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Thrilling First Day of Competition at The 2025 Virginia Challenge

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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Virginia No.25 men’s and women’s track and field programs kickstarted competition at the 2025 Virginia Challenge at Lannigan Field on Friday (April 18) in exciting fashion as Gary Martin and Celia Rifaterra set facility records, seven Cavaliers recorded event wins and many more recorded personal and season bests.

Distance Dominance

  • Gary Martin continues to impress as the junior broke the meet record, facility record and school record in the men’s 5000-meter invitational.
  • Martin ran a blistering 3:16.82 for a new personal best to finish just over 10 seconds ahead of second-place finisher Kidus Misgina of Ole Miss (13:37.29).
  • Martin’s previous best and Virginia school record stood at 13:31.51.
  • The previous meet and facility record stood at 13:35.33 by Zach Facioni of Wake Forest in 2021.
  • In the women’s 5000-meter invitational, Margot Appleton cruised to victory in 15:25.19 to best the field by 15 seconds.
  • Jenny Schilling (16:01.27) and Gillian Bushee (16:05.84, PB) turned in impressive performances in the women’s 5000-meter invitational finishing in fourth and sixth place respectively.
  • Schilling and Bushee’s times rank fifth and seventh in program history in the event.
  • In the men’s 1500-meter invitational, James Donahue surged on the home stretch to secure the victory in a new personal best and Virginia No.5 time of 3:39.72.
  • Tatum David recorded a new personal best 4:14.47 in the women’s 1500-meter invitational to finish in second place.
  • Also in the men’s 1500-meter invitational was Justin Wachtel who put up a personal best time of 3:45.97.
  • Luci Ilnicki-Lambert recorded a season-best 4:29.59 to finish just inside the top 10 finishers in ninth place in the women’s 1500-meters.
  • Recording a new personal best, Billy Aktinson won the men’s 1500-meters in 3:48.11.

Cavaliers Showing Speed in the Sprints
  • Down to the wire, Alex Sherman outlasted Devin Nugent of Pitt (50.76) to win the men’s 400-meter hurdles invitational in 50.59.
  • Not far behind Sherman was Gage Gose in fourth place with his time of 51.47.
  • In the women’s 400-meter hurdles, Emily Alexandru ran her way to a season-best 1:00.10 to finish fourth overall.
  • Max Russo rounded out the top five finishers in the men’s 400-meter hurdles crossing the line in 53.72.
  • Finishing in third place and running a new personal best, Elizabeth Imoh completed the 400-meter hurdle race in 1:01.35.
  • Sarah Akpan qualified to the women’s 100-meter dash finals with the second fastest qualifying time and season-best 11.35 (+1.9).
  • Also in the women’s 100-meter dash, Lola Kolawole and Laila Simpson recorded new personal bests crossing the line in 11.88 (+1.9) and 11.98 (+1.9) respectively.
  • In the final, Akpan finished runner-up crossing the line in 11.40.
  • The Cavaliers went five-for-five notching season bests in the men’s 100-meter dash prelim. Peter Djan led the way with his time of 10.54 (+0.9) to finish 21st overall.
  • Also clocking a season best in the men’s 100-meter dash prelim were Jaden Lyson (10.80, +3.3), Jeremiah Wilson (10.83, +3.1), Jerlan Fish (10.83, +2.4) and Michael Koepke (10.98, +2.3).

Virginia Throws
  • In a stacked field, Jeremiah Nubbe finished second, first among collegiate athletes, in the men’s hammer throw invitational. On his sixth and final throw, Nubbe launched one out 72.73m/238-7.
  • Annika Kelly threw for 64.59m/211-11 on her third throw in the women’s hammer throw invitational. Her mark was good for seventh place in the competition.
  • Estel Valeanu kicked started competition at the 2025 Virginia Challenge in the women’s hammer throw. Valeanu threw of 52.88m/173-6.
  • Valeanu’s day did not stop there as she notched a second-place finish in the women’s shot put competition. On her first throw, Valeanu threw her furthest mark of 16.19m/53-1.50.
  • Keyandre Davis (60.87m/199-8) and Mark Cyr (58.76m/192-9) finished fourth and sixth in the men’s hammer throw.
  • In the men’s hammer throw, freshman Brock Schenck threw a new personal best of 50.86m/166-10 on his second throw of the competition.
Setting a High Bar
  • Celia Rifaterra set the meet record in the women’s high jump invitational clearing 1.84m/6-0.50.
  • Just behind Rifaterra was Carly Tarnetino in second place clearing a season-best 1.75m/5-8.75.
  • In the women’s pole vault invitational, Samantha Romano and Trina Barcarola set a high bar finishing third and fourth overall.
  • Romano cleared a season best 4.20m/13-9.25 while Barcarola recorded a personal best 4.10m/13-5.25.
Up Next
The Cavaliers will be back tomorrow, Saturday (April 19) for the second day of competition at the 2025 Virginia Challenge. The day is set to begin with the men’s javelin at 10 a.m. and will conclude with men’s 4×400-meter relay at 4:50 p.m. At the conclusion of the competition, the Cavaliers will recognize the senior class.

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