 |
|||||||
DISTANCE EVENTS LEAD RAMS AT WAKE FOREST OPEN WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Head Coach Julian Spooner mentioned prior to the 2008-2009 campaign that this year’s Virginia Commonwealth University men’s track & field team is one of the most balanced squads he has ever had in his 15 years at the helm.
Juniors Piotr Dybas (Jaslo, Poland) (above) and Stephen Mutisya (Machakos, Kenya) led the charge with second place finishes in the 5000-meter and 3000-meter respectively. Dybas posted over a personal best of 14:32.40, over 20 seconds faster than his previous best. He finished just .40 seconds behind Ridge Robinson, the event’s winner from Ohio University. Mutisya had a busy, but very productive weekend. Along with his second-place finish in the 3000-meter (8:32.77), he grabbed a fifth-place finish in the 5000-meter with a time of 15:00.27. ”Both Peter and Stephen are two of our key leaders and they continue to show why lethal they can be when the conference championships come around,” Spooner said. “Hopefully, both of them will continue to make strides and help us make a run at another title.” Success in the 5000-meter kept coming as three other Rams posted personal bests in the event. Sophomore John Vial (Glen Allen, Va.) clocked in at 15:20.26, over 40 seconds faster than his previous best. Senior Joey Wingo (Richmond, Va.) (left) broke the tape in 15:23.75, nearly 10 seconds off his career-best, and sophomore Chris Derose (Alexandria, Va.) rounded out the personal best with a time of 15:45.42, over 30 seconds faster than his career-best. Freshman Tyler Simmons (Manassas, Va.) posted a personal best for the sixth straight weekend with a time of 1:55.02 in the 800-meter, good for ninth-place. The youngster also garnered a top-15 finish in the 3000-meter with a time of 8:58.21. ”The scary part about Tyler is the fact that I don’t think it was one of his better races,” Spooner said. “Each week he posts personal bests and every time he does that it shows just how good he can become during his time at VCU. He’s got a legitimate shot at running in the Junior Nationals during the summer.” The distance events weren’t the only successful area for the Black & Gold this past weekend as sophomore Antonio Norvell (Portsmouth, Va.) earned two top-seven finishes among an elite group of sprinters. Norvell finished third in the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.96 and seventh in the 200-meter, clocking in at 21.85. ”Antonio showed us flashes of just how good he can last year,” Spooner said. “He went through some early season injuries, but he has bounced back with two or three solid performances in a row. When DeAngelo [Wilson] gets fully healthy, we have a dynamic pair in the sprints.” Other Rams that had strong weekends include sophomore Joe Edwards (Virginia Beach, Va.) and freshman Chris Kourlesis (Richmond, Va.). Edwards finished in the top-15 in his first 400-meter hurdles race with a strong time of 55.98. He also grabbed a top-10 finish in the triple jump with a mark of 44’ 6”. Kourlesis continued his outstanding freshman campaign with an eight-place finish in the triple jump with a mark of 44’ 9”. ”We’ll continue to work hard and improve over the next few weeks leading up to championships,” Spooner said. “We’ll be ready, that’s for sure.” Due to some track repairs at the University of Richmond, the Rams will be in the comforts of home this weekend with the Fred Hardy Invitational taking place at VCU’s Sports Backers Stadium. The meet will start Friday afternoon and run through Saturday evening.
|
|||||||
|
|
|||||||
|
|
All year long, Spooner has seen that statement come true. No matter how balanced the roster is, the Rams distance runners are making sure that they are one of the biggest strength as the group continued to post impressive marks, this time at the Wake Forest Open this past weekend. All rights reserved.
