Sports Briefs

Women’s tennis team still perfect

The 34th-ranked VCU women’s tennis team remained undefeated, downing No. 58 Penn 4-0 Saturday at Thalhimer Tennis Center.

Marianna Yuferova (St. Petersburg, Russia) improved to 7-0 in singles and teamed with Olga Borisova (Minsk, Belarus) to claim adoubles win. The 17th-ranked pair improved to 10-0 on the year.

Borisova and Tatsiana Uvarova (Minsk, Belarus) were also winners. Uvarova improved her singles record to 7-0.

The Rams earned their 11th victory defeating 31st-ranked Maryland Sunday.

Women’s track and field tears up at Virginia Tech invitational

VCU’s women’s track-and-field team reached new heights as they set several personal-best marks at the Virginia Tech Challenge.

Finishing as a runner-up in the high jump, senior Tanika Brown (Powhatan High School) cleared the 5-10 mark. She is also the first Ram to earn an NCAA Regional provisional mark this season.

Verniece Johnson (Mineral/Louisa High School) came in sixth place in the triple jump and set a new school record at 38-02 3/4. She also placed fifth in the long jump, recording a personal best of 18-07 3/4.

Elsewhere in the world of sports…
Olympic medal count
Germany has tied the United States for the lead in the gold category at 7 medals, while Germany leads with 18 medals overall. Norway is in second place with 16 medals; U.S. is third with 13.

Men’s tennis drops third match of season

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – VCU junior Arnaud Lecloerec (Plouhinec, France), ranked 52nd in the nation among collegiate players, defeated No. 5 Raian Luchici 6-4, 6-4 Saturday, but the Rams fell to North Carolina 4-2.

Freshman Emil Lindgren (Stocksund, Sweden) also earned the 20th-ranked Rams a point by defeating Will Plyler 6-4, 6-7 (7-4), 6-3.

The 29th-ranked Tar Heels, who swept the doubles portion of the match, remained unbeaten with the victory.

The Rams host Ohio State at Thalhimer Tennis Center on Sunday at 11 a.m.

Deshazo sprints away with record

Men’s track sprinter Jackie Deshazo (Mechanicsville/Atlee High School) finished with a time of 34.35 seconds in the 300 meter dash Saturday at the Virginia Tech Challenge, setting a new school record. The new time is a shade quicker than the previous record of 35 seconds flat, set by Shelby Crawley in 1996.

Davion Lambert (Richmond/Varina High School) placed second in the long jump, and junior distance runner Cary Chafee (Richmond/Hermitage High School) placed fifth in the mile run. Junior Marlusz Mostrag (Krajnik, Poland) finished seventh in the mile run behind Chafee and finished sixth in the 500 meter dash. James Frierson (Richmond/Highland Springs High School) grabbed third in the 60 meter dash.