The Virginia track and field teams performed as expected Saturday, easily winning their first home meet of the season at the Lou Onesty/Milton G. Abramson Invitational. The Cavaliers emerged as the early leader out of the field of 14 teams, and by early afternoon built a lead that would remain unchallenged for the rest of the day.
The Virginia women put up 200.83 points, 73.5 points ahead of second place Rutgers. The men scored 140 points to edge out Rutgers by almost 15 points.
On a day that saw Virginia claim 10 first place finishes, the Cavaliers started strong, claiming three first place finishes in three of the first four events, the women's hammer throw and the women's and men's long jump.
The field events, most of which started in the morning, brought six first place and 28 top 10 finishes. The Cavaliers boasted six of the top eight women's long jump finishers, including the event's winner - junior Kiamesha Otey, who also won the 100-meter dash. Otey jumped 20 feet 7.25 inches and ran the 100 in 11.90 seconds. Virginia sophomore Caroline Harvey finished third behind Otey in the long jump with a jump of 19 feet 0.50 inches and second in the 100 finishing in 12.22 seconds.
Junior thrower Inhar Chong set two personal records, edging out teammate Eliese Mitchell for first place in the discus throw with a distance of 155 feet, six inches, and finishing second behind Mitchell with a personal best in the Hammer throw. Mitchell also was the highest placing collegiate athlete in the shot put, finishing second. Mitchell put the metal ball 46 feet, two inches.
For the men, Jarrett Hagwood finished first in the long jump with a jump of 23 feet 8.25 inches. Hagwood also was the top Virginia finisher in the 110-meter hurdles where he placed third with a time of 14.21 seconds and was the highest placing collegiate runner in the event.
Virginia also took first place in the men's high jump as freshman Mike Riso won with a jump of six feet, nine inches, still just over five inches away from Herman Moore's school record.
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On the track, the men's and women's 4x100-meter relay teams both took first place. The men's team shaved 0.4 seconds off last week's time and came up just short of setting the school record of 40.25 seconds.
"We're so close," senior sprinter Shay Clark said. "We've decided as a team that the record is going down next week at ACCs."
Clark also was Virginia's top finisher in the men's 100, placing third and snagging another third place finish in the 200, falling behind Virginia's Scott Kimball, one of Clark's 4x100 relay teammates.
"Everybody just tries to win their own leg," Kimball said of the relays.
Virginia also had a strong showing in the 800-meter race where Megan Schwartz and Sharon O'Conner of Virginia placed second and third, respectively, in the women's field and were the two top women's collegiate finishers. Junior Matt Antunes placed second in the men's field and was the top men's collegiate finisher in the 800.
"I felt pretty comfortable," Antunes said of his best time this season. "I'm very happy with it, especially when it's right before ACCs and on the same track as ACCs."
Freshman Pat Slattery took second place in the men's 3000 meter steeple chase with a time of 9 minutes 32.02 seconds, a strong finish for Slattery going into ACCs Friday and Saturday.
The strongest finish for Virginia came in the Women's 100-meter hurdles, where the Cavaliers swept the medals. Junior Naccole Guinn captured first with a time of 14.22 seconds, senior Kim Turko finished second, and junior Curtrell Frye took third.
Although the competition was not as tough as it will be at next weekend's ACC championships, Virginia had an all around strong meet, and looks good going into the championships at Lannigan Field. The Cavaliers will, however, face some of the best athletes in the nation at the event. Clemson, claiming three national championships in the past four years, has dominated the track and field scene in recent years.
"We're really excited that it's on our home turf," Turko said. "With track so many things are unpredictable, there are always a lot of surprises. I have no doubt" that Virginia can challenge Clemson.
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