RESULTS

Atlantic 10 Conference Championships (Day 2)
Location: Richmond, Va. (Sports Backers Stadium)
Team scores: 1-UMass 123.5, 2-VCU 120, 3-Dayton 96.5, 4-Richmond 94, 5-George Mason 79, 6-Rhode Island 67.5, 7-Davidson 63, 8-Fordham 45, 9-Duquesne 42.5, 10-La Salle 42, 11-George Washington and Saint Louis 29, 13-Saint Joseph's 27, 14-St. Bonaventure 0
 
The short story: Three VCU athletes – Makayla McGowan, Syvanna Metcalfe and Amari Jackson -  scooped gold medals Sunday as the Rams placed second in an Atlantic 10 Conference Championship that went down to the wire at Sports Backers Stadium. UMass claimed the team championship with 123.5 points, while VCU totaled 120. For her efforts Sunday, McGowan was named Most Outstanding Field Performer of the meet.
 
THROWS

• McGowan and sophomore Eryn Byrd combined for four medals in the throws for VCU. McGowan, a senior, registered a toss of 49.46 meters to capture the discus title – her third career A-10 gold. She is also a two-time shot put champion. Earlier in the day, McGowan placed second in the shot with a heave of 14.37 meters. McGowan briefly led the event before UMass' Danielle Notarfrancesco rallied with a mark of 14.40 on her third attempt.
• Byrd uncorked a personal-best of 49.26 meters on her second attempt on the way to a runner-up finish in the discus. That mark was nearly four meters longer than her previous best (45.59). Byrd also threw 14.11 meters in the shot put to take third, while and junior Shannon Moise was fourth with a mark of 13.81

SPRINTS/HURDLES

• Metcalfe, a sophomore, ripped off a season-best time of 13.65 to claim gold, the first of her career, in the 100-meter hurdles. Sophomore Yasmine Silmon also placed seventh for VCU in 14.43
• Sophomore Lauryn Taylor made two trips to the medal stand Sunday. She clocked 11.65 seconds on the way to second in the 100, and returned to the track later in the day to run 24.13 and collect bronze in the 200
• Silmon (1:04.32) and Metcalfe (1:08.23) also placed sixth and eighth, respectively, in the 400 hurdles

JUMPS
Jackson leaped a season-best 12.10 meters on her second attempt to slip past George Mason's Grace Furlong by .01 meters and take gold in the triple jump. It's the first A-10 title of Jackson's VCU career. Sophomore Raquel Hawkins (11.85) claimed sixth for the Rams
 
MULTIS
Senior Courtney Higgins racked up 4,634 points on the way to fourth in the heptathlon. Higgins topped the field with a throw of 31.94 meters in the javelin Sunday
 
NOTABLE
VCU freshman Gudrun Hallgrimsdottir was named Most Outstanding Rookie Performer of the meet. Hallgrimsdottir captured hammer throw title on Saturday. She has set a school record in that event three times this spring
 
NEXT UP
The Rams will host the VCU Final Qualifier on Sunday, May 15 at Sports Backers Stadium.