Indoor Track: Cavaliers wrap up competition at Hokie Invitational

Courtesy UVA Media Relations

The Virginia men’s and women’s track and field teams wrapped up competition on day two of the Hokie Invitational on Saturday at Rector Field House.

Taking home event victories in the women’s high jump and 400 meters, the Cavaliers finished off a strong weekend for the Virginia program.

RIFATERRA RAISES THE BAR 

• Celia Rifaterra put on a show in the women’s high jump, clearing 1.84 meters (6’ .5”) to take the win and cement herself in the history books. Her jump secured second place in the all-time performance list for indoor high jump.  
• Carly Tarentino met her personal best with a jump of 1.75 meters (5’ 8.75”), earning second place in the competition.   

SHERMAN LEADS 400-METER SPRINTERS 

• The men put on a strong showing in the 400 meters, with a win from Alex Sherman in 48.53 seconds. Evans White took third while Jaden Lyons took fifth, representing the Cavaliers well in the sprints. 
• Both Ariel Fletcher and Brooke’Lyn Drakeford set personal bests in the indoor 400 meters, placing fifth and sixth respectively. 
• Women’s 4×400 meters sets a season-best of 3:46.26, taking fourth place.  
• The men placed second, splitting 3:16.84 and wrapping up the Hokie Invitational.

TRIPLE JUMPERS SET PERSONAL BESTS 

• Leaping to a mark 12.87 meters (42’ 2.75”), Jordan Hardy took second place in the women’s triple jump and set an indoor-personal best. 
• Heldi Valikaj took sixth, furthering his triple-jump personal best by .14 meters from the Hokie Invitational in 2023. 
• Justin Rogers vaulted to a season-best of 5.10 meters (16’ 8.75”), nearing his indoor best of 5.18m (17’ 0”).

Friday highlights

RECCE SOARS TO POLE VAULT VICTORY

• Gabriella Recce opened her 2024 campaign with a victory in the unseeded pole vault marking a clearance of 4.00 meters (13’ 1.5”). Recce becomes just the sixth Cavalier to hit the four-meter mark tying teammate Hanne Borstlap for fifth on the all-time indoor performance list.
• Caroline Dannenbaum wasn’t far behind, the junior cleared 3.85m (12’ 7.5”) to take second place in the event.
• Also competing in the jumps for the Cavaliers was Makaiah Lee, who made her second collegiate appearance in the long jump placing eighth with a mark of 5.73 meters (18’ 9.75”).

FAY TRIUMPHS IN WEIGHT THROW

• John Fay and Jacob Lemmon dominated the men’s weight throw as Fay edged the victory, marking a personal-best of 20.98 meters (68’ 10”).
• Lemmon placed second with his best throw of 20.86 meters (68’ 5.25”) to complete a 1-2 sweep for the Cavaliers.
• In Fay’s first competition of the season, his mark cemented his fourth-place spot in the indoor performance list, improving from 20.72m (67’ 11.75”) at the ACC indoor championships in 2023 where he placed seventh.
• Bree Lumpkin placed 13th in a competitive field, throwing 16.78m (55’ .75”) in the weight throw.

SPRINTS SQUAD DISPLAYS DEPTH

• Peter Djan once again impressed in the men’s 60-meter hurdles, advancing to the finals and placing fifth with his time of 8.04 seconds. The Cavalier sophomore doubled in the 60-meter dash missing the finals by just two positions.
• Kayla Bonnick and Sarah Akpan went 1-2 in their heat of the 60m prelims, both advancing to the final. Bonnick went on to a sixth-place finish in the final with a time of 7.54 seconds.
• Brooke’Lyn Drakeford clocked a personal best in the 60m hurdle prelims, clocking in at 9.12.

AKPAN, PENDARVIS IMPRESS OVER 300 METERS

• Sarah Akpan won her heat and took fourth place in the women’s 300m finals with a time of 39.08. An impressive finish for the Virginia sophomore, Akpan’s performance was just .05 seconds off the Virginia record in the event.
• Jay Pendarvis hit a personal best in the 300mwith a time of 34.42 to take sixth place.
• Akpan also placed seventh in the 60-meter dash final after posting the second-fastest qualifying time.

ILLNICKI-LAMBERT LEADS MILERS

• Luci Illnicki-Lambert powered to a win in the third heat of the women’s mile, clocking a personal-best time of 5:00.15 and leading the Cavalier distance squad on the first day of competition.
• Running in the same heat, Katie Dorsey finished fifth alongside Lila Fenner, in tenth.

FROM DIRECTOR OF TRACK & FIELD VIN LANANNA

“This week was another great opportunity to build on a good start in the early portion of our season. We saw impressive performances and excellent progress at the Hokie Invitational. As we continue to move forward, I am excited for our program to put all of the pieces together and compete as a team next week at the Penn State National Open.”

UP NEXT

The Cavaliers will be back on the track next week when the team travels to State College, Pa., to compete at the Penn State National Open on Friday and Saturday.