Track & Field: UVA men finish 8th as Cohen wins 800m title at NCAA Championships

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Posted on Friday, Jun. 7, 2024, 11:00 pm

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Courtesy UVA Media Relations

Photos: UVA Athletics

The Virginia men’s track and field team closed out competition at the NCAA Outdoor Championships Friday at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., where Shane Cohen won the NCAA 800m title to help the Cavaliers post their third-highest finish at the meet in program history with an eighth-place finish.

Shane Cohen National Champion
Capping off the season the only way he knows how, in style. Shane Cohen put on a show in the men’s 800m final to being home a National Championship trophy to Charlottesville.
Cohen executed his race from the back of the pack before surging to the front with 120 meters remaining. Cohen recorded a new personal-best 1:44.97 with nearly even splits of 52.18 and 52.79 for 400-meter laps.

This marks the fourth National title by a Virginia athlete in the event, the first since Robby Andrews in 2011. The only other Cavalier to achieve the feat was Paul Ereng in 1988 and 1989. Cohen is often compared with Robby Andrews and his style of running this particular race.

With his time, Cohen becomes only the second collegiate athlete run sub-1:45 for 800 meters this season.

The Huntington Valley, Penn., native remains ranked third all-time in Virginia history.

In his Division I NCAA Outdoor Championship debut, Cohen earned the first DI Outdoor All-American honors of his career.

Dynamic Duo in the Steeple
Nate Mountain and Yasin Sado close out an impressive season in the 3000-meter steeplechase with All-American honors.
Mountain led the way finishing runner-up with a time of 8:25.71 followed by Sado in seventh with his time of 8:28.17.
Mountain caps of his season with the second consecutive First Team All-American honors of his career and betters his performance from a year ago where he finished fourth with a time of 8:35.99. The junior recorded the highest finish in the event by a Virginia athlete in the event. 
After a 14th-place finish in 2022 and missing out on the final a year ago, Sado was determined to redeem himself for which he did just that. Having already notched second team honors in the event, the senior adds First Team All-American accolades to his resume.
The duo combined to score 10 points of the teams total 26 points.
Wes Porter on the Podium
Virginia senior, Wes Porter hung tight in the 1500m final to come away with All-American honors and a sixth place finish in 3:40.39.

In his NCAA Outdoor debut, Porter qualified for his first NCAA Outdoor final and earned First Team All-American honors. The last time a Virginia athlete saw First Team All-American honors in the event was Henry Wayne back in 2016.

Porter entered the competition as the 22nd seed of the 24 competitors set to toe the line in Eugene and walks away as the sixth-place finisher at the Outdoor National Championships.
Just off his personal best of 3:39.54, Porter remains ranked third all-time in program history.
Jacob Lemmon
With his final meet in a Virginia uniform, Jacob Lemmon threw for 60.43m/198-3 to finish sixth and earn his third outdoor All-American honors in the discus.
Lemmon launched on out 60.43m on his second throw of the competition, his mark that would ultimately solidify his First Team status.
After missing out on the championships a year ago due to injury, Lemmon was determined to make his mark. The senior finished 15th in 2022 with his mark of 57.78m and fifth in 2021 with his mark of 56.77m.
Lemmon remains one of two Cavaliers to earn All-American honors for the first time in program history. Prior to Claudio Romano and Lemmon in 2021, no Virginia athlete had achieved the feat.
HISTORIC IMPLICATIONS
  • With their eighth place finish in the team standings, Virginia posts its third-highest finish at the NCAA Championships in program history
  • The Cavaliers’ 26 points also ranks as their second-most in program history
  • Virginia finished higher than any other ACC team at the NCAA Championships for the second consecutive year.
  • The Cavaliers’ total of five First-Team All-Americans and three Honorable Mention All-Americans.
THURSDAY RECAP
  • On the first day of competition, three Cavaliers earned All-American Honorable Mention.
  • In his NCAA Outdoor Championships debut, John Fay threw for 65.23m/214-0 on his second throw of the competition to finish 23rd
  • Gary Martin’s season came to a close in the men’s 1500m semifinal as the sophomore crossed the line in 3:41.43 to finish ninth in his heat and 21st overall. 
  • Will Anthony capped of an impressive season with an 18th place finish in the men’s 10,000m with his time of 28:56.48.
    Virginia advanced four athletes to the finals including Shane Cohen (800m), Wes Porter (1500m), Nate Mountain (3000m steeplechase) and Yasin Sado (3000m steeplechase).

UP NEXT

The NCAA Outdoor Championships continue Saturday, as Celia Rifaterra and Margot Appleton take to the track in the women’s high jump and 5000m. Rifaterra is set to jump at 2 p.m. PT / 5 p.m. ET while Appleton is set to race at 4:25 p.m. PT / 7:25 p.m. ET.