Story Links

Feb. 21, 2007

Indoor ACC Preview

By David Vitto

CLEMSON, S.C.– The Virginia men’s and women’s track and field teams will be competing in the ACC Indoor Championships starting tomorrow in Clemson, S.C. The multi events begin tomorrow, while prelims and finals for certain events begin on Friday. A link to live results can be found on the track and field schedule page. The meet is also being broadcast on ACC Select.

Coming into the ACC meet, the Virginia women’s team has nine competitors ranked in the top ten in the conference in their respective events, along with one relay. Third-year Janne’a Bridgeford (Upper Darby, Pa.), leads the Cavaliers in the short sprints as she has ran the seventh fastest 55 meters and 60 meters in the conference this season. Fourth-year Erin Crawford (Hillsborough, N.J.) also ranks seventh in the 400 meters, where she has run 55.82 this year. Two women are ranked in the top ten in the 800 meters with Huma Husain (Springfield, Va.) and Susan Brooks (Burke, Va.) ranked sixth and ninth respectively. Third-year Emily Harrison (Front Royal, Va.) has the second fastest time in the conference in the 5000 meters with her 16:52.12. Harrison looks to improve upon her fourth place finish in the same event last year. Tomika Ferguson (Evergreen, Va.) ranks seventh in the long jump and second in the triple jump, an event in which she was an All-American last year and has already provisionally qualified for NCAAs this year. In the throws, third-year and school-record holder Billie-Jo Grant (Arroyo Grande, Calif.) is ranked third in the shot put with an NCAA provisional mark of 52′ 7.5″. Grant finished fourth in the same event last indoor season. The 4X400 meter relay team ranks fifth in the ACC, with a time of 3:44.98. Virginia will also be relying upon Janine Ricci (Maple Glen, Pa.), Kara Scanlin (Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.), and Katie Read (Arlington, Va.) in the distance events, Amy Bilmanis (Hughesville, Md.) and Alexa Manning (Coram, N.Y.) in the throws, and Lauren Echko (Hudson, Ohio) and Ayla Smith (Winchester, Va.) in the hurdles.

On the men’s side, eight Cavaliers are ranked in the top ten in their respective events coming into indoor ACCs. Third-year Reuben Jones (Charlottesville, Va.) is ranked tenth in the 55 meters and ninth in the 60 meters as he anchors Virginia’s short sprints. Fellow third-year Jordan Orr (Greensboro, N.C.) has qualified for every ACC 800 meter final in his collegiate career and hopes to continue that streak this weekend. He has the fifth fastest 800 meters in the conference at 1:51.49. Two Cavaliers are ranked in the top ten of the Mile run as fifth-year Kevin McHale (Fairfax, Va.) and Andrew Jesien (Bethesda, Md.) are ranked seventh and tenth respectively in a deep field of talented milers. McHale earned All-ACC honors in the mile last year as he placed third behind teammate Alex Tatu. Fourth-year Jan Foerster (Berlin, GER) is ranked fifth in the 3000 meters, with an NCAA provisional qualifying time of 8:02.54, the second fastest indoor 3000 meters in school history. Andrew Dumm (Fairfax, Va.), last year’s outdoor 5000 meter champion, is ranked fourth in the same event this indoor season, with a time of 14:24.78. In the shot put, second-year Yemi Ayeni (Kendall Park, N.J.) comes in with the ninth best throw in the conference, 15.78 meters. Virginia will also be looking for points from Tatu (Chester, Va.) in the mid-distance events, Andy Biladeau (Lutz, Fla.) and Ryan Foster (Stephens City, Va.) in the distance events, Arthur Gennari (Housatonic, Mass.) and Shadion Buckley (Windsor, Conn.) in the jumps, and David Lewis (Centreville, Va.) and Jeff McClurg (Chagrin Falls, Ohio) in the pole vault.

The Cavaliers next travel to Notre Dame for the Alex Wilson Invitational on March 3 and the Virginia Tech Last Chance Meet on the same day.

Print Friendly Version