Pitt
Virginia Challenge
Pitt Claims Three Event Wins, Posts Strong Performances at Virginia Challenge
4/20/2025 2:46:00 PM | Track & Field
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Panthers collected event wins in the women's shot put, men's 4x100-meter relay and women's 400-meter dash in a successful trip to the University of Virginia for the 2025 Virginia Challenge.
FRIDAY RECAP
To start Friday's running events, Endeyah Lane and Faith Dennis ran season's best times in the 100-meter dash, with times of 11.90 and 11.92, respectively. On the men's side of the event, Darren McQueen Jr. finished second in 10.22. Stephon Brown nabbed ninth with a wind legal, personal best time of 10.37. Brown moved from third to second on the program's top ten list. The Harrisburg, Pa. native now sits behind only Lee McRae's school record pace of 10.04.
Senior Mackenzie Sullivan produced a season's best pace of 1:01.40 in the women's 400-meter hurdles to finish fifth overall. Devin Nugent, competing in the men's 400-meter hurdles invite, placed second with a speed of 50.76.
Junior Ellen Baker recorded a personal best in the 5k, stopping the clock in under 17 minutes, crossing the finish line in 16:58.65 to earn seventh place.
In the field, the Panthers delivered two personal bests from Taylor Forbes and Maddie Lewis in the women's long jump. Forbes leaped 5.55-meters while Lewis cleared 5.25-meters in the event.
Daniel Amaya placed eighth in the men's hammer throw invite. Amaya's best mark of the round, 61.56-meters came on his sixth and final throw.
In the women's high jump invite, Eva Baldursdottir and Alesia Rengle both cleared 1.75-meters. Baldursdottir was awarded third place and Rengle ended tied for sixth. Baldursdottir cleared the 1.75-meter height on her first attempt whereas Rengle cleared it on her last attempt. Neither were able to reach 1.78-meters on the day.
Norrah Lemongo won the women's shot put with a toss of 16.38-meters. Niya Crawford claimed sixth with a mark of 15.11-meters. Both athletes finished the competition strong as their throws came on the final attempt of the competition. Alexa Brown also had a solid outing with a personal best launch of 13.84-meters.
To end the evening in the men's shot put, Emeka Ugwu threw just shy of his 17.50-meter personal best, with a 17.42-meter mark on the day. Ryan Cook recorded a personal best of 16.39-meters but remains in eighth in the program record book.
SATURDAY RECAP
Jana Bruses began the second day of track competition with the women's 100-meter hurdles final in which Bruses produced a season's best 13.82 for 12th place.
Jana Bruses began the second day of track competition with the women's 100-meter hurdles final in which Bruses produced a season's best 13.82 for 12th place.
Mikhi Anderson produced a personal best in the men's 110-meter hurdles. His time of 14.11 took sixth place. Antwan James churned out a 14.37 season's best for 16th in the same event.
The men's 4x100 relay team, consisting of Darren McQueen Jr., Thomas McDonough, Malik Ricketts and Stephon Brown connected for the second Pitt victory of the meet. The foursome produced a time of 39.62. The Panthers were one of two teams to run the collective lap under 40 seconds.
Immediately following the relay race, Je'Nyia Burton picked up an individual victory of her own. In her first 400-meter race of the outdoor season, Burton produced the only sub-53 second time, crossing the finish line in 52.83 for the win. Burton's time ranks fourth on the program's top ten list. Teammate Caleia Johnson secured fourth place with her speed of 53.87.
Malik Ricketts displayed a strong effort in the men's 400-meter race. Ricketts' pace of 46.67 was a personal best and his first under 47 seconds. A native of Kingston, Jamaica, Ricketts was rewarded with fifth at the meet and moved into eighth on the men's program's top ten-times list.
Senior Caleia Johnson returned to the track once more for the 200-meter dash. Johnson kicked for third place and a 23.80 season's best. Je'Nyia Burton delivered a ninth-place performance with a time of 24.21. Endeyah Lane (24.38), Faith Dennis (24.50) and Sydney McCallum (24.52) all notched season's best times. Alma Evuna Eki delivered a personal best time of 24.78.
Malik Ricketts, Thomas McDonough and Darren McQueen Jr. all finished in the top 10 of the men's 200-meter dash. Ricketts with a season's best 21.07, McDonough in 21.14, and McQueen Jr. with a season's best 21.20.
To recap the field events, Samuell Guzman secured seventh in the men's javelin with a 61.55-meter mark.
Niya Crawford produced a personal best of 45.55-meters in the women's discus competition. Crawford's new mark puts her at sixth on the program top ten list.
Uri Arnon secured sixth place in the men's triple jump with a mark of 15.02-meters. Arnon was just two centimeters shy of his personal best.
Players Mentioned
