Meet: Atlantic 10 Indoor Track & Field Championships
Location: Kingston, R.I.
Complete Results (PDF)
Top 5 Team Scores: VCU 149, George Mason 116, Richmond 92, La Salle 67, UMass 66
The Short Story: Led by junior
Lauryn Taylor's victories in the 60-meter dash and 200-meter dash, the Ram women got key contributions from all event groups to erase George Mason's 35-point lead after day one and pull away late to repeat as Atlantic 10 Indoor Track & Field champions.
SPRINTS
- In winning the 60-meter dash, Taylor ran an impressive time of 7.35 seconds. That time not only breaks her own VCU school record, but it is also an Atlantic 10 Indoor meet record and a facility record for Mackal Field House
- Freshman Kayelyn Tate capped off a fantastic first college season by scoring in both the 60m and 200m, finishing second and seventh respectively in those events
- Juniors Karah Moore and Simone Pierre teamed up to place second and third overall in the 400-meter dash, scoring a combined 14 points for the Black and Gold in that event
HURDLES
- Graduate student Symone Foster set a new Atlantic 10 Indoor meet record in the 60-meter hurdles, crossing the line in 8.42 to claim the event championship and 10 points for the Rams
- Foster was not alone in the 60m hurdles, as senior Syvanna Metcalfe earned third place and the bronze medal for the event in a time of 8.74
DISTANCE
- Redshirt freshman Lauren Tunnell tallied a fourth-place finish in the 1000m, running the five laps in 2:54.59
- The 4x800-meter relay team of Tunnell, Jayanna Carroll, Naomi Clarke, and Ava Miller got the baton around for a fifth-place showing and a time of 9:20.28
JUMPS
- Senior Raquel Hawkins emerged victorious in the triple jump, leaping 11.94m (39'-2.25") on her winning attempt. Sophomore Sydney Carr also scored in the event, slotting into fourth place with a best jump of 11.81m (38'-9.5")
- Senior Dasia Mayo contributed three points to the final team score with a sixth-place finish in the high jump, clearing the bar at a height of 1.68m (5'-6")
THROWS
- Junior Eryn Byrd followed up her bronze in the weight throw yesterday with a gold medal win in the shot put, setting a new personal record of 14.87m (48'-9.5'). With that double, Byrd earned the distinction of Most Outstanding Field Performer of the meet. This is the second year in a row Byrd has received that honor.
- Freshman Like Matalatala and senior Jocelyn Midkiff also scored in the shot put, finishing fourth and seventh in that order. Matalatala obtained a new PR with her best throw of 13.30m (43'-7.75")
UP NEXT
The VCU women's track & field team will now shift their focus to the spring outdoor season, which begins on Friday, March 17 with the Fred Hardy Invitational at Robins Stadium in Richmond, Va.
