WILLIAMS, YOUNGSTERS SHINE AT FRED HARDY INVITATIONAL

Event: Fred Hardy Invitational

Location: Robins Stadium – Richmond, Va.

Results: Click Here

The Short Story: Senior Jaleesa Williams (pictured, main) and two youngsters highlighted a great showing by the VCU women's track & field squad at a rain-soaked Fred Hardy Invitational. Williams won the hammer throw and the discus, while Ariel Briales (pictured, right) (3000m steeplechase) and De'Nisha Smith (400m hurdles) both posted record-breaking performances. The 4x100 meter relay squad of Verna Hilar-Lee, Jessica Ewing, Alexis Stroman and Kiara Porter also took home a gold at the meet.

The Highlights

• Williams dominate the throwing events, winning the hammer throw on Friday with a throw of 161' and coming back Saturday with a toss of 158' 10" to win the discus.  
• Smith broke the 400-meter school record on Friday with a time of 1:01.37. It was the second fastest time by a collegian at the meet. She came back Saturday for an eighth place showing in the 100m hurdles.
• After earning Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week honors last week, Briales came back this weekend and broke the school record in the 3000m steeplechase with a time of 11:20.19, good for fourth place. She came back Saturday to finish seventh in the 3000m with a time of 10:30.25.
• The 4x100 relay clocked the seventh-fastest time in school history at 45.94, good for a gold medal at the meet.
• VCU took home two of the top three spots in the 4x400 relay. The A team of Ewing, Briana Krumholz, Jazmine Wright, and Porter took home silver with their time of 3:51.11. Directly behind them was Niaimani Aduma, Amethyst Polk, Smith, and Imoni Anderson for bronze in 3:52.73.
• Christina Solomon grabbed the silver medal in the high jump clearing 5' 5" for the second week in a row. Senior Megan Simpson was close behind in 4th with her clearance of 5' 1".
• Alexis Stroman battled the rain for a third-place showing in the 100m hurdles.
• Briana Ratchford made her first appearance on the all-time outdoor shot put list with her fifth place effort of 42' 6 ¼".
• Jazmine Wright took sixth in the 400 Hurdles with a PR time of 1:03.59.
• Imoni Anderson finished sixth overall in the 400 with a time 56.99, equaling the top 10 mark in school history set last week by teammate Jessica Ewing. 
• Carina Peter and Shakiya Sheppard took fifth and sixth in the triple jump respectively with jumps of 37' 1 ¾" and 36' 7 ½".
• Sarah Fulgham had her own sixth place jump, this time in the long jump, with a distance of 17' 6".
• Carina Peter took sixth place in the 100-meter dash. 
• Briana Krumholz broke into VCU's top-ten list in the 1500m mark with a time of 4:48.45.

• The Rams hit the road next weekend to take part in the prestigious Florida Relays in Gainesville, Fla.