McKee and Hazzard Lead UVA at ACCs with Second-Place Finishes
Blacksburg, VA – The Virginia women’s indoor track and field team wrapped up the final day of events at the ACC Championships with a pair of second-place finishes that helped the Cavaliers to a ninth-place showing in the 15-team field. Florida State won the championship with 85 points.
Senior Kelly McKee (Lenexa, Kan.) and redshirt freshman Halle Hazzard (Commack, N.Y.) turned in runner-up performances in their respective finals to earn All-ACC honors and earn trips to the awards podium.
On her final attempt, McKee jumped 13.00m (42′-8″) to set a personal best mark and moved up to the silver medal position. It marks the second consecutive year she takes home a medal from the ACC Indoor Championships. She was also the runner-up last year. Classmate Mia Barron (Minnetonka, Minn.) also advanced to the finals of the triple jump and was eighth at 12.63m (41’5.25′).
Hazzard entered the 60m dash with the seventh fastest time from Friday’s prelims, but tied her own school record with a clocking of 7.32 to claim second place.
“The ones who competed today really stepped up,” said UVA director of track and field Bryan Fetzer. “Kelly McKee, competing for the first time during the indoor season and finishes at 13 meters, which is fantastic for her and a real confidence builder going into the outdoor season. Halle Hazzard has been consistent all year which is great to see after she had to sit out last season as a first year with injuries.”
Junior Anna Jefferson (Warren, Mich.) picked up points for UVA and grabbed second-team All-ACC honors by finishing fourth in the 400m with a PR time of 53.33.
Sophomore Brittany Jones (Bloomfield, Conn.) made it to the finals of the shot put where she placed eighth with a best effort of 14.83m (48′-8″).
“Overall, there were a lot of positives when there were not a lot of opportunities for scoring,” Fetzer said. “We are really excited about the upcoming outdoors season. We have a plethora of points that don’t even compete for us during the indoor season. This performance should give our women’s team a lot of confidence as they head into the outdoor portion of the schedule.”
Commonwealth Clash
The ACC Championships served as the men’s and women’s matchup between Virginia and Virginia Tech in the Commonwealth Clash. The Commonwealth Clash presented by Virginia529 is a head-to-head, points-based competition between the athletic teams at University of Virginia and Virginia Tech. The Hokies claimed the point at stake during the event by virtue of finishing third overall at the championship.
The Commonwealth Clash encourages a friendly, statewide rivalry between the two schools across all school-sponsored sports with 21 individual event points on the line. The school that accumulates 11 points or more will be crowned the winner and take home the Virginia529 Commonwealth Clash trophy. Visit www.TheCommonwealthClash.com for more information and updated standings.
Final Team Standings: 1. Miami (91), 2. Florida State (85), 3. Virginia Tech (84), 4. Louisville (63), 5. Duke (60), 6. NC State (58), 7. Clemson (39), 8. Notre Dame (33), 9. Virginia (31), 10. North Carolina (29) & Syracuse (29), 12. Wake Forest (23), 13. Georgia Tech (20), 14. Pitt (12), 15. Boston College (4).