Lewis and Garcia Win ACC Titles

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ATLANTA, Ga. – Senior David Lewis and sophomore Stephanie Garcia joined sophomore Meghan Briggs as 2008 ACC Champions for Virginia on Friday at the ACC Outdoor Track and Field Championships. In yesterday’s competition, Briggs won the ACC Title in the javelin.

Lewis became the fifth Cavalier of all-time, first since 1995, to win the decathlon. He entered the day in third place in the event, but won both the pole vault and 1500m run to take first place with 7105 points, provisionally qualifying him for the NCAA Regional meet.

Garcia joined Dawn Cleary (2003) as just the second ACC Champion in the 3000m steeplechase. Garcia finished the event in a personal-best 10:17.38 to qualify for the NCAA Regional meet and earn 10 points for the Cavaliers. Sophomore Samantha Stafford and senior Suzanne Ginnow also collected points for Virginia in the event, as three Cavaliers placed in the top six. Stafford took fifth in her best time of 10:45.71 and Ginnow was sixth with her best time of 10:48.30, both regional qualifying marks.

After two days of events, the men are currently in fifth place with 33.50 points, while the women sit second with 45 points.

Earning points for Virginia on the men’s side was sophomore Arthur Gennari with a fifth-place finish in the high jump, clearing a personal-best 2.04m. Freshman Greg Nelson also picked up some points in the high jump, taking sixth with a personal-best of 2.01m.

Senior All-American Yemi Ayeni finished fifth in the shot put with a throw of 16.60m and freshman Marcus Robinson rounded out the men in scoring position, collecting one point for his eighth place finish in the long jump (7.10m).

For the women, senior All-American Billie-Jo Grant and junior Alexa Manning collected points in the shot put. Grant finished fourth with a regional qualifying throw of 14.98m and Manning took seventh with a throw of 14.26m.

Senior Katie Terschel also placed for the women, leaping a season-best 5.55m for an eighth place finish in the long jump.

Fifteen Cavaliers qualified in their preliminary events to advance to tomorrow’s finals, while four of those qualifiers also met NCAA regional qualifying standards.

Freshman Adams Abdulrazaaq and sophomore Ayla Smith qualified for both the NCAA Regional meet and tomorrow’s finals in the 400m hurdles, while senior Reuben Jones and junior Talia Wise qualified for both the regional meet and ACC finals in the 200m dash. Abdulrazaaq finished second in the 400m hurdles with a time of 51.79, while Smith took seventh in 59.59. Jones finished the 200-meter dash in 21.16 and Wise finished fourth in 23.86, both personal-bests.

Senior Janne’a Bridgeford also qualified for tomorrow’s finals in the 200m dash, finishing seventh in 24.02, while Bridgeford and Jones also qualified for the finals in the 100m dash. Jones finished sixth in 10.60 and Bridgeford ran the sprint in 11.90, taking seventh.

Junior Andrew Jesien led four Virginia qualifiers in the 1500m run, with a second-place finish. Jesien crossed the line in 3:49.72 and junior Andy Biladeau finished eighth in 3:51.29. Junior Kevin Tschirhart qualified in 3:50.85 and junior Alex Bowman finished with a personal-best time of 3:51.37.

Junior Lauretta Dezubay qualified for the women in the 1500m, finishing in 4:28.57.

In the 400m prelims, freshman Meikle Paschal finished in sixth with his best time of 47.39 to advance to the finals, and freshman Andrew Lobb and senior Jordan Orr will race tomorrow in the 800m finals. Lobb finished the preliminaries in second with a personal-best time of 1:50.93, while Orr took eighth in his best time of 1:51.97.

Events will kick off at 10 a.m., tomorrow morning with the men’s discus, as Ayeni will look to defend his 2007 ACC Championship. Track events are set to begin at 1 p.m. with the men’s 4x100m relay. Scheduled for 5 p.m., following the conclusion of the final event, will be the awards ceremony.

WOMEN
Prelims: 100m: Bridgeford (7th 11.90Q); 100mH: Echko (14.14), Chapman (14.31), Ashe (14.75); 200m: Wise (4th 23.86), Bridgeford (7th 24.02); 400m: Wise (55.59); 400mH: Smith (7th 59.59Q), Ashe (1:02.42), Chapman (1:03.16); 800m: Husain (2:13.01), Hovland (2:13.63), Harper (2:14.77); 1500m: Dezubay (4:28.57).
Finals: Hept: Trizna (4218); SP: Grant (4th 14.98m), Manning (7th 14.26m); HJ: William (1.66m), Trizna (1.56m); LJ: Terschel (8th 5.55m), James (5.54m); Steeple: Garcia (1st 10:17.38), Stafford (5th 10:45.71), Ginnow (10:48.30), Ricci (11:29.46).

MEN
Prelims: 100m: Jones (6th 10.60); 10mH: Abdulrazaaq (14.40); 200m: Jones (7th 21.16), Bonner (21.28), Fiala (21.82), Lee (22.14); 400m: Paschal (6th 47.39), Lee (49.20); 400mH: Abulrazaaq (2nd 51.79), Nelson (54.67); 800m: Lobb (2nd 1:50.93), Orr (8th 1:51.97), Bowman (1:53.34); 1500m: Jesien (2nd 3:49.72), Biladeau (8th 3:51.29), Tschirhart (3:50.85), Bowman (3:51.37), Hagos (3:52.94).
Finals: Dec: Lewis (1st 7105); SP: Ayeni (5th 16.60m), Pickle (15.75m); HJ: Gennari (5th 2.04m), Nelson (6th 2.01m), Klansek (1.96m), Paschal (1.86m); LJ: Robinson (8th 7.10m), Bonner (6.79m); Steeple: Finley (9:14.69), Clark (9:22.57), Tatu (DNF).