Pitt
SPIRE Invitational
Track and Field Concludes Successful Weekend at SPIRE Invitational
2/13/2016 12:00:00 AM | Track & Field
GENEVA, Ohio – The University of Pittsburgh men’s and women’s track and field teams concluded the SPIRE Invitational with numerous PRs on the final day of action in Geneva.
“Overall it was a really good meet, and one that we needed moving into the off week as we get ready for the ACC Championship Meet,” head coach Alonzo Webb said. “We fed off of last night’s performances and everyone was very competitive today.”
Senior Christopher Tate had a standout meet as he ran a season-best time of 47.53 in the 400 meter dash. He won his heat and placed sixth overall, and his time is now the third fastest in the ACC heading into the championship meet.
Tate also led off for the men’s 4x400 meter relay team which ran a season-best time of 3:10.77, good for second place overall. Tate combined with Joshua McDonald, Desmond Palmer and Donnell Taylor and that time should move them into the top heat at ACCs.
Elsewhere in the sprints, Both Palmer in the men’s 60 meter hurdles and Alyssa Wise in the women’s 60 meter dash advanced through prelims to make the finals.
Palmer ran a time of 8.26 and qualified seventh for the finals. In the finals he ran 8.07 and took fourth place overall. Palmer’s fastest time of the season is 7.95 which is the third fastest in the league and he will look to contend for an ACC title in two weeks.
Wise qualified eighth overall in the 60 meter dash with a time of 7.62, then finished fifth in the finals with a time of 7.63.
Another notable performance in the sprints was sophomore Morgan Harvey who PR-ed in the 400 meter dash with a time of 55.40, which placed her third in her heat and eighth overall.
In the distance events, Miranda Salvo placed fifth in the mile with a career-best time of 4:54.43, while Joslin Sellers also had a solid showing by going sub-5 with a PR time of 4:59.56. She placed 14th overall.
All three Pitt runners in the men’s 3,000 meter established personal-best times, led by Aaron Lauer in 15th place with a time of 8:19.0. Alex Archer (8:41.98 – 36th) and Chris Pastore (8:43.67 – 38th) also ran PRs.
Melanie Vlasic ran the 3,000 meters for the first time in her collegiate career and placed fifth in a time of 9:42.7, which is a season-best time for the Panthers.
Two other notable PRs came in the men’s 800 meter run as Billy Caldwell placed 10th overall (1:53.55) and Andrew Koryak 20th (1:55.83).
The Panthers now head to Boston in two weeks for the ACC Championship Meet, which is scheduled for February 25-27.
