified for the regional meet with her 6.33m, giving her fourth overall. Marks just missed the qualifying standard by seven centimeters with her career-best mark of 5.90m; she and Katie Terschel (5.79m) both moved into the ACC top-10 for 2006 as a result of their marks today. Ferguson also won the triple jump while Terschel finished sixth overall.
The men’s 1500m race also saw a number of personal-best marks set, led by Andrew Jesien’s 3:49.20. He finished just behind teammate Alex Tatu (3:48:58) and just ahead of teammate Andy Biladeau (3:49.44) to give UVa a 2-3-4 finish. Biladeau’s time rockets him into the ACC top-10 for 2006, joining Tatu and Jesien. Shannon Hawrylo took third on the women’s side with her 4:40.75. Kevin McHale took second in the 800m with his career-best 1:51.52, which moved him into the top-10 in the ACC this season, while Danielle Light (2:14.55) took fourth and Sara Casscells (2:15.57) took fifth on the women’s side. Rachel Marks became only the fourth jumper in school history to clear 5′ 11″ in the high jump; she also is the first jumper in the ACC to reach this mark in 2006. Joining her in the regional meet will be Lauren Echko, who ran a wind-aided 13.86 in the 100m hurdles. Echko’s time will qualify her for the regional meet but will not be allowable in the all-time standings at UVa despite it being the best mark of her career. Echko’s hurdles teammate Erin Crawford won the intermediates with a 59.22.
WOMEN’S RESULTS: 100m: Janne’a Bridgeford 11.96, 4th; Tiffany Roberts 12.19; 8th; 400m: Ashley Gore 56.18, 6th; 800m: Danielle Light 2:14.55, 5th; Sara Casscells 2:15.57, 6th; Eryn Correa 2:28.86; 1500m: Shannon Hawrylo 4:40.75, 3rd; Suzanne Ginnow 4:42, 7th; Jennifer Dolson 4:43.96, Eryn Correa 4:54.47; 100HH: Lauren Echko 13.86, 3rd, RQ; Jackie Bailey 14.74, Keshia Ashe 14.92, Briana Smith 15.47; 400IH: Erin Crawford 59.22, 1st; Keshia Ashe 1:03.48, 5th; Jackie Bailey 1:04.65, 8th; 4×100: 45.82, 1st; 4x400m: 3:41.98, 1st; HJ: Rachel Marks 1.80m, 1st; Meggie Schulke 1.65m, 8th; PV: Alicia LaRoche, 3.50m, 4th; LJ: Tomika Ferguson 6.33m,4th; Rachel Marks 5.90m,6th; Katie Terschel 5.79m, 8th; Amber Reyes 5.31m; Kathryn Pettine 4.34m; TJ: Tomika Ferguson 12.81m,1st; Katie Terschel 11.99m,6th; Amber Reyes 10.20m; SP: Billie-Jo Grant 14.37m,3rd; Alexa Manning 12.91m; Disc: Billie-Jo Grant 53.57m,1st; Amy Bilmanis 50.00m,2nd; Caitlin Kelly 41.45m, Alexa Manning 38.00m; Hammer: Amy Bilmanis 46.71m,8th; Alexa Manning 45.89m, Mallory Denniston 40.34m; Jav: Sarah Convery 39.87m,5th; Caitlin Kelly 30.23m
MEN’S RESULTS: 100m: Reuben Jones, 10.85, 6th; Kevin Carson, 11.11; Tyler Hendry, 11.12; Baba Jenneh, 11.83; 200m: Isi Azeke, 21.57, 2nd; Reuben Jones, 21.74, 5th; Kevin Carson, 22.67; Tyler Hendry, 22.85; Jordan Orr, 23.28; Baba Jenneh, 24.67; 400m: Jordan Orr, 49.90; 800m: Kevin McHale, 1:51.52, 2nd; 1500m: Alex Tatu, 3:48.58, 2nd; Andrew Jesien, 3:49.20, 3rd; Andy Biladeau, 3:49.44, 4th; Michael Hagos, 3:54.91; Andrew Dumm, 3:55.66; Alec Lorenzoni, 3:56.62; Sam Fletcher, 3:59.70; James Erickson, 4:03.17; Daniel Howick, 4:06.20; Brad Rodgers, 4:13.71; 5000m: Matt Gambale, 15:29.30, 5th; 110mHH: Isi Azeke, 14.53, 8th; 400mIH: Stephen Hiltner, 54.51; 3000m SC: Soeren Lindner, 9:11:08, 1st; 4x100m : 41.99, 3rd; Disc: Yemi Ayeni, 51.42m, 1st; David Lewis, 25.42m; Hammer: Robert Rankin, 38.76m; Markevus Collins, 37.11m; PV: David Lewis, 4.65m, t-5th; Stephen Thompson, J4.65m, t-7th; SP: Robert Rankin, 15.79m, 3rd; Yemi Ayeni, 15.48m, 6th; Jav: David Lewis, 37.65m;