WVU Returns to Virginia Challenge
April 18, 2019 02:08 PM | Track & Field
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University track and field team returns to Charlottesville, Virginia, to compete in the Virginia Challenge, from April 19-20.
The two-day meet at Lannigan Field is scheduled to begin on Friday at 9 a.m. ET, with Saturday's events set to commence at 10 a.m. Fans can follow along with the Mountaineers with the meet's live results, presented by flashresults.com.
More than 50 teams are set to join WVU in Charlottesville this weekend, including Boston College, Marshall, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, NC State, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Pitt, Penn State, Rutgers, Syracuse, No. 16 Tennessee, Virginia, Wake Forest and others.
WVU is competing at the Virginia Challenge for the seventh consecutive year. This weekend also marks the Mountaineers' ninth trip to Charlottesville since 2014. WVU previously traveled to Virginia this season for a four-team meet against Maryland, Pitt and the host Cavaliers on April 6, earning eight top-eight finishes, including four wins.
At last year's Virginia Challenge, WVU collected 11 top-10 performances, including an outdoor school record. Then-redshirt junior Madelin Gardner jumped a career-best 4.41 meters (14 feet, 5.5 inches) to place second in the pole vault and break her previous WVU best from the 2017 campaign.
Additionally, Amy Cashin placed second in the 1,500 meters invitational with a time of 4:20.29, while then-redshirt freshman Sarah Wills took second in the 1,500 meters (unseeded) in 4:32.71. In the field, then-junior Faith Penny tied for second in the high jump, recording a mark of 1.61 meters (5 feet, 3.25 inches) and then-freshman Ellie Gardner finished second in the pole vault (unseeded) with a jump of 3.71 meters (12 feet, 2 inches).
Last week, the Mountaineers tallied six top-eight finishes at the Bucknell Bison Outdoor Classic, from April 13-14, in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. Gardner won the pole vault with an outdoor season-best and Christy Mathewson Memorial Stadium-record mark of 4.32 meters (14 feet, 2 inches). With the performance, she was named the Big 12 Women's Track and Field Athlete of the Week on Wednesday.
Redshirt senior Bria Welker finished second in the 400 meters with a season-best time of 56.40 at Bucknell, while freshman Peter-Gay McKenzie placed third in the 100-meter hurdles (14.82). WVU also added a fourth-place finish by redshirt freshman Marianne Abdalah in the 3,000 meters (10:18.09).
The Mountaineers' two other top-eight finishes at the meet came on behalf of Penny's sixth-place showing in the high jump (1.66 meters – 5 feet, 5.25 inches) and redshirt junior Candace Jones' seventh-place finish in the 1,500 meters invitational in a lifetime-best time of 4:23.00.
Three Mountaineers enter the week ranked in the top 50 of the national performance list. Gardner ranks No. 10 nationally and No. 1 in the Big 12 in the pole vault with a top mark of 4.32 meters (14 feet, 2 inches), while redshirt senior Shamoya McNeil is tied for No. 37 nationally in the triple jump (12.74 meters – 41 feet, 9.75 inches). Redshirt freshman Hayley Jackson sits No. 39 nationally and No. 3 in the Big 12 in the 5,000 meters with a time of 16:20.50. Redshirt junior Olivia Hill also is featured in this week's Big 12 rankings, sitting No. 4 in the 10,000 meters with a time of 34:28.43.
In this week's United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) #EventSquad Rankings, WVU ranks No. 15 nationally as a team in the 5,000 meters, No. 23 in the pole vault and No. 28 in the 1,500 meters.
West Virginia is in action for the sixth consecutive weekend. In all, WVU will compete nine straight weeks, concluding at the 2019 Big 12 Outdoor Championship, which is set for May 10-12, in Norman, Oklahoma.
For more information on the Mountaineers, visit WVUsports.com and follow WVUXCTF on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
The two-day meet at Lannigan Field is scheduled to begin on Friday at 9 a.m. ET, with Saturday's events set to commence at 10 a.m. Fans can follow along with the Mountaineers with the meet's live results, presented by flashresults.com.
