Success at Liberty Open for track and field
In the second meet of the season, both the VCU men’s and women’s track and field teams compiled a second place finish out of six teams, including multiple top-5 finishes in the Liberty Open on Jan. 17, 2015.
Bryant Drayton
Contributing Writer
In the second meet of the season, both the VCU men’s and women’s track and field teams compiled a second place finish out of six teams, including multiple top-5 finishes in the Liberty Open on Jan. 17, 2015.
Taking place in Liberty, Virginia at Liberty University, freshman thrower Adam Hines recorded the best shot put number in the Atlantic 10 by 6 feet with a 16.65-meter throw on the men’s side. His first-place finish gives the Rams hope for the future, as he is the newcomer to an already acclaimed senior throwing crew that includes Brandon Ruffin and Ryan Coles. Hines was named A-10 Rookie of the Week for his performances in the meet.
Senior Mohamed Adam finished first in the 1-mile with a time of 4 minutes, 28.16 seconds with teammate, sophomore Bismillah Alidost crossing the finish line soon after with a time of 4:42.79.
Senior Matthew Earman faired first in the 3K with a time of 9:10.91, and senior Ruffin finished second in the weight throw with a throw of 17.40 meters.
On the women’s side, sophomore De’Nisha Smith lifted the Rams by placing first in the 200-meter sprint with a time of 25.48, in a very competitive field. Smith also finished first in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 9.01.
Sophomore distance runner Emily Dyke added on to her stellar start in distance running with an all-time performance. Dyke was named women’s indoor track Co-Performance Player of the Week. The Midlothian, Virginia native recorded the third best time in school history posting a 4:56.56 mile. This time registered as the A-10’s best mile of the year. Dyke also recorded respectable times, scoring first in the 1-mile run with a time of 4:59.19 and finishing second in the women’s 1000-meter with a time of 3:00.91.
Freshman Irielle Little won the 60-meter hurdles after clocking a time of 8.93. Her time garnished a significant victory for the Rams, as yet another freshman provided crucial points for their team’s success.
This meet was a step forward for both teams after third and fourth place finishes last week in the George Mason University Father Diamond Invitational at Fairfax, Virginia.
Both the men and women competed in the Virginia Tech Hokie Invitational at Blacksburg, Virginia, on Jan. 24, 2015. While results were not final as of press time, the Rams looked to fare better than last season, as the event hosts some of the toughest teams in the country.
