Pitt
VT Hokie Invite
Panthers Continue Indoor Dominance at Hokie Invitational
1/26/2025 10:19:00 AM | Track & Field
BLACKSBURG, Va. – Pitt track and field continued their indoor tear with six event wins over the two-day Hokie Invitational.
FRIDAY RECAP
Track and field events kicked off at 5 p.m. on Friday evening, and the Panthers quickly made their mark. Ilse Steigenga claimed the first event win of the evening, in the women's long jump. Steigenga leaped a season's best 6.16 meters in the win. She was the only athlete in the field of 20 to clear the six-meter mark, doing so on her second attempt.
Sophomore Norrah Lemongo finished third in the women's weight throw, with a 20.11-meter toss. Niya Crawford recorded a season's best 16.94-meter mark.
On the track, the men's and women's 60-meter hurdles and 60-meter dash prelims began. Jana Bruses advanced to the 60-meter hurdles final, clocking an 8.48 in the first round. Logan Neely, also competing in the 60-meter hurdles, recorded a personal best 9.07. In the final, Bruses finished fifth in 8.46, a new personal best. A native of Girona, Spain, Bruses' is now tied for the sixth fastest time in program history. On the men's side of the 60-meter hurdles, Mikhi Anderson automatically qualified for the finals by winning his preliminary heat in 8.20. He later went on to cut his time and tie his personal best, 8.06, for fourth place at the meet. The hurdles were removed from the track for the 60-meter dash, where a plethora of Panthers competed in this event. Somiyah Braggs won her preliminary heat in 7.36, which ties her best set last season. Caleia Johnson, who recorded a new personal best, and Endeyah Lane, who tied her personal best, each posted times of 7.59 to move on to the final along with Braggs. In the final, Johnson and Lane recorded new bests of 7.54 and 7.58, respectively. Johnson finished second and Lane fifth. Braggs was unable to start. The Pitt men also brought the speed in the 60-meter dash. Four Panthers, Nigel Hussey (6.73, PR), Darren McQueen Jr. (6.77), Jaden Shelton (6.87) and Thomas McDonough (6.89) qualified for the eight-person final. Devin Nugent (6.99, PR), Mikhi Anderson (7.07, =PR), and Uri Arnon (7.23, SB) didn't qualify, but all either recorded or tied a personal best or recorded a season's best time. In the final, Hussey and McQueen Jr. finished 1-2, each with new personal bests. Hussey's time of 6.70 took the event win and moved him from fourth to third all-time in program history. McQueen's 6.72 keeps him in fifth in the record book. Shelton finished sixth in 6.86 and McDonough finished eighth in 6.95.
Freshman Emanuel Gayanilo finished third in the men's 600-meter race with a time of 1:23.10. Seniors Shynae Deas and Mackenzie Sullivan competed in the women's 800-meter, crossing the finish line in 2:16.44 and 2:19.20, respectively for ninth and eleventh places. Sullivan's time was a season's best.
Je'Nyia Burton won her second 300-meter event in two weekends. After setting the school record the previous weekend at the Nittany Lion Challenge with a time of 37.66, Burton ran 37.67 at the Hokie Invitational for the win. The Panthers swept this event, as Malik Ricketts came away with the victory as well. His personal best 33.46 edged out Devin Nugent's 33.65 for the crown. Senior Isaac Kane finished fifth in 34.38, a personal best as he was the third Panther to finish in the top five.
SATURDAY RECAP
The second day of the two-day meet began with the women's shot put, where Norrah Lemongo and Niya Crawford finished 2-3 to get the team rolling. Lemongo recorded a mark of 15.97-meters and Crawford notched a season's best 15.41-meter toss. Sophomore Alexa Brown finished ninth with a 13.70-meter personal best. On the men's side, freshman Emeka Ugwu finished ninth in the highly competitive event with a 16.26-meter personal best. It was the first time Ugwu broke the 16-meter mark this season.
As the field events continued, the Panthers added to their win total. Eva Baldursdottir won her second high jump title in as many weeks with her 1.76-meter clearance. Teammate Alesia Rengle also cleared 1.76-meters, but it took her an additional try. Rengle finished in second with a new personal best.
In the final field event, the men's triple jump, Uri Arnon recorded a new personal best of 14.91-meters to finish fifth at the meet and move to eighth in program history.
Concluding the meet on the track, Je'Nyia Burton jumped out and grabbed her second event win of the weekend, this time in the 200-meter race. Burton was the only athlete out of 28 in the competition to run under 24 seconds, as she stopped the clock in 23.89 for the win. Caleia Johnson finished second in 24.08, a personal best, and Sydney McCallum recorded a season's best 24.90 for tenth overall. There were four Pitt men in the top seven of the same event. Malik Ricketts (21.495) and Darren McQueen Jr. (21.498, PR) were neck and neck in the standings as they took silver and bronze, respectively. Devin Nugent finished fifth in 21.81 and freshman James Long grabbed seventh in 21.87.
Players Mentioned
