Cavalier Men and Women Lead After Day One of ACC Outdoor Track & Field Championships
Three events complete after first day of competition.



April 16, 2009

CORAL GABLES, FLA. (theACC.com) – With three men's and four women's events complete at the Cobb Stadium on the campus of the University of Miami, the Virginia men and women have an early lead at the 2009 ACC Outdoor Track and Field Championships. The Cavaliers women, buoyed by two top-three finishes, hold a slim lead over Virginia Tech and Clemson. The men's distance runners for Virginia took fourth through fifth places in the 10,000m to edge out a lead to close the opening day.

Virginia took first and third place in the women's javelin to hold the early lead. Junior Meghan Briggs took top honors for the second year in a row while freshman Tara Karin earned third place and All-ACC honors in her first league meet. The Cavaliers, five-time ACC Champions, are in search for their first outdoor league title since 1987. Last year, Virginia took fifth place.

Virginia Tech took a first place finishes in the Javelin and Hammer throw but finds itself in third place. Marcel Lomnicky scored the win with a toss of 70.73m in the hammer throw. The mark was over 13 meters better than second place. Freshman Matthias Treff threw the Javelin 73.11m, missing the Championship meet record by .25 meters.

Florida State's Steeve Gabart won the 10K by a half second (30:38.48) to earn the Seminoles' their first league title of the meet. It was the Virginia who stole the show with a parade of Cavaliers to earn second through fifth place. Sophomores Ryan Collins and Emil Heineking took All-ACC honors while junior Trey Miller and sophomore Graham Tribble took fourth and fifth places, respectively.

Virginia's men lead defending champion Florida State by two points and Virginia Tech by nine points.

With four of seven events complete in the Women's Heptathlon, Maryland sophomore Kiani Profit paces the field by nine points (3215). Halfway home in the Men's Decathlon, North Carolina junior Mateo Sossah paces teammate Daniel Keller by 83 points.

Virginia Tech senior Natalie Sherbak won the Women's 10,000m for the second consecutive season to close Virginia's lead on the women's side to just three points.

The 2008 ACC Outdoor Track & Field Championships will continue on the campus of Georgia Tech on Friday. The day's events will open at 10:00 a.m. with a conclusion of the women's heptathlon and the men's decathlon. Coverage of this year's championship meet will be available online at http://ACCSelect.com, starting at 3:30 p.m. on Friday.