Virginia Finishes Action at NCAA Outdoor Championships
DES MOINES, Iowa-The Virginia track and field program concluded the NCAA Championships at Drake Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa, on Saturday (June 9).
Junior Morgane Gay (Bethesda, Md.) finished 11th in the women’s 1,500 meters final in a time of 4:19.44. At this national meet, Gay became the sixth Division I female to compete at the NCAA cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field national meets in each of the last two academic years.
In the women’s 5,000 meters final, redshirt freshman Kathleen Stevens (Blacksburg, Va.) placed 21st in a time of 17:24.29. Classmate Chelsea Ley (Woolwich Township, N.J.) did not finish after her shoe was knocked off a few of laps into the race.
The Cavalier men finished the meet with three points in a tie for 56th place. The women did not record a point. The 11 Cavaliers that competed this week at the national meet were the most in Virginia history since a record 12 in 1983.
“To have the most student-athletes compete at NCAAs since 1983 and to have three of them break school records is a great accomplishment,” Virginia director of track and field/cross country Bryan Fetzer said. “With what we want to accomplish at Virginia, being here at this meet and seeing teams compete at the highest level is big motivation to do even better next year and we plan on doing that.”
Florida won the men’s championship with 50 points, followed by LSU (48), Texas A&M (40) and Florida State (38). LSU claimed the women’s title with 76 points. Oregon was second (62), followed by Texas A&M (38), Clemson (28) and Kansas (28).
A few members of the squad will continue to train this summer for the USATF Junior National Championships in Bloomington, Ind., July 15-17 and U.S. Track and Field Olympic Trials in Eugene, Ore., June 22-July 1.
Virginia at the 2012 NCAA Outdoor Championships
Wednesday’s Results
Men’s 800m semifinal – Lance Roller – 10th overall – 1:47.07
Men’s 10,000m final – Sean Keveren – 18th overall – 30:15.40
Thursday’s Results
Women’s Hammer Throw – Maureen Laffan – 14th overall – 59.91m (196′ 6″)*
Men’s 1,500m semifinal – Brett Johnson – 17th overall – 3:44.63
Men’s 1,500m semifinal – Patrick Todd – 23rd overall – 3:50.58
Women’s 1,500m semifinal – Morgane Gay – 10th overall – 4:13.20*
Women’s 10,000m final – Catherine White – 10th overall – 33:21.55
Friday’s Results
Men’s Hammer Throw – Vincenzo Chiariello – 19th overall – 60.66m (199′ 0″)
Men’s Triple Jump – Marcus Robinson – 6th overall – 16.46m (54′ 0″)*
Saturday’s Results
Women’s 1,500m final – Morgane Gay – 11th overall – 4:19.44
Women’s 5,000m final – Kathleen Stevens – 21st – 17:24.29
Women’s 5,000m final – Chelsea Ley – DNF
* denotes school record