The William and mary track and field teams tore up Rector Field House on Friday night, opening the Virginia Tech Challenge with six championship qualifications. The men's team also had two freshman records broken and three new entries on the Tribe's all-time lists, while the women's team added two more all-time performances.
Complete Friday Results
Women's 3,000m
In the women's 3,000m, freshman Meghan McGovern (North Wales, Pa.) took third overall in a time of 9:44.81 to earn her first ECAC qualification. The time also lifts the rookie into 16th-place on the all-time athletes lists. Junior All-American Elaina Balouris (Allison Park, Pa.) was third in the race in 9:55.89, re-confirming her spot at the ECAC Championships as well.
Women's Pole Vault
Sophomore Nina Ullom (Chantilly, Va.) took sixth overall in the unseeded section of the pole vault, tying her career-best with a clearance at 3.45 meters (11-3.75). Ullom is tied for the rank of eighth-highest vaulter ever at W&M indoors.
Men's 200m
Freshman Bob Smutsky (Dillsburg, Pa.) continued his remarkable season in the 200m dash, and ensured at least one more race this winter when he ran 22.21 seconds to qualify for the IC4A Championships and take sixth overall. Smutsky will become just the third man in in the last 25 years to run at the IC4A indoor championships in an open race shorter than 500m, joining Jay Cunningham '93 (1990, 200m) and Sean Malloy (1989, 60m). Smutsky time, which broke his own freshman record from a week ago of 22.57, is also the fourth-fastest indoor 200m in school history, and confirms his spot as the No.-2 ranked athlete behind only Cunningham all-time at W&M.
Men's Weight Throw
In the weight, freshman Taylor Frenia (Virginia Beach, Va.) added one final freshman record to his season accomplishments with his sixth-place throw of 16.14m (52-11.5). A lifetime-best by 20.5 inches, Frenia's throw improves him to eighth on the all-time athlete's list.
Men's 3,000m
Junior Rad Gunzenhauser (Pittsburgh, Pa.) reconfirmed his entry into the IC4A Championships in the 3,000m, winning the race with a qualifying time of 8:16.23.
Men's Mile
W&M also had two IC4A qualifiers in the mile. Seniors John Muller (LaGrangeville, N.Y.) and Alex McGrath (Marlborough, N.H.) finished fifth and sixth, respectively, with Muller leading the way in 4:07.97. McGrath ran a lifetime-best by nearly 11.5 seconds, crossing the line in 4:08.14. He now ranks 16th on the Tribe's all-time athletes list for the indoor mile.
The Virginia Tech Challenge finishes tomorrow with a full day of action beginning at 11 a.m.
