Four Cavaliers to Compete at USATF Championships
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Four members of the Virginia men’s track and field program are set to compete at the USATF Championships at Hayward Field in in Eugene, Ore. from Thursday (July 6) through Sunday (July 9). Derek Johnson and Ethan Dabbs will compete in the senior division while Justin Rogers and Tyler Zawatski will compete simultaneously in the U20 division.
The USATF Championships will air live on CNBC, NBCSports.com, the NBC Sports app and Peacock.
Johnson will compete in the 3000-meter steeplechase following an impressive collegiate campaign which ended with an eighth-place finish at the NCAA Championships. Most recently, Johnson qualified for the USATF Championships with a personal-best time at the Elliott Denman New Jersey International meet where he broke his own Virginia record posting 8:25.23 to hit the qualifying standard.
ACC and USTFCCCA Regional Field Athlete of the Year returns to Eugene as the reigning U.S. Champion in the Javelin. Dabbs comes off a season in which he won his fourth consecutive ACC title in the javelin, becoming the first ever competitor to accomplish the feat. The Cavalier veteran finished as the NCAA runner-up for the second consecutive season at the outdoor championships. Following his win at the 2022 championships, Dabbs represented Team USA at the World Championships at Hayward Field – the first time the world meet was held on U.S. soil.
Justin Rogers looks to retain a title of his own in the pole vault. At the 2022 U20 Championships, Rogers jumped 5.35 meters (17’6”) to win gold just months before arriving in Charlottesville for his freshman season. In his first season as a Cavalier, Rogers tied for third place at the ACC Indoor Championships and placed seventh at the outdoor championships.
Zawatski is set to make his debut at the U20 championships in the javelin following an impressive debut season as a Cavalier. After showing steady improvement through each outing in the early stages of the season, the UVA freshman threw a personal-best of 64.70 meters (212’3”) at the ACC Championships to place seventh and earn a trip to the NCAA first round in Jacksonville, Fla.
Cavalier Competition Schedule
Senior Divison
Derek Johnson | 3000 SC First Round | Thu., July 6 (9:33 p.m. ET) |
3000 SC Final | Sat., July 8 (10:40 p.m. ET) | |
Ethan Dabbs | Javelin Final | Sat., July 8 (8:50 p.m. ET) |
U20 Division
Justin Rogers | Pole Vault Final | Sat., July 8 (3:30 p.m. ET) |
Tyler Zawatski | Javelin Final | Sat., July 8 (3:30 p.m. ET) |