Cavaliers Win 11 Events at Virginia Duals
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NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. – The Virginia track and field team completed the Virginia Duals at the Armory Track and Field Center in New York City by winning 11 events and editing eight records in Virginia’s all-time top-10 performances on Saturday.
Sophomore Adams Abdulrazaaq (Highland Springs, Va.) kicked things off for the men’s team by winning the 60m hurdles in 8.26, his first competition of the season, while sophomore Chidimma Uche (Ann Arbor, Mich.) started things for the women with a personal-best performance in the short hurdles. Uche finished third in 8.83 to move into seventh on Virginia’s all-time program records in the event.
Virginia’s distance medley relay team of sophomore Andrew Revelle (Clarksville, Md.), junior Brian Lee (Richmond, Va.), freshman Steve Franks (Lansdale, Pa.) and sophomore Andrew Mearns (Williamsburg, Va.) won its section of the event in 10:09.60, and the redshirt freshman duo of Ryan Collins (Mansfield, Mass.) and Emil Heineking (Chardon, Ohio) then put in solid performances in the 3000m run. Collins finished third in a personal-best time of 8:10.47 to jump into fifth on Virginia’s all-time program records, while Heineking also improved his time in the school records with a fourth-place finish in 8:14.37.
Sophomore Meikle Paschal (Lexinton, Mass.) followed up the distance event with a victory in the 400m in 48.61. Freshman Morgane Gay (Bethesda, Md.) then won the 800m in 2:08.79, before freshman Lance Roller (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y.) made his way into the record books, finishing fourth in the 800m in 1:52.19 to hold the 10th-fastest time in program history.
Senior Andrew Jesien (Bethesda, Md.) had a personal-best performance in the mile, finishing in 4:04.61 – less than one-second shy of hitting the NCAA provisional qualifying mark. His time was enough to move him into third in Virginia’s all-time records, as it’s the fastest time a Cavalier has run since All-American Kris Herdt ran 4:02.92 in 1987.
Freshman Sintayehu Taye (Portland, Maine) followed Jesien across the line in the mile, finishing in 4:06.61, and made his way into Virginia’s records, as well, claiming seventh.
In the track finale, the 4x400m relay team of freshman Kevin Anding (Houston, Texas), Roller, Lee and Paschal battled for a first-place finish in a season-best 3:15.45 to end the evening on a high note.
In field events, sophomores Katie Trizna (Manassas, Va.) and Greg Nelson (Burlington, Mass.) each won the high jump by tying personal-best performances. Trizna cleared 5’ 5”, while Nelson finished at 6’ 9.75”.
Senior Yemi Ayeni (Kendall Park, N.J.) won the men’s shot put with a throw of 59’ 9”, while Maureen Laffan’s (Toms River, N.J.) mark of 45’ 1.5” won the women’s shot put and moved her into seventh on Virginia’s all-time records.
Senior Alexa Manning (Coram, N.Y.) was victorious in the weight throw, throwing 51’ 4.5” and sophomore Rashawnda James (Charlottesville, Va.) advanced her mark in Virginia’s record books, leaping 12’ 1.5” in the triple jump to move into fourth.
The Cavaliers will take next weekend off to begin preparations for the ACC Championships at Virginia Tech on Thursday, Feb. 26- Saturday, Feb. 28.