The two-day Virginia Challenge concluded Saturday night with Cavalier track and field athletes competing in fan favorite events in an electric atmosphere at Lannigan Field.
“We were supposed to do the shot put at the amphitheater, but that didn’t work out,” sophomore Filip Mihaljevic said. “This was a great environment. It gave me so much adrenaline.”
Fans cheered in the stands, along the fence and on the hillside. DJ Andrew Hypes played pump-up songs barely out of hammer-throw range. Coach Bryan Fetzer emceed in an orange Hawaiian shirt and flip-flops. He hoisted a shot put to demonstrate its weight and interviewed star performers.
While Fetzer posed a question to a Michigan State athlete who had shattered a facilities record in the women’s hammer throw, her Spartan teammates chattered. A few complimented Fetzer’s enthusiasm and track and field knowledge. One said, “Guys, I’m pretty sure that’s their head coach,” surprising the others.
Over the PA system, Fetzer exuded the impartial passion and positivity of a track and field enthusiast, not a head coach. He praised top performers who weren’t even wearing the V-Sabre across their chests and assured the crowd that the nation’s best were in Charlottesville to put on a show.
Fetzer’s throwers certainly lived up to the hype.
Under the setting sun, Mihaljevic stepped into the circle and hurled the 16-pound shot put a historic distance — 20.16 meters. Having become the first Cavalier to exceed the 20-meter mark, he leapt into the air, shouted in his native Bosnian tongue and embraced throws coach Martin Maric.
“Twenty meters in the shot put is between good and great,” Mihaljevic said. “It’s almost World Championships status. It’s a top throw in the NCAA and enough to beat a deep field here. I’m really excited, but I know there’s so much more to come.”
Sophomore Jordan Young, who finished third in the shot put with a PR of 19.80 meters, has been a stud teammate since transferring from Arizona in 2014. Before Mihaljevic’s record toss, Young slow clapped with the crowd. After the shot put landed, Young chest bumped his buddy in mid-air.
“That support is what it’s all about,” Mihaljevic said. “Jordan and I push one another every day on the field and in the weight room to get better. We are each other’s biggest fans.”
That togetherness has contributed to the pair’s success, which wasn’t limited to the shot put at the Virginia Challenge. Friday, Mihaljevic beat Yemi Ayeni’s 2007 school record with a throw of 61.52 meters. Saturday afternoon, Young raised the program record in the hammer throw to 69.53 meters. He won the event by 3.64 meters.
Maric, a 2008 and 2012 Olympian in the discus, knows what makes his throwers special.
“It shows in practice — how hard they work,” Maric said. “They come out here, have fun and put on a show for everybody.”
An hour after the men’s shot put, Christine Bohan made history in the women’s shot put. Her heave of 16.31 meters topped Eliese Mitchell’s ’03 school record. Afterwards, Bohan expressed her sense of fulfillment, pausing repeatedly to hug proud teammates.
“All the hard work is worth it,” Bohan said. “I’ve put in so many hours learning a new technique and getting stronger. I wanted this so bad. I’m so happy everything paid off.”
Near the end of the night, Fetzer addressed his athletes underneath a tent. He credited their collective success over the two-day meet to hard work and discipline. Fetzer and his assistants know the Virginia track and field program is on the path to greatness.
“Right now, we have great momentum,” Maric said. “The ACC Championships are still four weeks away. We know the best things are yet to come.”
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