April 6, 2009

JOHNSON’S WIN HIGHLIGHTS RAMS STAY AT COLONIAL RELAYS
Senior logs another win in the long jump
Full Results

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – Battling very tough wind conditions, the Virginia Commonwealth University women’s track & field team sent a message to some of its conference opponents with a very strong showing at the prestigious Colonial Relays this weekend.

Senior Verniece Johnson (Mineral, Va.) (left) won again in the long jump to lead the Rams to an eighth-place showing at the meet that featured 24 schools, five of which were Colonial Athletic Association institutions.

Johnson’s leap of 19’ 9” bested her nearest competitor by over half a foot and gave the veteran her second win in three meets this spring.

The veteran also was a big part of the success of the Rams’ relay squads who took home a second-place showing in the 4x100 meter relay (47.55) and a third-place showing in the 4x200 meter relay (1:40.38).

Fellow senior Natalie Duncan (Alexandria, Va.) tallied two of VCU’s 11 top-10 finishes with a seventh-place showing in the discus and a fourth-place showing in the shot put.

Sophomore Stephanie Newing (Virginia Beach, Va.) (top) continued her breakout spring season with a top-five finish in the pole vault, clearing 10’ 6”.

Sophomore Quina Fortune (New Orleans, La.) put her speed on display, garnering a fourth-place showing in the 200-meter dash with a time of 24.80. She was also a part of both relay squads.

Freshman Jazlynn Finney (Leesburg, Va.) continued to impress in her debut campaign with the Black & Gold, posting a fifth-place finish in the long jump and running the third leg of the 4x200 meter relay.

Other Rams that posted top-10 finishes included redshirt freshman Allison Morris (Langhorne, Pa.) in the high jump (ninth-place), freshman Rachel Montague (Marlton, N.J.) in the triple jump (ninth-place) and freshman Julia Anyaugo (Washington, D.C.) in the discus throw (eighth-place).