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Anumba and Appleton Inspire on Day Two of Raleigh Relays

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RALEIGH, N.C. – The Cavalier men’s and women’s track and field teams competed at the second day of NC State’s Raleigh Relays where Ashley Anumba and Margot Appleton got off to a flying start to their 2023 campaigns as each set the bar for NCAA Division I in the discus and 1500 meters on Friday (March 24) at the Paul Derr Track and Field Facility.

Anumba got things started for the Cavaliers in the women’s discus. In her first attempt of the competition, she unleashed a personal-best throw that soared 59.37 meters (194’9”) to win the event and set the nation’s leading mark. The performance breaks Anumba’s own Virginia record which she most recently set at the Nigerian National Sports Festival in December 2022 where she threw 59.06 meters (193’9”) – This marks the fifth time Anumba has broken the Virginia discus record since she joined the team in 2022. The mark also stands as a Raleigh Relays record.

Janae Profit followed up with a personal best of her own as she broke the 50-meter mark for the first time in her career throwing 50.20 meters (164’2”) to place seventh. Profit marks her second-consecutive personal-best performance after throwing a personal best in the shot put on Thursday (March 23).

Margot Appleton carried on her outstanding season with her first outdoor appearance of 2023 coming off an All-American indoor campaign in the mile. Running in the final heat of the 1500 meters, Appleton shattered her personal-best running 4:08.96 to take the victory and go nine seconds under her previous best. The time is currently the fastest in NCAA Division I on the young season. Appleton set a Raleigh Relays record as well as a facility record that was last held by former Cavalier Michaela Meyer who set the mark at 4:09.78 at the ACC Championships in 2021.

Also running in the final heat of the 1500 meters was Esther Seeland, who made her outdoor debut for Virginia. Seeland posted a personal best of her own clocking 4:12.55. After just one race, Seeland now ranks fifth in NCAA Division I this season and fourth all-time at Virginia in the 1500 meters.

In the women’s 100-meter dash, Sarah Akpan got off to a hot start in her outdoor debut. The first year led Virginia to the finish crossing in 11.70 seconds, a time that ranks third all-time among UVA freshman and 10th overall. Jada Seaman and Kayla Bonnick recorded fifth and sixth-place finishes in their respective heats.

A freshman pair of Luke Schroeder and Jaden Lyons each raced to second-place finishes in their respective heats clocking 48.40 and 48.43.

Day One Highlights:

  • Conor Murphy started his season with a victory and a PB in the 1500 meters (3:39.75) – third-fastest all-time at UVA
  • Gary Martin set the Virginia freshman record in the 1500m clocking 3:40:08 placing second
  • Wes Porter and Yasin Sado went 4-5 in the 1500m to put four Cavaliers in the top-five
  • Murphy, Martin, Sado and Porter all rank in the nation’s top-five in the 1500 meters
  • Nate Mountain clocked a personal best in the 5000m running 13:48.25. Jack Eliason also posted a PB
  • Janae Profit threw a personal-best 15.36 meters (50’4.75) to place fifth in the shot put
  • Brooke Lumpkin made her outdoor debut in the shot put placing eighth

Up Next:

The Cavaliers will resume action at the Raleigh Relays tomorrow (March 25). Beginning with the men’s hammer throw at 9:45 a.m.

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