It was a dark and stormy day, but Virginia wasn't about to let that hold them back. Both the men's and women's track and field teams came out on top Saturday in the Lou Onesty Invitational, Virginia's annual home meet.
The victories have a special significance for the Cavaliers, who are usually anywhere but Virginia for competitions.
"In other sports you always talk about the home field advantage," Virginia coach Randy Bungard said. "We get one home field advantage ... It's really a feel-good meet for the team and for the coaches. You're home.You get a chance to sleep in your own bed, you get a chance to be cheered on by people who you care about."
Going the distance, Cavaliers Janine Ricci and Huma Husain had a one-two finish in the 1,500-meter run, with Ricci securing an Eastern College Athletic Conference qualifying time of 44:34.22 by just .22 seconds. Keshia Ashe and Ayla Smith also took a one-two finish in the 100-meter hurdles, with Ashe hitting ECAC qualifying time 14.44 exactly. Smith was also the second part of a one-two finish in the 400-meter hurdles, where Erin Crawford came in first with a regional qualifying time of 58.68. Smith had an ECAC qualifying time of 1:01.31.
Kellen Blassingame landed a victory for the men in the 400-meter hurdles with 48.68. The men's and women's teams finished the meet on a high note, both taking victories in the 1,600-meter relay. While the rain may have been daunting for some, it clearly did not stand in the Virginia's way.
"Last week in Texas it was 30 degrees and raining too," Crawford said. "You have to deal with what the weather gives you."
While many Cavaliers found success on the track, their counterparts on the field were also bringing in a significant amount of points.
Katie Tershel and Tomika Ferguson had a one-two finish in the triple jump, with Tershel securing a personal best 12.03 meters. Kathleen Darraugh and Kathryn Pettine were second and third in the pole vault with 3.20 meters and 3.05 meters respectively and Meghan Briggs took first place in the women's javelin throw with a personal best and regional qualifying distance of 44.45 meters.
Still, despite the impressive performance on both track and field, Virginia didn't perform up to the high bar the team set last season.
"I think the weather had a lot to do with that," Bungard said. "Not just today, this spring has been a pretty brutal spring
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