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Virginia indoor track and field has strong showing in the high jump and pole vault at the Virginia Tech Challenge

The Cavaliers competed in Blacksburg for a fourth time to close out the 2021 indoor regular season

<p>Sophomore Maya Maloney placed 10th in the pole vault, hitting a mark of 3.74 meters.&nbsp;</p>

Sophomore Maya Maloney placed 10th in the pole vault, hitting a mark of 3.74 meters. 

In preparation for the ACC Championship, Virginia indoor track and field sent a small squad to the Virginia Tech Challenge, competing in the high jump and pole vault. 

The Cavaliers did not partake in any competitions on day one of the Virginia Tech Challenge. On day two, the men’s team competed in the high jump and pole vault events, while the women’s team competed solely in the pole vault event. Experience was at the forefront for the men’s team, as five upperclassmen secured top-four performances in their respective events.

Sophomore Maya Maloney was the only representative for the women’s team to compete during the day. However, former Cavalier Bridget Guy, who participated unattached, also competed at the Virginia Tech Challenge. 

At Virginia, Guy was a two-time ACC outdoor pole vault champion and placed fourth at the 2019 NCAA Championship in the pole vault event. Guy is currently preparing for the U.S. Olympic Trials with the hopes of qualifying for the Olympics this summer. 

On the men’s side, graduate student Brenton Foster was the top performer. Foster starred as an unattached competitor in the high jump. He spearheaded the event with a first place jump of 2.20 meters (7’2.5”). 

Graduate student Sam Young, graduate student Joey Kelly, junior Colin Duignan and junior Kane Aldrich competed in the men’s pole vault event. 

Young competed unattached and led the quartet by placing third with a mark of 5.14 meters (16’1.75”). Kelly — another unattached competitor — and Duignan turned in a share for fourth place with a tied tally of 4.92 meters (16’1.75”). Duignan’s vault was a personal best and marks as the ninth-highest vault in Virginia history. Aldrich rounded out the group’s performance with an eighth-place finish at 4.77 meters (15’7.75”). 

On the women’s side, Maloney placed 10th in the pole vault event with a mark of 3.74 meters (12’3.25”). Furthermore, Guy won the event with a vault of 4.54 meters (14’10.75”).

With the regular season wrapped up, the Virginia Cavaliers will now shift their focus to the championship season. 

The Cavaliers will head to Clemson, S.C. for a three-day showdown at the ACC Championship from Feb. 25 to Feb. 27.

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