The Virginia Union University men's track and field team competed in their third outdoor meet at Norfolk State University on Saturday, April 5, in Norfolkl, Va. There was a strong showing for the team, with several standout performances and personal bests.
Field Events:
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Carson Calhoun claimed first place in the high jump with a personal best of 1.95m. He also placed 4th in the 400m hurdles.
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Dequan Boone threw a season-best in the shot put with a mark of 14.92m placed 4th overall and achieved a personal best of 46.50m in the hammer throw.
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Zachary Jones placed 3rd in the discus throw with a personal best of 46.73m and secured 5th in the shot put with a throw of 14.76m.
• Jeremiah Palacious placed 3rd overall in the long jump with a mark of 6.93m and also secured 5th place in the 400m hurdles.
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Rayvar Haughton placed 4th overall in the javelin throw.
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Jabari Wilson placed 4th overall in the discus throw with a personal best of 44.84m and also secured 5th place in the javelin.
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Timothy Butler placed 5th in the hammer throw with a mark of 42.01m.
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Michael Wilson placed 5th overall in the hammer throw.
Running Events:
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Antonio Smith won the 110m hurdles with a school record of 14.16 seconds. He is now the record holder in both the 60m hurdles and 110m hurdles.
Antonio Smith's remarkable 110m hurdles time of 14.16 seconds not only set a new school record but also currently positions him 14th nationally in NCAA Division II rankings. This achievement underscores his dedication and places him among the nation's elite hurdlers.
• Our 4x100m relay team—comprising Elijah Steel,
Jeremiah Brown, Jeremiah Palacious, and
Darryl Wilson Jr.—finished 3rd overall with a season-best time of 41.34 seconds.
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Franklin Kipchirchir finished 2nd in the 5000m with a time of 14:51.31.
• Rodgers Korir placed 4th in the 5000m with a time of 15:17.39.
• Nickson Kiprotich took 4th place in the 1500m, running 4:17.
"The NSU Invitational was a valuable meet for us, especially for our sprinters and field event athletes who gave their best efforts," said VUU Track and Field Coach Franck Charles. "Notably, most of our athletes who ran the 100m dash achieved times of 10.9 seconds or lower. Congratulations to
Darryl Wilson Jr. for his impressive performances in both the 100m and 200m dashes. Additionally, kudos to our field event athletes for their strong performances this past Saturday. While we have areas to improve upon to become a top program in our conference, we are heading in the right direction. Great job to everyone who competed!"
The team next competes at the University of Mount Olive on April 11-12 in Mount Olive, N.C.
