Track and Field opens up at Virginia Tech
Junior Bryce Catlett finished eighth in the 3000 meter run with a time of 8:56.96 at the Virginia Tech Invitational. CT File Photo
Andy Riddler, Contributing Writer
The Men’s and Women’s track and field teams opened the indoor season strong at the Virginia Tech Invitational Jan. 11-12 in Blacksburg.
Women’s
Senior thrower Camora Sanders earned first place in the women’s weight throw with a personal-best toss of 17.76 meters. The throw breaks the school record previously set in 2014. Sanders also placed second in the shot put with a 14.61-meter personal-best throw.
Junior distance runner Emily Mulhern was victorious in the women’s 3000-meter run with a time of 9:53.90, winning handily with the next closest competitor finishing nearly 20 seconds after her.
Sophomore jumper Aliyah Newman won the triple jump event with a jump of 12.12 meters. Newman won an outdoor conference title in the event last spring.
Two Rams competed in the one-mile run — redshirt-senior mid-distance runner Nichelle Scott and junior mid-distance runner Ashley Brown. Scott took second place with a time of 5:00.82 with Brown finishing not far behind her in sixth place at 5:12.86.
Freshman sprinter Chanelle Hodges set a personal best in the 500-meter run, taking fourth place with a time of 1:15.96. Finishing just behind her in fifth place came junior sprinter Kara Lyles with a time of 1:16.41.
Men’s
Freshman jumper Camron Browne led the men’s team, winning the long jump Saturday with a leap of 6.93 meters, a personal best for Browne.
Two hurdlers — Ian Davis and Daiqwaun Faircloth — made it to the finals of the 60-meter hurdles where Davis took third place with a time of 8.04 seconds. Faircloth finished in seventh place with a time of 8.30 seconds.
Sophomore thrower Willie Schwartz earned a third-place finish and a personal best in the weight throw with a 17.80-meter throw.
Another personal record and third-place finish came from freshman thrower Jaekob Vollbrecht, who threw 17.02 meters in shot put.
Freshman sprinter Emmanuel Waller set a new personal best in the 500-meter run on Friday with a time of 1:07.52 to help him earn a fifth-place finish. Waller was joined by redshirt-senior Nicholas Buckingham, junior Chukwuezugo Aguolu and Faircloth on the 4-x-400 meter relay team that took fifth place with a time of 3:24.33.
Track and Field’s next meet is Jan. 18 at the VMI Keydet Invitational in Lexington, Virginia.
