Cavaliers Earn Personal-Best Performances at Carolina Invite

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CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Senior Lyndsay Harper turned in the fastest 800m time for the Virginia track and field team in the last 25 years Saturday evening at UNC’s Kent Taylor-Texas Roadhouse Carolina Invitational. Harper finished sixth in the event with a time of 2:07.44. That mark ranks fifth on UVa’s all-time record board and is the fastest time run by a Cavalier since Phyllis Buber ran 2:06.96 in 1986.

Virginia followed up that performance by sweeping the top three spots in the men’s 800m run. Sophomore Robby Andrews, the 2010 NCAA runner-up in the event, won the race in 1:49.30, while 2011 ACC Champion Anthony Kostelac and 2010 ACC Champion Lance Roller battled across the line for runner-up honors. Kostelac edged the All-American for second place with a time of 1:50.25, while Roller took third in 1:50.26.

Sophomores Brett Johnson and TJ Hobart also competed in the event. Johnson, running his first collegiate open 800m, finished fifth in 1:50.73, while Hobart was sixth with a time of 1:51.42.

In the 3000m steeplechase, redshirt sophomore Rosemary Barber finished second with a time of 10:59.27.

The Cavaliers wrapped up tonight’s events with the 1500m races. Junior Morgane Gay crossed in 4:17.74 to take third place on the women’s side, while redshirt senior Stephanie Garcia earned a personal-best time of 4:18.30 – good for fifth. On the men’s side, senior Andrew Mearns finished 13th in a personal-best time of 3:50.11.

Virginia will wrap up this weekend’s competition on Sunday, competing in the final day of the ECAC/IC4A Championships. Events are scheduled to begin at 10 a.m.