Track and Field Opens Indoor Season at Liberty Kickoff Friday
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Virginia men’s and women’s track and field teams are set to open their 2022-23 indoor seasons when a group of sprinters and hurdlers travel to Lynchburg, Va. on Friday (Dec. 2) to compete in the Liberty Kickoff. The running events will begin at 11:30 a.m. with the 60-meter hurdles, and finish with the 4×400-meter relays at 2:30 p.m.
How to Follow
The meet will not be streamed, but fans can follow the action through a live results link posted to VirginiaSports.com. Live updates will also be posted to the team’s official Twitter account (@UVAtfcc).
Hoos Competing
Men: Liam Bellamy, Tom Corel, Nigal Davis, Peter Djan, Jerlan Fish, Jaden Lyons, Jay Pendarvis, Luke Schroeder, Alex Sherman, Will Trent and Evans White.
Women: Sarah Akpan, Emily Alexandru, Kayla Bonnick, Abby Comella, Azhelika Parenchuk, Jada Pierre, Alahna Sabbakhan, and Jada Seaman.
First Impressions
Among those competing for Virginia, six will make their debuts for the Cavaliers. Sarah Akpan will make her debut for the Cavalier women while Tom Corel, Peter Djan, Jaden Lyons, Luke Schroeder and Evans White will all get their first taste of competition in a Virginia uniform as well.
Notes on the Hoos
Jada Seaman enters her fourth year as a Cavalier coming off an impressive 2021-22 campaign where she earned All-ACC honors in the 60m, 4x400m and 200m as well as All-American honors in the DMR. Seaman enters the season ranked second on UVA’s all-time list in both the 60m and 200m behind Halle Hazzard – She holds the UVA indoor long-jump record as well.
Alahna Sabbakhan also returns to action for the Cavaliers after a strong 2022 indoor campaign. Sabbakhan will be looking to build off an impressive finish last season when she earned All-ACC status running a school record time of 2:05.74 in the 800-meters at the ACC Championships. Sabbakhan was also an All-American last season as a part of Virginia’s DMR squad that finished seventh at the national meet.
Jay Pendarvis returns for his senior season as well. In 2022, the short sprinter helped UVA to a school record time in the 4x400m relay at the Tiger Paw Invite as the Cavaliers ran a time of 3:11.64.
Alex Sherman will begin his second season at Virginia on Friday. As another member of Virginia’s 4×400 squad that set a school record last season, Sherman also took earned All-ACC honors in the 400 hurdles last season at the ACC Championships and will look to carry that momentum into the 2022-23 season.
On the Horizon
The Cavaliers will return to action on Friday, January 13 when the Cavaliers travel to Blacksburg, Va. for the Virginia Tech Invitational.