Track & Field: Kelly’s school record caps UVA’s weekend at Raleigh Relays

The Virginia men’s and women’s track and field programs closed out competition on the final day of the 2025 Raleigh Relays, as Annika Kelly broke the school record to win the women’s hammer throw competition. Jeremiah Nubbe and Samantha Romano also won their events on Saturday at the Paul Derr Track & Field Facility in Raleigh.

• Gary Martin continues his stellar season recording the third fastest 1500-meter time in collegiate history clocking new personal-best 3:33.71. His previous best stood at 3:37.66 from the 2024 Bryan Clay Invitational.
• In thrilling fashion, Martin broke the Virginia program record in the event previously held by his teammate Wes Porter at 3:35.63.
• Martin finished third behind the Villanova duo in Liam Murphy and Marco Langon also setting NCAA best marks.
• Alongside Martin, three more Cavaliers set personal bests in the men’s 1500-meter race including Billy Atkinson, Scott Sikorski and Myles Plummer.
• Sikorski rounded out the top 30 finishers with his time of 4:43.91.
• Not far behind was Atkinson in 3:48.40 and Plummer in 3:49.40 respectively.
• Andrew Jones broke the Virginia record in the men’s 10,000-meters crossing the line in a new personal-best 28:20.95. Jones’ time was good for seventh place overall.
• Just behind Jones was previous school record holder, Will Anthony with his time of 28:21.12. Anthony’s time was good for a new personal-best, Virginia No.2 all-time and ninth place finish.
• Justin Wachtel notched a new personal-best 13:34.44 in the men’s 5000-meters for the third fastest in program history. Wachtel’s time was good for 10th place in a competitive field of runners.
• Aidan Cox also ran a new personal-best 13:59.82 to dip under 14 minuets for the 12 and a half lap race.
• Estel Valeanu kick started the competition in Raleigh with a third-place finish in the women’s shot put competition throwing for 16.01m/52-6.50.
• On her second appearance in the ring, Valeanu bettered her Virginia all-time No.7 mark.
• In her debut as a Cavalier, Christiana Ellina won the women’s javelin competition with her second attempt mark of 52.59m/172-6.
• Good for a new personal best, Ellina’s mark ranks sixth all-time in program history.
• A total of nine Cavaliers walked away with new personal best times or marks on the first day of competition.

FRIDAY HIGHLIGHTS

• After two second team All-American performances at the NCAA Indoor Championships, Margot Appleton had some unfinished business.
• Appleton ran the fourth fastest time in collegiate history crossing the line in a blistering 4:05.68 on her way to break the Raleigh Relays meet record and Paul Derr Track & Field Facility record.
• The previous meet and facility record stood at 4:08.84 set by Shannon Flockhart of Providence just one year ago. Flockhart and fellow friar Kimberley May were in the field.
• The senior became the third-fastest collegian ever at the 1500-meter distance, only behind Jenny Simpson and Maia Ramsden.
• Nearly eclipsing Michaela Myer’s Virginia record of 4:04.02 from 2021, Appleton bettered her program No.2 mark by three seconds.
• Also in the race was Tatum David setting a new personal-best for 1500-meters clocking 4:14.95. Her time ranks eighth all-time in program history.
• Virginia went six for six on Cavaliers setting personal-bests in the 1500-meter heats.
• Freshman trio Stella Kermes (4:19.65), Tatum Olesen (4:24.01) and Ella Woehlcke (4:25.86) all put up new best times in their second collegiate competition.
• Annie Jackson stopped the clock faster than ever before, coming through the line in 4:26.67. The senior bests her previous record of 4:35.30 from this meet two years ago competing for Dartmouth.
• Under the lights in the women’s 10,000-meters, Jenny Schilling ran a strong race clocking 33:15.54 while Sophie Atkinson recorded a huge personal-best 33:29.46 to move up to No.5 all-time in program history.
• Estel Valeanu won the women’s discus throw on her first attempt in the competition. Valeanu launched one out 53.97m/177-0 to become No.4 in program history.
• Caleb Holman rounded out the top three finishers in the men’s triple jump leaping out 15.10m/49-6.50. While good for third place, his mark ranks fifth among freshman in Virginia history.
• Celia Rifaterra won the women’s high jump competition clearing 1.78m/5-10 just ahead of her teammate Carly Tarentino in eighth place with her mark of 1.70m/5-7.
• Justin Rogers cleared a season-best 4.80m/15-9 in the men’s pole vault invitational section.
• Evans White IV ran his way to a new personal-best 46.67 in the men’s 400-meters to finish fourth and become No.7 in Virginia history.
• In the women’s 400-meters, Ariel Fletcher tied Andrea Wright ’14 for ninth in Virginia history clocking 54.80.
• Sarah Akpan equaled her season-best 11.63 to finish eighth in the women’s 100-meter dash.
• In the men’s 100-meter dash, Peter Djan recorded a top 10 finish crossing the line in 10.55 for ninth place overall.
• Over hurdles, Ethan Robinson (14.24) and Maya Rollins (14.08) had solid outings recording 12th-place finishes in the men’s 110-meter hurdles and women’s 100m hurdles respectively.

“From individual champions and meet and facility records to national leaders and NCAA all-time bests. All were part of our thrilling weekend at NC State and I could not be more proud of our track and field team.”

The Cavaliers will be back in action at home with the Virginia Grand Prix at Lannigan Field on Friday and Saturday before heading back to North Carolina to compete at the Duke Invitational (April 10-12).