Satchell Places Seventh in Triple Jump at NCAA Championships
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June 14, 2014
EUGENE, Ore. – Virginia junior Ryan Satchell (Central Islip, N.Y.) finished seventh in the men’s triple jump to highlight the Cavaliers’ final day at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Hayward Field on the campus of the University of Oregon. With the result, the Cavalier men scored points in three different events for the first time since 2001 and finished the meet tied for 44th place.
Satchell advanced to the finals of the triple jump in sixth place with a jump of 52-5.25 (15.98m) on his second attempt, which would have been a PR had it not been wind-aided. In the finals, he matched that mark, 52-5.25, with a wind-legal jump on his fifth attempt. It was not only a PR, but moved Satchell into third place on Virginia’s all-time list. His seventh-place finish earned him first-team All-America honors and was the third-highest finish by a Cavalier in the event, behind Keith Witherspoon (fifth place in 1972) and Marcus Robinson (sixth place in 2012).
“It was a great way for Ryan to cap a terrific season,” said assistant coach Mario Wilson. “He showed steady improvement during his entire career and he competed at a high level this spring. Winning the ACC Championship gave him a lot of confidence. He then had a PR in the regional meet to advance here and then had another PR today. It is really tough to PR in this kind of environment, with the pressure of the NCAA Championships, so I am proud of his performance today.”
Also competing on Saturday was Kyle King (Yorktown, Va.) in the final of the men’s 3000m steeplechase. After advancing to the final with a fourth-place finish in his heat during Thursday’s semifinals, he finished the final in 12th place to earn second-team All-America honors.
“I am very proud of our group that was here and we’ve taken the next step in the process by producing points in the team standings,” said head coach Bryan Fetzer. “The athletes that qualified for this meet came and made the most of their opportunities. My desire is that they take the experience of these championships and bring it back to their teammates so they can join them in the years to come. We have to continue to create an atmosphere that instills the expectation of competing at this meet, and once here performing to the highest level.”
The 44th place finish by the Cavalier men was the team’s highest finish since 2011, when they were tied for 25th place. The Virginia women ended the meet in 54th place, their highest finish since a 29th place finish in 2011.