Pitt
Virginia Challenge
Men's 4x4 Wins Virginia Challenge; Runs Season Best Time
4/23/2016 12:00:00 AM | Track & Field
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - The men's 4x400 meter relay team of Donnell Taylor, Chris Tate, Brylan Slay and Desmond Palmer took first place and ran a season-best time of 3:06.97 on Saturday night to highlight the Virginia Challenge for the Pitt track and field team.
"I consider this particular weekend to be the start of the championship season for us, and this meet gives us a glimpse of what our ACC championship team is beginning to look like," head coach Alonzo Webb said. "With over 1,200 athletes competing at a high level and representing many different conferences, all looking to prepare for their own championships, it creates the kind of atmosphere you're looking for."
FRIDAY:
For the fourth time this outdoor season, senior Chris Tate established a new lifetime best in the 400 meter dash and went sub-47 for the first time in his career with a time of 46.95. Tate's time placed him fourth overall in a field of 50.
Teammate Donnell Taylor also PR-ed in that same race and took seventh overall in a time of 47.22. Former Pitt standout Brycen Spratling won the overall event in 46.14 running for New York Athletic Club.
In the women's 400 meter dash, junior Desiree Garland crushed her previous lifetime best of 56.09 by running a time of 54.85 which was good for a ninth place overall finish.
The men's 4x100 meter relay team comprised of Slay, Tate, Joshua McDonald and Chris Spadaro ran a season-best time of 41.24 and placed seventh overall.
Spadaro also established a new outdoor PR in the triple jump with a distance of 14.45m en route to a third place finish in his section and 12th place overall.
Two other notable PRs on the opening day of action were Beth Shenck in the 800 who ran a time of 2:10.67 and finished 28th, and Sullena Staton who ran a 26.01 in the 200 and a 15.25 in the 100 meter hurdles while competing in the heptathlon. She finished 10th overall with 4425 points.
SATURDAY:
The Panthers' 4x4 bettered their previous season-best of 3:07.67 which they set at the Florida Relays by going 3:06.97 on Saturday. They won the race by almost a full second as Minnesota took second in 3:07.64, and UNC third in 3:08.66.
Desmond Palmer also recorded a pair of second place finishes in the 110 and 400 meter hurdles.
In the 110 hurdles, Palmer posted his third fastest time of the season with a 14.14. He then returned to run a 50.64 in the 400 hurdles for second place. Palmer's rival in UNC's Kenny Selmon won the race in 50.45. Palmer defeated Selmon at ACCs and NCAAs last year, and those two will more than likely see each other down the road this season as well.
In that same race, senior Dustin Fuller ran a season-best 53.70 and placed 14th overall, while Ashad Johnson-Conley notched a 10th place finish in the 110 hurdles in a time of 14.59.
Morgan Harvey ran the fastest time of her life in the 400 meter hurdles with a time of 1:01.21 which was good for 13th place overall.
In the 5,000, Gillian Schriever , Hillary Boxheimer and Dee Dee Adams tallied PRs. In the final race of the night, Schriever ran a 16:24.34 to place 16th overall, while Boxheimer posted a 16:37.68 for 27th place. Earlier in the day, Adams shattered her previous PR to run a 16:55.48 to take second place in her heat and 40th overall.
Other notable PRs included Miranda Salvo who PR-ed in the 1,500 (4:27.92), and the women's 3,000 meter steeplechase who had Kelly Hayes place 18th in 10:40.90, and Caroline DeFrank (11:10.99) and Natalie Hilton (11:12.71) establish PRs.
UP NEXT:
The Panthers now head to the prestigious Penn Relays next weekend in Philadelphia.
