As the regular indoor track and field season came to a close this past weekend, Virginia heads into the postseason having raced not one, but three last laps across Winston-Salem, Boston and Blacksburg.
The men’s and women’s teams took on the ASICS Last Chance Invitational in Winston-Salem, N.C., Saucony Battle for Boston in Mass. and the VT Challenge in Blacksburg, where they delivered dominant performances as they look to spike up for the championship season.
The program has much to live up to after their historic last season — capped by a program-first DMR national title, a 3000-meter gold medal and meet record from Gary Martin and a runner-up NCAA finish for the men’s team. Last season was also the best finish for the women’s team since 2020 with a shining gold-medal mile from Margot Appleton.
This weekend, however, the Cavaliers rose to the challenge with strong showings across all three meets, a promising gust of momentum heading into the post-season.
The weekend opened with a swift start in Winston-Salem as the women’s DMR team clocked a 10:53.27, securing a sixth-place finish and No. 3 all-time program ranking in the process. Junior Cate DeSousa spearheaded the race, running a 3:20.22 on the 1200-meter opening leg before passing the baton to junior Ariel Fletcher, who notched a 54.48 400-meter leg. On the penultimate leg, sophomore Ella Woehlcke split 2:08.09 for 800 meters before junior Tatum David crossed the line in 4:30.47 for 1600 meters.
Over in Blacksburg, Virginia carried its momentum south with an impressive slate of fast finishes and standout strides. Sophomore Maya Rollins and freshman rookie Ava Rice took one and two in the 60-meter hurdle finals, clocking 8.39 and 8.40, respectively. Rollins not only marked a new personal best from her previous 8.42, but also moved up to No. 5 all-time in program history.
On the men’s side, Peter Djan recorded the fastest qualifying time of 7.99 to advance to the final in the 60-meter hurdle prelims. Djan also qualified for the men's 60-meter dash final, posting the fastest qualifying time of 6.84, going on to win the race with a 6.91 mark.
The women’s 60-meter dash followed, where sophomore Kaela Swift stunned with a runner-up finish in 7.59.
A wave of navy blue and orange swept places sixth through ninth in the men’s 800-meter, where junior Alex Leath who clocked 1:50.48, freshman Kayden Lightner with 1:51.53, graduate student Harrison Witt with 1:51.74 and senior Myles Plummer with 1:51.78 all placed, respectively. Leath and Plummer claimed season bests.
Virginia’s sweep flooded into field events, too. On her first of six throws, sophomore and New Zealand native Suzie Kennelly stunned the field when she threw a new personal best of 15.34m/50-4 to finish fourth overall in the women's shot put. Kennelly was honored as the ACC Women’s Field Athlete of the week off the back of her performance.
As for the men’s shot put, sophomore Jakob Alperin threw for a new indoor personal best of 17.09m/56-1, finishing fourth overall and just trailing behind the Virginia No. 10 mark of 17.10m by Mike Murphy in 1993.
In the women's pole vault, senior Samantha Romano cleared the first three bars on her first attempt at each height, walking away with a season-best 4.09m/13-5 and sixth-place finish in the field.
Freshman Liam Paneque and sophomore Isaiah Hewton took first and second place respectively in the men's triple jump as Paneque leapt out 14.52m/47-7.75 and Hewton 14.38m/47-2.25, achieving their furthest mark on the sixth jump of the competition.
The Cavaliers closed the weekend out in Boston, with the men’s DMR team racing a season best and notching a Virginia No. 3 all-time mark of 9:16.75 to secure a third-place finish. Run by graduate student Nathan Mountain, freshman Anders Felts, junior Tyler Edson and senior Gary Martin, the team rose in rank to the top five in the NCAA this season and No. 9 all-time.
The all-time marks did not stop there. Graduate student Justin Wachtel not only clocked a new personal best, but ran a No. 7 all-time program mile of 3:58.14. The momentum in Boston began just one week prior when he notched a No. 3 all-time program 3000-meter time of 7:50.20 at the David Hemery Valentine Invitational at Boston University.
As the Cavaliers return to Boston, Mass. to take on the ACC Indoor Championships Thursday through Saturday, this past weekend’s three-meet finale is both a strong reflection of all they have been working towards and a glimpse of the success that is in store.
Read More
Virginia trounces George Washington 11-0 thanks to a run avalanche, superb pitching
By Xander Tilock and Drew Dillman | 9 hours ago“I thought it was our most complete performance of the year,” Coach Chris Pollard said. “I thought our approach in the first inning was good, but I thought with two outs in the first, our approach was elite, and stayed on the gas and continued to push runs across.”
Trevor Freeland's journey from PDR to the Virginia record books — and beyond
By Eleanor Lynch | 12 hours agoIn 1987, Freeland was the first African American athlete in the ACC to help Virginia earn an ACC Championship — the team’s first — marking a major milestone for the program.
In anticipated rematch, No. 11 Virginia routs NC State for statement 90-61 win
By Thomas Baxter | Yesterday“This is a really really good team, and they steamrolled us,” Wade said. “They’re better than we are. If we played them 10 times I’m not sure we could beat them. Maybe once if we get lucky on a neutral court. But, I mean, they’re just flat out better than us.”
