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WVU Finishes Day One at Va. Challenge, Jesse Owens
April 22, 2016 11:01 PM | Track & Field
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University track and field team completed the first day of competition at the Virginia Challenge in Charlottesville, Virginia, and the Jesse Owens Classic in Columbus, Ohio, on Friday.
The Virginia Challenge will pick back up tomorrow with the women’s 3,000 meter steeplechase beginning at 9 a.m. ET at Lannigan Field and events at the Jesse Owens Classic will start at 10 a.m. ET with the 4x100 meter race at Jesse Owens Memorial Track.
The Mountaineers got off to a victorious start at the Virginia Challenge as sophomore Madelin Gardner claimed the win in the pole vault to sit at No. 4 on WVU’s top-five outdoor performance list.
Gardner vaulted an outdoor career-best mark of 3.90 meters to improve .09 meters from her previous best set at this year’s Mason Spring Invitational. Sophomore Sara Finfrock tied for fourth place also vaulting a career-best mark of 3.75 meters.
Freshman Danique Bryan made her debut in the triple jump, placing fourth with a season-best mark of 12.22 meters. She improved .16 meters from her previous best set in the 2016 indoor season.
Sophomore Shamoya McNeil placed sixth in the triple jump invite with a mark of 12.52 meters.
Senior Savanna Plombon represented the Mountaineers in the 10,000-meter run, placing 11th with a career-best time of 34:48.76. She improved by 2:05.23 from her previous best time set in the 2014 outdoor season.
West Virginia’s Megan Yuan placed 11th in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a career-best time of 10:27.39. The sophomore improved 2.77 seconds from her previous time set in the 2014 outdoor season.
In the 800 meters, junior Brianna Kerekes competed in the event for the first time this season. She placed 39th in 2:11.48
Select Mountaineers also competed at the Jesse Owens Classic in Columbus, Ohio.
Sophomore Corinne Kule placed ninth in the 5,000 meters with a time of 18:04.40. Sophomore Allie Diehl followed in 11th place, crossing the finishing line in 18:30.39.
Additional information regarding each meet can be found below.
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Saturday, March 01
Petal Palmer - 2024 Wilma Rudolph Award Recipient
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A Conversation with Wren Baker
Monday, December 05
Life as a Mountaineer - Haley Jackson
Monday, May 16
