UVA Opens Outdoor Season with New Records
March 24, 2017
RALEIGH, N.C. – The Virginia men’s and women’s track and field teams opened the 2017 outdoor season at the Raleigh Relays on Friday (March 24) with the No. 6-ranked men’s team racing one of the top performances in program history at the meet in Raleigh, N.C. The men’s team advanced five performers on the UVA’s top times list in either the 5,000-meter race or the 10,000-meter race.
Senior Zach Herriott (Kansas City, Mo.) claimed the title of best performer in UVA history for the 10,000-meter competition. Herriott’s new time of 28:44.22 placed him second at the meet and broke a 36-year old record from Mike Cotton, who held the UVA top time since 1981.
Senior Henry Wynne (Westport, Conn.) also advanced to the top of the UVA records list, moving into second on the all-top times list. He would top the meet in the 5,000-meter race to record a time of 13:43.53.
“Very positive night for the whole group,” said head men’s distance coach Pete Watson. “We have been chasing that school record in the 10,000 (meters) for a long time and for Zach (Herriott) to finally get it was something all the guys were excited about. We brought eight guys to the meet. Seven [guys] ran personal bests; the eighth was Thomas Madden who had not raced in two years and he ran a 14:05 which was a brilliant return. Henry Wynne winning the 5,000 (meters) was big for the program as we move towards team outdoor titles. Not to be forgotten was Lachlan Cook making his debut on the track, running a 29:18 in his first 10,000 (meters). Tonight was a good night.”
Before the night’s end, UVA saw three more athletes claim personal records as redshirted sophomore Brent Demarest (Charleston, S.C.), freshman Lachlan Cook (Brisbane, Australia) and junior Chase Weaverling (Darnestown, Md.) added to the team’s 10,000-meter performance. Demarest moved to third in school history, finishing the meet in ninth place with a time of 29:07.78.
In his first outdoor event, Cook posted the eighth best time in UVA history for the 10,000m with a 29:18.20. Weaverling would place behind him at ninth in school history with a 29.29.90.
Adding to the day’s performance, redshirted junior Thomas Madden (Front Royal, Va.) clocked a time of 14:05.05 in the 5,000m to finish 11th overall.
Rounding out the 10,000-meter competition, redshirted freshman Alex Corbett (Burke, Va.) finished with a time of 29:45.51 and redshirted freshman Ari Klau (West Hartford, Conn.) finished with a time of 30:10.82 in the first outdoor events of their careers.
On the women’s side, UVA saw three Cavaliers compete in the women’s 5,000-meter race during the day’s competition.
Graduate-student Beth Hawling (Cheltenham, Great Britain) led the squad in its opening meet. She crossed the finish line in 40th place, finishing with a time of 17:14.24
Freshman Georgie Mackenzie (Leesburg, Va.) completed her first outdoor meet, placing 60th in the standings. She raced for a time of 17:29.79.
Concluding the group, redshirted junior Sarah Fakler (Phoenix, Ariz.) clocked a time of 17:36.82 to rank 68th in the competition.
The Cavaliers will compete in Miami, Fla., tomorrow at the Hurricane Twilight. The meet, held at Cobb Stadium, is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m.