Jan. 30, 2010

Cavalier Men Win 4x800m Title at Millrose Games in Madison Square Garden
Virginia's men's 4x800m relay team won the Byron Dyce Men's College 4x800m Relay Friday night at the Millrose Games in Madison Square Garden, finishing with a time of 7:32.49 to outdistance second-place New York AC (7:34.48) by almost two seconds.

Sophomore All-American Lance Roller led things off for the Cavaliers, running a 1:53 800m before the national high school record holder in the 4x800m, freshman Zach Vrhovac, passed the baton to junior transfer John Minen at the 3:46 mark. The national record holder in the 800m, freshman Robby Andrew, anchored the Cavaliers' relay, running 1:53 through the final leg to pull the Cavaliers from second place to first and earn the quartet their first-ever Millrose Games title.

The Cavaliers also fielded a women's 4x800m relay team, consisting of seniors Jen Hovland and Ariane Sloan, and sophomores Tasia Potasinski and Rosemary Barber. The team combined to finish runner-up with a time of 9:08.96. Windsor claimed the title, finishing in 9:07.88.

Moss Highlights Day Two at Clemson Games with School Heptathlon Record
Miller Moss established a school record in the heptathlon Saturday and was just 22 points shy of an automatic NCAA qualifying total at the Clemson Games. Moss totaled 5,653 points and broke former All-American Ryan Koontz' three-year old school record in the multi-event competition.

Once again, Moss got off to a great start by easily surpassing his previous best in the 60m hurdles. The Sumter, SC product had a time of 8.28, best among the field of eight competitors. He continued his momentum with a clutch performance in the pole vault, as he cleared a personal best 15'1" on his final attempt. He finished strong as well, turning in a time of 2:49.48 in the 1000m run.

Brianna Rollins was one of three female sprinters from Clemson to post an NCAA provisional qualifying time in the 200m dash. Rollins won the event with a 24.17, holding off teammate Kristine Scott (24.34) in the opening heat. Jasmine Edgerson claimed the second heat and was third overall with a time of 24.39, followed by Stormy Kendrick (24.41) in fourth.

Noles Perform Well At UK
Brandon Byram turned in one of the best performances of the season on Saturday at the Rod McCravy Memorial Meet hosted by the University of Kentucky as he earned an NCAA provisional time in the 200m with a time of 21.03.

Byram's time is currently one of the top five times in the country as he finished third overall on Saturday, behind a pair of 2009 All-Americans in Kentucky's Rondel Sorrillo and Tennessee's Evander Wells.

Pilar McShine opened her 2010 indoor season with an NCAA provisional time in the mile run when she ran a 4:45.67 to finish in third place, her time was one of the top times in the country to date. McShine also turned in a strong performance in 3000m as she took the top spot in 9:34.04. 

Newcomers shine at Penn State National
The Virginia Tech track and field squads received several impressive performances from newcomers to finish competition at the Penn State National on Saturday in University Park, Pa.

Tech began with day with a strong effort in the women's 400-meter dash. Freshman Yvonne Amegashie posted her best performance of the young season with a runner-up showing, clocking 55.79 in the race.

Freshman David Wilson continued his stellar rookie campaign. The Danville, Va., native jumped 51-01 to place third at the Penn State National, after winning the triple jump last weekend at the Hokie Invite with a NCAA provisional mark of 51-05. Sophomore Hasheem Halim also performed well in the event with a sixth-place finish, leaping 49-02.50. 

Personal-Bests Fall For Miami at National Invitational
Several members of the University of Miami men's and women's track and field team enjoyed career performances at Penn State's National Invitational.

Senior Deandra Doyley and sophomore Brittni Finch finished one-two in the long jump. Both women reached new personal-best marks on the day with Doyley improving her provisional mark of 6.26m (20-06.50). Finch reached a distance of 6.03m (19-09.50). So far this season, Doyley - a native of Lauderdale, Lakes, Fla. has won the long jump in all three meets that she has participated in this season.

Ashley Dukes had an outstanding day in the 60m dash as she hit a career-best and provisional qualifying time of 7.33 seconds in the semifinal heat. Tara Thomas, advanced through and participated in the final heat, finishing fifth with a time of 7.49 seconds. Former UM All-American and current volunteer assistant coach Murielle Ahoure finished third overall in the event with a time of 7.31 seconds. 

McKay Jr. Leads Tech on Final Day of McCravy Invitational
Junior Antonio McKay Jr. won the 400m dash to lead the Georgia Tech Track & Field team on the second and final day of the Rod McCravy Memorial Invitational in Lexington, Ky. on Saturday afternoon.