More than 50 teams are set to join WVU in Charlottesville this weekend, including Boston College, Marshall, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, NC State, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Pitt, Penn State, Rutgers, Syracuse, No. 16 Tennessee, Virginia, Wake Forest and others.
WVU is competing at the Virginia Challenge for the seventh consecutive year. This weekend also marks the Mountaineers' ninth trip to Charlottesville since 2014. WVU previously traveled to Virginia this season for a four-team meet against Maryland, Pitt and the host Cavaliers on April 6, earning eight top-eight finishes, including four wins.
At last year's Virginia Challenge, WVU collected 11 top-10 performances, including an outdoor school record. Then-redshirt junior Madelin Gardner jumped a career-best 4.41 meters (14 feet, 5.5 inches) to place second in the pole vault and break her previous WVU best from the 2017 campaign.
Additionally, Amy Cashin placed second in the 1,500 meters invitational with a time of 4:20.29, while then-redshirt freshman Sarah Wills took second in the 1,500 meters (unseeded) in 4:32.71. In the field, then-junior Faith Penny tied for second in the high jump, recording a mark of 1.61 meters (5 feet, 3.25 inches) and then-freshman Ellie Gardner finished second in the pole vault (unseeded) with a jump of 3.71 meters (12 feet, 2 inches).
Last week, the Mountaineers tallied six top-eight finishes at the Bucknell Bison Outdoor Classic, from April 13-14, in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. Gardner won the pole vault with an outdoor season-best and Christy Mathewson Memorial Stadium-record mark of 4.32 meters (14 feet, 2 inches). With the performance, she was named the Big 12 Women's Track and Field Athlete of the Week on Wednesday.
Redshirt senior Bria Welker finished second in the 400 meters with a season-best time of 56.40 at Bucknell, while freshman Peter-Gay McKenzie placed third in the 100-meter hurdles (14.82). WVU also added a fourth-place finish by redshirt freshman Marianne Abdalah in the 3,000 meters (10:18.09).
The Mountaineers' two other top-eight finishes at the meet came on behalf of Penny's sixth-place showing in the high jump (1.66 meters – 5 feet, 5.25 inches) and redshirt junior Candace Jones' seventh-place finish in the 1,500 meters invitational in a lifetime-best time of 4:23.00.
Three Mountaineers enter the week ranked in the top 50 of the national performance list. Gardner ranks No. 10 nationally and No. 1 in the Big 12 in the pole vault with a top mark of 4.32 meters (14 feet, 2 inches), while redshirt senior Shamoya McNeil is tied for No. 37 nationally in the triple jump (12.74 meters – 41 feet, 9.75 inches). Redshirt freshman Hayley Jackson sits No. 39 nationally and No. 3 in the Big 12 in the 5,000 meters with a time of 16:20.50. Redshirt junior Olivia Hill also is featured in this week's Big 12 rankings, sitting No. 4 in the 10,000 meters with a time of 34:28.43.
In this week's United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) #EventSquad Rankings, WVU ranks No. 15 nationally as a team in the 5,000 meters, No. 23 in the pole vault and No. 28 in the 1,500 meters.
West Virginia is in action for the sixth consecutive weekend. In all, WVU will compete nine straight weeks, concluding at the 2019 Big 12 Outdoor Championship, which is set for May 10-12, in Norman, Oklahoma.
For more information on the Mountaineers, visit WVUsports.com and follow WVUXCTF on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Players Mentioned
Distance
/ Track & Field
Mid-Distance
/ Track & Field
Distance
/ Track & Field
Pole Vault
/ Track & Field
Pole Vault
/ Track & Field
Distance
/ Track & Field
Mid-Distance
/ Track & Field
Multi
/ Track & Field
Jumps
/ Track & Field
High Jump
/ Track & Field
Hurdles/Sprints
/ Track & Field
Distance
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