Track & Field: Seven Hoos rank in top five nationally after conclusion of Raleigh Relays

Courtesy UVA Media Relations

The Virginia men’s and women’s track and field programs closed out what was an excellent opening meet for the 2023 outdoor campaign on Saturday at the Paul Derr Track & Field facility. The Cavalier sprinters punctuated a meet that saw a total of seven Cavaliers post marks that rank in the nation’s top-five in their respective events.

John Fay carried his momentum from the indoor season into the outdoor campaign as he broke the 60-meter mark in the hammer throw for the first time in his career posting 62.36 meters (204’7”) to place sixth. The mark sees Fay climb to sixth on the Virginia all-time list.

In the 400-meter hurdles, Emily Alexandru won her heat to finish second overall as she posted a personal-best time of 58.91 seconds, a time that ranks ninth on the Virginia all-time list. Alex Sherman kept it rolling for the Cavaliers on the men’s side as he followed with a heat win of his own in the 400 hurdles. Sherman posted a personal-best clocking 51.89, a time that ranks eight all-time at Virginia.

The Cavalier women got their season off to a hot start in the 4×100-meter relay. In their first race of the season a team of Kayla Bonnick, Jada Seaman, Jada Pierre and Sarah Akpan posted a time of 44.49 which ranks as the fourth-fastest time in UVA history.

In the women’s 200 meters, the Cavaliers were led by freshman Sarah Akpan making her outdoor debut. Akpan raced to a first-place finish in her heat posting a time of 23.79 to break 24 seconds for the first time in her career. Jada Seaman took fourth place in her heat clocking 23.93.

On the men’s side of the 200 meters Virginia was led by Jay Pendarvis who posted 21.67 in his season opener. Freshman Jaden Lyons picked up a third-place finish crossing the line in 21.70 seconds, which ties for the third-fastest time amongst freshman in Virginia history.

In the men’s 4×400-meter dash, a Cavalier squad of Luke Schroeder, Alex Sherman, Evans White and Jaden Lyons raced to a second-place finish posting a time of 3:10.07.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Conor Murphy started his season with a victory and a PB in the 1500 meters running 3:39.75 to set the national lead and record the third-fastest time in Virginia history
• 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 pair of personal-bests in the shot put and the discus
• Ashley Anumba set a school record and nation leading mark in the discus (59.37 meters/194’9”)
• Margot Appleton set the national lead in the 1500 meters with a personal-best and Raleigh Relays record of 4:08.96
• Esther Seeland ranks in the nation’s top five after running 4:12.55 in the 1500 meters
• Altogether, seven Cavaliers rank in the nation’s top-five of their respective events after their performances at Raleigh Relays including Anumba (DT) as well as Appleton, Seeland, Murphy, Martin, Sado and Porter in the men’s and women’s 1500

UP NEXT

Virginia will travel to Austin, Texas to compete at the Texas Relays beginning Wednesday and running through Saturday. The Cavaliers will also host the Virginia Quadrangular at Lannigan Field on Saturday at 2 p.m.