Track & Field: Appleton’s runner-up finish highlights final day in Eugene

Posted on Saturday, Jun. 14, 2025, 11:59 pm

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Courtesy UVA Media Relations

Photo: UVA Athletics

The Virginia women’s track and field team closed out competition at the NCAA Outdoor Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., on Saturday. Margot Appleton finished runner-up in the women’s 1500-meters while Celia Rifaterra and Estel Valeanu notched All-America honors in the high jump and discus throw. 

• Appleton executed a tactical race in the women’s 1500-meters to become the NCAA runner-up clocking 4:08.99 and earned first team All-America honors.
• This marks the second time in three years in which Appleton has made the podium in the women’s 1500-meters at the NCAA Outdoor meet. She finished third in the event in 2023.
• Just under two hours later, Appleton toed the line in the women’s 5000-meters where she finished 13th, clocking 15:44.76.
• For her performance in the 5k, the senior earned second team All-America accolades.
• This marks her second consecutive year earning All-America honors in the 5000-meter event after finishing fourth a year ago.

• On her first throw in the competition, Valeanu recorded a new personal best of  58.22m/191-0 to finish ninth in the field.
• Valeanu bettered her previous best of 57.28m/187-11 and improved her Virginia No. 2 all-time mark.
• She adds another All-America accolade to her resume alongside a ninth in 2024 competing for LSU and sixth in 2023 with Harvard.

• After earning honorable mention honors a year ago, Rifaterra notched first team All-America honors clearing 1.84m/6-0.5 for seventh place.
• Rifaterra cleared the first three bars on her first attempt at each height before knocking the bar down at 1.87m/6-1.50.
• Alongside Rifaterra was her teammate, Carly Tarentino in her NCAA Outdoor Championships debut. Tarentino cleared 1.74m/5-8.50 on her first attempt to finish tied for 19th place and garner honorable mention accolades.

• Gary Martin finished fifth in the men’s 1500-meters to earn his first career outdoor first team All-America accolades, clocking 3:47.58.
• In the men’s 5000-meters, Will Daley execute a smart race to earn his first second team All-America honors, finishing 13th in 13:36.55. He moves up to No. 5 all-time in program history.
• On the first day of competition, Keyandre Davis garnered second team All-America honors in the men’s hammer, throwing for 66.24m/217-4 to finish 15th in the field of 24 athletes.
• On the second day of competition, Annika Kelly secured second team All-America honors in the women’s hammer, throwing for 64.87m/212-10 to finish 14th in the field.
• In the semifinal, Gary Martin (3:52.97) and Margot Appleton punched their tickets to the final in the men’s and women’s 1500-meters. Both earned an automatic bid, placing in the top five finishers in their respective heats.
• In their NCAA Outdoor Championships debut, Alex Sherman (50.98) and Jenny Schilling (33:07.58) notched honorable mention accolades in the men’s 400-meter hurdles and the women’s 10,000-meters. Both finished 17th in the competition.
• Justin Wachtel garnered honorable mention accolades in the men’s 5000-meters.