Steady rain forced Cavalier track and field athletes into University Hall Tuesday, where they continued practicing. Runners warmed up in the underground tunnels, while jumpers and throwers assembled in a vaulted space known as “The Cage,” training for an important home meet, the Virginia Challenge, only three days out.
Near the back-left corner of The Cage, sophomore Christine Bohan launched the shot put into a net. Throwing coach Martin Maric, a two-time Olympian for Croatia, offered instruction between her tosses. Bohan has been a star in recent weeks — two Saturdays ago in Berkeley, California, she completed a hat trick of field-event victories in the javelin, shot put and discus. Bohan led the women’s team to victory over the host Golden Bears and No. 25 Michigan, but this didn’t make her complacent.
“We did well to score as many points as we did and to come away with a win,” Bohan said. “That was our goal before the meet. But we still haven’t peaked and have to keep improving. There isn’t a whole lot of time before the ACCs are here and then the NCAAs.”
Bohan said her young team has made significant strides and shows true promise in the remainder of the season.
“We have made a lot of progress and are in a pretty good spot right now with a group of mostly first and second years,” Bohan said. “I’m excited to see what we can accomplish the rest of this season and beyond.”
In these final, all-important weeks of competition, Bohan and her teammates will depend on senior sprinter Jordan Lavender’s leadership to stay grounded in the moment.
“Jordan is our role model,” Bohan said. “She continues to be successful. It’s fun to watch her compete in all of her events. She’s a very supportive teammate and just a great person to be around.”
Lavender — MVP of the 2014 ACC Outdoor Championships — put on a show April 4 in Berkeley. Among an elite pool of sprinters, she won the women’s 400 meter by nearly half a second. An hour later, Lavender beat her two teammates junior Peyton Chaney and freshman Kiana Hairston, to secure first place in the 200 meter.
Friday, Lavender will compete in the 400 meter during the Virginia Challenge’s Main Event. Meanwhile, senior jumper Ryan Satchell will return to action after recording two top-10 finishes in Berkeley. Although the men’s team fell to host California by a mere nine points, Satchell remained optimistic.
“We didn’t come away with first place, but I saw good competition out of all the guys,” Satchell said. “Coach [Bryan] Fetzer talked about how almost all of us placed — that’s always a positive thing.”
Tuesday, Satchell strolled into The Cage with a confident gait.
“I really look forward to this weekend,” Satchell said. “We are back home, and it’s probably our first big meet here. The long jump and triple jump were on the same day in California, so I wasn’t at full strength after my first event. This weekend I can jump for the first time — meaning I can fully compete.”
Satchell, along with his teammates, will face the nation’s best at the Virginia Challenge. The meet will be one of the largest in program history: more than 1,300 athletes from 35 schools will challenge Cavalier athletes in their individual events.
“The competition is really strong,” Satchell said. “There will be some of the top guys here. Since this isn’t a scored [team] meet, I’m only focused on reaching 60 meters and continuing to get more reps. I know I’m not at my best yet.”
Satchell said that he and his teammates can perform well coming weeks with further training.
“Training has changed a little bit this season, and we’re still making that adjustment,” Satchell said. “If we can get back to where we were around this time last season and then gear it up by May, we should put ourselves in a great position for the ACCs and NCAAs.”
The Virginia Challenge is scheduled for Friday and Saturday at Lannigan Field.
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