Virginia's track and field team may not get the attention of higher profile sports such as men's basketball, but they have quietly turned in a stellar season.
At the ACC championships this past weekend in Raleigh, N.C., six Cavaliers won their events -- four women and two men. In addition, senior sprinter Kiamesha Otey finished second in two events and third in another to help lift the women to a third-place finish. The men rallied behind first-place finishers Brian Kollar and McGavock Dunbar to finish sixth. It was a personal achievement for all of these athletes not to be taken lightly.
Each of these athletes has staked his or her claim to the athletic limelight.
Otey stands out in the exceptional crowd, motivating her teammates with her quiet ambition and example.
"She leads more by example than by that rah-rah stuff," coach Randy Bungard said of Otey early this season. "If you see someone working hard or running, it pushes you to work harder."
Otey has been stellar this season, rarely finishing second in her sprinting events and making NCAA regionals in the long jump during the indoor season.
Kollar, another of the team's top performers, won his third ACC title in the javelin throw despite throwing for five feet below his ACC record of 74.22 meters.
Kollar, a graduate student, takes time between his throws to focus on the upcoming throw and listens to music to help control his adrenaline.
"It's just all mental -- I'm just trying to go through my throw," Kollar said. "I've been throwing since I was 13, so I know what it feels like, but it's just hard to get the timing of everything."
In addition to doses of DMX and Creed to get himself pumped up for his throws, Kollar also has more calming music.
"I listen to Led Zeppelin to kind of take me down after the throw," Kollar said. "You can't [have high] adrenaline the entire time. You have to come down off the high, or you're just going to shoot your wad."
Dawn Cleary, another graduate student, won the 3000-meter steeple chase at ACC championships. Cleary is the school record holder in the event and finished within three seconds off her record time.
McGavock Dunbar, who took home the title in the 800-meter dash this weekend with a time of 149.93, ran a team-best in this event the last time he participated in ACCs two years ago. Another state champion in high school is women's javelin thrower Annie Bobiak from Pennsylvania, who earned all-ACC honors as a freshman last year, and this year went on to win the event last weekend.
Graduate student Carielle Doe set a personal record with a time of 53.70 seconds in the 400-meter dash. Last year, Doe ran the 400 in 54.13 and finished fourth, but the 0.43 seconds Doe shaved off her time in a year gave her a first place finish this year.
Another personal record was broken when senior distance runner Jane Maxwell ran the 10-K in 33:58.69 seconds to take home the ACC title. Maxwell ran her personal best in her home state of North Carolina, where she was four-time All-State cross country in high school.
Although none of these athletes get the attention given to the football, basketball or lacrosse stars, the Cavaliers can be proud of the accomplishments of their finest track and field athletes.
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