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Cavaliers Cap Off Full Weekend of Competition with High Performance Meet

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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Virginia No.24 men’s and women’s track and field programs closed out a full weekend of competition with the third and final home meet of the season, the Virginia High Performance at Lannigan Field on Sunday (April 27).

Strong Performances in the Distance Events
  • The Cavaliers dominated the men’s and women’s 1500-meter races with seven athletes setting new personal bests.
  • In the women’s race, Cate DeSousa finished atop the leaderboard in a new personal best of 4:19.50. Just behind DeSousa were Gillian Bushee (4:20.57, PB), Luci Ilnicki-Lambert (4:25.05, PB) and Jenny Schilling (4:25.72) finishing second through fourth.
  • In the men’s race, Billy Atkinson finished runner-up in a new personal best time of 3:41.24. Atkinson finished just behind Virginia All-American Nate Mountain (3:41.03), who was running unattached.
  • Also in the race, Jimmy Wischusen (3:43.53), Charles Perry (3:46.64) and Aidan Cox (3:53.18) all recorded personal best times.
  • In the women’s 800-meters, Annie Jackson finished runner-up clocking 2:07.20. Jackson comes off of setting a season-best 2:06.45 as a member of Virginia’s distance medley relay (DMR) Championship winning relay at the 2025 Penn Relays.
  • Led by Jackson, Ella Woehlcke finished third in a new personal best of 2:07.64. With her time, Woehlcke ranks fourth among freshmen in the event in program history.
  • The men’s 800-meters saw four personal bests and one season best in a competitive field.
  • Showing his range, Gary Martin led the way for the Cavaliers crossing the line in 1:48.08 for the win.
  • Alex Leath recorded a top five finish clocking season-best 1:50.38 for fourth place.
  • Those notching new personal bests in the men’s 800-meter race including Tobias L’Esperance (1:50.50, 5th), Myles Plummer (1:50.89, 6th), Alex Valencia (1:51.36, 7th) and James Ford (1:52.21, 9th).

 

Speed Through the Finish
  • She was part of the Virginia DMR team that brought home a wheel at the 2025 Penn Relays, Ariel Fletcher returned to her home track to pick up the win in the women’s 400-meter dash just two days later. Fletcher clocked a new personal-best 54.19 to move up to No.7 in program history.
  • Virginia swept the men’s and women’s 400-meter hurdles as Gage Gose won the men’s race in 52.00 and Emily Alexandru won the women’s race in a season best of 58.93.
  • Jeremiah Wilson and Henry Sullivan went 1-2 in the men’s 110-meter hurdles crossing the line in 14.40 and 14.83 respectively.
  • Sarah Akpan finished runner-up in the women’s 200-meter dash clocking a wind-legal 23.97.
  • Sophia Akpan ran a strong race in the women’s 100-meter hurdles stopping the clock at 13.87.
  • Marlee Morgan rounded out the top five finishers in the women’s 100-meters clocking 12.18.
  • In the men’s 100-meters, Jerlan Fish finished runner-up with his time of 11.08 (-1.1).
  • Just behind Fish was Jaden Lyons and Michael Koepke in third and fourth with their times of 11.12 (-1.1) and 11.66 (-1.1).
Cavaliers in the Field
  • Estel Valeanu continued her successful weekend winning the women’s shot put competition in a new personal-best 16.50m/54-1.75. With her mark, she moves up to No.3 in program history.
  • Her success does not stop there as Valeanu won the women’s discus throw later in the day with her fourth-round mark of 57.28m/187-11. With her performance she bettered her Virginia No.2 all-time mark.
  • In the men’s discus throw, Keyandre Davis notched a new personal best of 49.15m/161-3 on his second-round throw to round out the top three finishers in third place.
  • Less than 24 hours after winning the high jump at the Penn Relays, Celia Rifaterra returned to Charlottesville to win the competition at the Virginia High Performance. Rifaterra cleared 1.76m/5-9.25 for the win.
  • Similar to Penn Relays, Carly Tarentino followed up her teammate, Rifaterra, taking second place clearing 1.71m/5-7.25.
  • In the men’s long jump, Heldi Valikaj leaped out to a season-best 7.30m/23-11.50 to win the competition.
  • Lily Hulland won the women’s triple jump competition leaping out 12.74m/41-9.75 on her fourth trip down the runway.
  • The Cavalier trio of Abigail Meckes, Siobhan Loughney and Josephine Generux finished second through fourth place in the women’s javelin throw.
  • Meckes threw 42.32m/138-10 while Loughney (39.87m/130-9) and Genereux (38.71m/127-0) threw just under 40-meters.
Up Next
The Cavaliers will be back in action as the team is set to travel to the Kehoe Twilight Invitational at the Kehoe Track & Field Complex in College Park, Md. on Friday, May 2.

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