Hazzard, Guy Set Virginia Records at Columbia Challenge
NEW YORK- Both redshirt senior Bridget Guy (Greensburg, Pa.) and redshirt freshman Halle Hazzard (Commack, N.Y.) set a Virginia track and field school record on Friday (Jan. 25) to open competition for the Cavaliers at the Dr. Sanders Columbia Challenge at the New York City Armory in New York.
Guy won the pole vault and set a UVA record in the event, clearing height of 4.20m (13’9.25″). She topped her previous best mark of 4.17m (13’8.25″) with her first attempt at clearing 4.20m.
“Bridget has been consistent in her start to each competition this year,” assistant coach Mario Wilson said. “Today’s meet was the most competitive thus far, but she took everything in stride. She is making strides towards her ultimate goal.”
Hazzard ran a time of 7:32 in the finals of the 60m dash where she finished third overall. Hazzard’s time was a collegiate best by six-hundredths of a second and topped the previous UVA record time of 7.37 set in 2003 by Kiamesha Otey.
“Oh wow, what a difference a year makes” assistant coach Michelle Freeman said. “Halle came back with a different mindset this year. Physically, her body has been able to do a lot more, which in turn helps her mentally. Her opener tells me that she has so much more. Every meet that she competes in, she steadily improves as the strength of the competition gets stiffer. The best is yet to come for her.”
Redshirt senior Mia Barron (Minnetonka, Minn.) placed second in the long jump with a season-best mark of 5.93m (19’5.5″).
Senior Ciara Leonard (Elkins Park, Pa.) and junior Alexis Woodley (Chesapeake, Va.) finished seventh and eighth, respectively, in the 60m hurdles. Leonard ran a time of 8.52, after running a season-best time of 8.49 in the prelims, while Woodley captured a time of 8.55 in the finals, after qualifying with a time of 8.42 in the prelims.
Additionally, junior Andrenett Knight (Morant Bay, Jamaica) recorded her best 60m hurdles time in a Cavalier uniform, running a time of 8.56 to place 11th in the event. Junior Anna Jefferson (Warren, Mich.) placed 13th in the 60m dash with a time of 7.63, while junior Tedi DeMaria (Feura Bush, N.Y.) finished eighth and cleared 3.75m (12’3.5″) with her jump in the pole vault.
Freshman Mia Abulencia (Dix Hills, N.Y.) placed 16th in the long jump with a mark of 5.14m (16’10.5″) as freshman Thelma Kristjánsdóttir (Reykjavik, Iceland) finished 17th in the shot put with a mark of 12.90m (42’4″).
The Cavaliers will return to action tomorrow for day two of the Dr. Sanders Columbia Challenge.