The mark for McKay Jr. of 46.63 was an NCAA Provisional Mark and a career best for the junior in the 400m.

In other action on the day, Tech registered two top five finishes in the women's high jump, with Terri Anne Grant finishing second overall with a 5' 8" mark in the finals, while Bianca Stewart placed third with a mark of 5' 6" in the finals. 

Haraldsdottir Takes Second in Pentathlon
The Duke University men's and women's track & field teams returned to action today with day one of the Dick Taylor Carolina Classic hosted by North Carolina. Day two events, scheduled for Saturday, have been cancelled due to inclement weather.

Senior multi-event specialist Karolina Haraldsdottir highlighted the day one results with a second-place finish out of 13 competitors in the pentathlon. Haraldsdottir totaled 3,581 points in the event, trailing UNC's Gabby Gioia, the 2009 ACC Champion and NCAA qualifier, by a mere 71 points. Haraldsdottir's total is the second-best all-time mark in Duke history, trailing her own record of 3,688 set last year. In addition, she met the ECAC qualifying standard with today's results.

Freshman Curtis Beach also made his multi-event debut today for the Devils after competing in the 60m and 60m hurdles last weekend. He sits in third place after four events in the heptathlon with 2,882 points. Beach led all competitors in the long jump, recording an IC4A qualifying mark of 7.16m (23-6) for that event. 

Carolina's Stride Cut Short At Dick Taylor Carolina Classic
The University of North Carolina track program was looking at a weekend finish full of top marks in almost every event student-athletes were entered in when Saturday's icy forecast cut competition short disallowing the Tar Heels to host day-two of its third home meet in 2010. Zach Brown set a new school record - for the second week in a row - in the men's 60, as well as seven other first place finishes by Carolina.

Brown dominated the 60 for a second straight week, this time running 6.72 and beating his fresh school record by one-hundredth of a second. Hunter Furr, another football player to join the track team this season, also competed in the 60 running 6.93 followed by Kelvin Hardesty with 6.94. For the 60-meter hurdles, Kenneth Andoll was the lone Tar Heel to compete and he finished at 9.04, just missing the finals for the event.

Clayton Parros captured second in the 300 meters with his race of 34.06, followed by Charles Cox in third at 34.80. Parros and Cox were joined in the 300 by Curtiss Campbell, who is also a track addition from Carolina football. Campbell ran in 36.75. In the 500, Ian Williamson took third in 1:07.19. 

Jones Wins Weight Throw at Carolina Classic
Jason Jones won the weight throw at the Carolina Classic as the NC State men's track and field team completed competition at the shortened two-day event. Saturday was cancelled due to inclement weather in the Triangle.

Jones had a season-high mark of 55'05.75" to win the event. Teammates Grant Pearce (2nd; 54'07.25") and Nolan Stehr (8th; 46-09.00") both had season and career-highs in the event.

A'Tolani Akinkuotu and Reggie Reese both finished in the top-4 in the 60m dash, with Akinkuotu taking second (6.76) and Reese coming in fourth (6.85). Ben Major was fifth with a 6.89. Akinkuotu and Reese were 1-2 in prelims. 

Cozzarelli Leads Mile Dominanca at Carolina Classic
Andie Cozzarelli won the mile and three of her NC State women's track and field teammates also finished in the top-7 as the Wolfpack compete at the Carolina Classic. The event - originally scheduled for two days - had the Saturday portion cancelled after inclement weather in the area.

Cozzarelli ran a personal-best 5:01.03 to take the title, shaving almost four seconds off of her previous best.

Lawanda Henry led four Wolfpack women in the weight throw with a first place finish with a distance of 60'06.75. Jessica Sanders was second, Brittany McCain was sixth and Tiana Thorpe turned in a career-best mark and an eighth place finish.

Vaughn Leads Deacons At UNC Combined Events
Senior Caroline Vaughn recorded season-bests in three of five events on her way to a sixth-place finish in the women's pentathlon at the UNC Combined Events Friday at the Eddie Smith Field House.

Vaughn led four Demon Deacons with a total of 3,468 points. Freshman Gwen Ricco came in seventh with 3,341 points while senior Alex Gove was close behind in eighth at 3,288 and freshman Maddy Ricco came in tenth with 3,220 points.

Vaughn got the day started with a season-best in the 60m hurdles, crossing the line in 8.62. Gove also topped her previous season-best with a time of 8.96. In the high jump, Vaughn cleared an indoor-best 5-2.50 while Maddy Ricco notched a mark of 4-8.75.