Cavaliers Conclude Competition at ACC Indoor Track and Field Championships

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Feb. 24, 2007

Watch the Webcast on ACCSelect

Virginia was the only school to have at least two men score in each event from the 800 to the 5K, taking 10 of the 32 possible places in the distance events, to lead the Cavaliers at the ACC Indoor Track and Field Championships in Clemson, S. C. today. Led by a pair of runner-up finishes from Alex Tatu in the 800m and Jan Foerster in the 3K, the Cavalier men had as many scorers as both Florida State and NC State combined (five each) and scored 40 out of 156 possible points, more than any other school. On the women’s side, All-Americans Tomika Ferguson (triple jump) and Billie-Jo Grant (shot put) both finished fourth and third, respectively, to lead the Cavaliers.

Four different men scored in two events, including Tatu (800m, mile), Andy Biladeau (3K, 5K), Kevin McHale (800m, mile), and Andrew Dumm (3K, 5K), while only Florida State had an athlete score in more than one distance event. The women placed two in the mile as Janine Ricci took seventh and Sara Casscells took eighth; only one other school (BC) had two scorers in the mile for the women.

Ferguson’s fourth place finish in the triple jump was her second such finish on the weekend following her fourth-place in the long jump on the second day of competition. Teammate Katie Tershel hit a personal-best 12.10m (39′ 8.5″) and was just one centimeter away from eighth place. Her appearance in the final was her first ACC conference final in her career.

Grant’s third-place finish earned her All-ACC honors; she already has an NCAA provisional qualifying mark in the shot and is awaiting a bid to the NCAA meet along with Ferguson in the triple jump.

Both 4x400m relay teams scored as the women finished fourth overall while the men took eighth.

As a team, Virginia finished seventh on the men’s side with 49 points while finishing eighth on the women’s side with 34 points. Florida State won the men’s title with 128 points and Virginia Tech won the women’s title with 136 points.

The meet was broadcast online by ACC Select. The finals of each day of competition were broadcast and are archived on the website, www.accselect.com.

WOMEN: 400m: Erin Crawford, 55.42, 6th; Mile: Janine Ricci, 5:12.73, 7th; Sara Casscells, 5:15.01, 8th; 3000m: Emily Harrison, 9:46.40; Kara Scanlin, 9:54.84; Lauretta Dezubay, 10:06.42; Jen Dolson, 10:13.12; Suzanne Ginnow, 10:17.44; 4x400m: 3:43.82, 4th; TJ: Tomika Ferguson, 12.80m (42′ 0″), 4th; SP: Billie-Jo Grant, 15.53mm (50′ 11.5″), 3rd; Alexa Manning, 13.33m (43′ 9″).

MEN: 800m: Alex Tatu, 1:52.32, 2nd; Jordan Orr, 1:52.39, 3rd; Kevin McHale, 1:55.91, 7th; Mile: McHale, 4:06.78, 5th; Tatu, 4:15.26, 8th; Jesien, 4:24.13; 3000m: Jan Foerster, 8:18.26, 2nd; Andy Biladeau, 8:20.97, 6th; Andrew Dumm, 8:24.26