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Track and field stacks top-10 performances at Brant Tolsma Elite Invitational

Virginia’s runners are showing strong performances early on the season in Lynchburg, bringing home multiple records

<p>Strong individual performances defined Virginia's showing at the Brant Tolsma Elite Invitational.</p>

Strong individual performances defined Virginia's showing at the Brant Tolsma Elite Invitational.

The Cavaliers wrapped up a two-day meet at the sixth-annual Brant Tolsma Elite Invitational at Liberty Indoor Track Complex in Lynchburg. Virginia athletes continued to build strong momentum across sprints, distance, field events and the multis, with multiple Virginia athletes recording program top-10 marks and personal bests. 

Senior Henry Sullivan posted personal bests in several events, highlighted by his 60-meter hurdles victory of 8.14, just shy of his personal best time of 8.09. Sullivan went on to post a dramatic improvement in the 1,000-meter, lowering his personal best by nearly 10 seconds from 3:01.92 to 2:52.32. Finishing second overall with a personal-best score of 5,414 points in the heptathlon, Sullivan delivered one of the most complete performances of the meet. This total ranks third all-time in Virginia's program history and currently sits 17th in the NCAA. 

Distance racing proved to be another major strength for Virginia. Graduate student Nathan Mountain dominated the men’s 3,000-meter invitational, winning in 7:47.35. Mountain's performance shattered both the meet and facility records and now stands as the second-fastest time in program history. This record also ranks among the top marks nationally this season.

Middle-distance success followed in the men’s 800 meters. Junior Tyler Edson finished runner-up in the invitational section with a time of 1:48.29. His performance earned him the No. 6 spot in program history and dipped under the previous meet record. This marked another milestone in an already strong indoor campaign.

Junior Gillian Bushee continued her upward trajectory in the 3,000-meter by running a personal best of 9:11.74. Her time moved her into third place on Virginia’s all-time list and broke both the meet and facility records. Graduate student Billy Atkinson won the men's mile in 4:04.86. Junior Cayden Dyer was just behind his teammate Atkinson, coming in second place with 4:06.71. There were many praiseworthy performances in the women's mile — freshman Katie Payne won in 4:50.75, and senior Katie Dorsey finished fourth in 4:55.88.

The throwers group continued to impress as well, carrying over from last week’s campaign. Senior Keyandre Davis won the competition with a meet-record throw of 22.55m/73-11.75, followed closely by graduate student Nikolaos Polychroniou in second with 21.84m/71-8. Both Davis and Polychroniou threw further than the meet record of 19.89m.     

Graduate student Cale Ayers placed among the top finishers in the men’s weight throw with a mark of 20.10 meters, making a successful debut meet. His throw surpassed the meet record of 19.89m and ranks eighth all-time in program history. In the women's weight throw, Graduate student Bree Lumpkin finished fourth with her fourth-round attempt with 17.49m/57-4.75, while freshman Charlotta Sandkulla finished fifth with her first-round throw with 17.42m/57-2.

In the women’s pole vault, freshman Hannah Byrd-Leitner finished runner-up with a clearance of 3.79 meters, while freshman Madison Townsend also cracked the top five at 3.64m/11-11.25. Graduate student Carly Tarentino led the Cavaliers in the high jump, placing fourth after clearing 1.62 meters/5-3.75.

Virginia’s sprinters displayed great performances with solid finishes across the board. Senior Peter Djan placed third overall in the men’s 60-meter dash final with 6.86. Senior Sarah Akpan, with 7.55, and freshman Ava Rice, with 8.48, finished fourth in the women's 60-meter dash and 60-meter hurdles after advancing to finals in the women’s sprints and hurdles. 

A great day for junior Brooke'Lyn Drakeford, as she recorded a new personal best at 55.42 and finished sixth place. The 4x400-meter relay team of junior Tori Daniels, junior Ariel Fletcher, sophomore Kaela Swift and junior Elsa Spoor joined efforts for a third-place finish at 3:52.30.

The Brant Tolsma Elite Invitational served as another strong marker of Virginia’s indoor form, with multiple records being broken —  the Cavaliers are continuing to build momentum as the season progresses. 

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