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Virginia Women Win Penn Relays DMR Wheel in the Third Fastest Time in NCAA History

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PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – The Virginia No.24 men’s and women’s track and field programs continued competition on the second day of three at the 2025 Penn Relays at Franklin Field in Philadelphia, Pa. and the Drake Relays at Drake Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa as the women’s distance medley relay team won a Penn Relays Wheel clocking the third fastest time in collegiate history on Friday (April 25).
Cavaliers are Penn Relays DMR Champions 
  • The Virginia distance medley relay (DMR) team of Tatum David, Ariel Fletcher, Annie Jackson and Margot Appleton won the first Penn Relays wheel in the College Women’s DMR Championship of America since 1982.
  • The quartet combined efforts to cross the line in the third fastest time in collegiate history for the outdoor DMR at 10:42.16.
  • Their time also surpassed the previous school record in the non-NCAA event which previously stood at 10:48.55 from just a season ago. Appleton is the only returning member of the previous record relay as the team included Alahna Sabbahkan, Ester Seeland and Anna Workman.
  • David led off the relay as she completed 1200-meters in 3:20.66 to hand the baton off in fourth place.
  • Fletcher held down the sprint leg clocking 53.60 for 400-meters to keep the Cavaliers in fourth place going into the second exchange.
  • On the 800-meter leg, Jackson recorded a season best for the two-lap race clocking 2:06.45 on the third leg.
  • Receiving the baton in fifth place, Appleton had her work cut out for her on the final leg. Appleton split 4:21.46 for 1600-meters to secure the win for the Cavaliers.
  • Appleton surged ahead of Kimberly May of Providence to bring home just the fourth title in the event in Virginia history.

More Penn Relays Action
  • In the College Men’s DMR Championship of America, the Virginia team of James Donahue, Alex Sherman, Alex Leath and Gary Martin finished fourth with their time of 9:26.84.
  • On the opening 1200-meter leg, Donahue split 2:56.75 before passing the baton off to Sherman who split 46.29 for 400-meters to put the Cavaliers in second place going into the second exchange.
  • A battle in the pack, Leath clocked 1:50.04 for 800-meters and handed the baton off to none other than Martin on the anchor leg.
  • Martin worked his way up through the pack but ran out of real estate, ultimately crossing the line in fourth place. Martin split 3:53.78 for 1600-meters.
  • The quartet was not far off the program record in the event which stands at 9:25.56 from 1983.
  • Sarah Akpan ran a strong race in the College Women’s 100-meter heats where she just missed qualifying for the final by .02 seconds. Akpan stopped the clock at 11.77 to finish second in her heat and 10th overall.
  • In the College Men’s 110-meter Hurdle heats, the trio of Ethan Robinson, Peter Djan and Jeremiah Wilson notched top 20 finishes at Franklin Field.
  • Robinson was the top Cavalier finisher crossing the line in a season-best 14.14 for 13th place. His time ties Kevin Williams (’79) at No.7 in program history.
  • Not far apart were Djan and Wilson in 16th and 18th place with their times of 14.18 and 14.25 respectively.
Drake Relays
  • Estel Valeanu finished runner-up in the Women’s Shot Put University/College division at the Drake Relays.
  • Valeanu continued to better her mark on each throw with her sixth and final throw being her best launching one out 15.42m/50-7.25 for her best mark of the day.
  • In the Women’s Discus Throw Championship, Valeanu threw for a season-best 57.00m/187-0 to finish third in a competitive field.
  • Besting her previous season best of 56.08m/184-0, Valeanu betters her Virginia No.7 mark.
From Director of Track & Field Vin Lananna
“Winning a relay at Penn is the goal of every man or woman in our sport. I am very proud of these four awesome athletes. This will be a lifetime memory!”

 

Up Next
The Cavaliers continue competition at the Penn Relays in Philadelphia, Pa. and the Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa on the third of three days on Saturday (April 26) before returning to Lannigan Field to host the Virginia High Performance on Sunday (April 27).

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