Track and Field in Action Sunday at High Point

Men's Track and Field VMIKeydets.com

Keydets Head to Final Tuneup Before BSC Championships

VMI track and field will have its final tune-up for the upcoming Big South Championships this weekend, as the Keydets travel to Charlottesville to take part in the Lou Onesty Invitational, hosted by the University of Virginia. Friday's action begins at 1 p.m. with the women's hammer throw, while Saturday's events open with the men's javelin at 10 a.m.

Felix Kitur returns to the track Saturday, as he is scheduled to compete in the 800-meters. The junior is ranked #45 in the East Region in that event, and comes off a week where he earned his first collegiate victory in a different race, the 400-meters. Dean Gonsalves will also take part in the 800-meters, an event in which he is ranked eighth in the Big South.

James Alexander, VMI's other regionally ranked competitor (#39 in the 200-meters), is slated to take part in a pair of events during this weekend's proceedings. Alexander is scheduled to run both the 100 and 200-meter races, events he posted IC4A qualifying marks in last weekend at Liberty. The 100 will go off at 12:30 p.m. Saturday, while the 200 will begin approximately two hours later at 2:55 in the afternoon.

Alexander will be joined by a cast of several Keydets in the 100-meters, a list that will include Ademola Titcombe. Titcombe has yet to find his stride in the sprints this outdoor season, but did post an IC4A qualifying mark in the 60-meter dash during the indoor campaign. 

Titcombe will also be a part of the long jump, an event in which he has already qualified for the IC4A Championships. Nate Gant and Terrance Green, both formidable threats, will join him as the trio looks to tune up for the conference championships. The long jump is slotted for a 10:00 start Saturday morning.

The throwers are also in action this weekend, a group that includes Cody Davis. Davis had a breakthrough indoor season, which included an IC4A qualifying mark in the shot put, and and will compete in three events at UVA (hammer, shot, discus). Chad Lawson will be alongside, competing in the hammer and discus throws, while James Handler will join Davis in the shot.

On the women's side, the Keydet roster will include Kate Collins and Jennifer Sing. Collins, the Big South Champion in the indoor pole vault, set a new Institute record in the outdoor version of that event (3.40 meters) last week at Liberty. Sing, however, has been VMI's revelation of the outdoor season.

Two weeks ago at the Military Championships, she cleared 3.20 meters, which was .8 meters better than her previous top outdoor mark. The sophomore than followed that up with an even better jump at Liberty, going over the bar at 3.25 meters to place fourth at the Liberty Collegiate Invitational Saturday. The women's pole vault is slated for a 2:30 start Saturday afternoon.

In addition to Collins' school mark, Chandale Williams also set a new VMI record last weekend at Liberty, thanks to her 56.95 effort in the 400-meters. Williams will be back in action Saturday, running the 400 at 1:25 as well as the 200, which goes off at 2:45.

Zipporah McCann, who finished fourth in the long jump last weekend (5.36 meters/17'7"), will compete in that event at 10 a.m. Saturday, while late Friday (5 p.m.) will see Michelle Feole, Hope Hackemeyer and Katlin Harrison take part in the javelin throw. Feole is the VMI record holder in the event, and Hackemeyer scored at last year's outdoor conference championships, but Harrison may be the most intriguing of the three. She notched a nearly eight meter personal best at Liberty, finishing fourth with a throw of 37.04 meters.

Also of interest to Keydet fans may be an invitational section of the men's mile, which will include former Keydet All-American Donnie Cowart. Cowart, now running for the Ragged Mountain Running group out of Charlottesville, will see the gun go off for his race at 6:30 p.m. Friday evening.

Following the meet at UVA, VMI track and field will return to action Thursday, April 15 for the first day of the Big South Outdoor Championships, hosted by Charleston Southern in Charleston, S.C. VMIKeydets.com will be on hand with a live blog and updates from that event.
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Players Mentioned

Donnie Cowart

Donnie Cowart

Mid-Distance
Redshirt Senior
James Alexander

James Alexander

Sprints
Junior
Cody Davis

Cody Davis

Throws
Junior
Nate Gant

Nate Gant

Jumps/Sprints
Freshman
Dean Gonsalves

Dean Gonsalves

Mid-Distance
Junior
Terrance Green

Terrance Green

Jumps/Sprints
Junior
James Handler

James Handler

Throws
Junior
Felix Kitur

Felix Kitur

Mid-Distance
Junior
Chad Lawson

Chad Lawson

Throws
Junior
Ademola Titcombe

Ademola Titcombe

Jumps/Sprints
Sophomore
Kate Collins

Kate Collins

Pole Vault
5' 7"
Freshman
Michelle Feole

Michelle Feole

Javelin
Senior

Players Mentioned

Donnie Cowart

Donnie Cowart

Redshirt Senior
Mid-Distance
James Alexander

James Alexander

Junior
Sprints
Cody Davis

Cody Davis

Junior
Throws
Nate Gant

Nate Gant

Freshman
Jumps/Sprints
Dean Gonsalves

Dean Gonsalves

Junior
Mid-Distance
Terrance Green

Terrance Green

Junior
Jumps/Sprints
James Handler

James Handler

Junior
Throws
Felix Kitur

Felix Kitur

Junior
Mid-Distance
Chad Lawson

Chad Lawson

Junior
Throws
Ademola Titcombe

Ademola Titcombe

Sophomore
Jumps/Sprints
Kate Collins

Kate Collins

5' 7"
Freshman
Pole Vault
Michelle Feole

Michelle Feole

Senior
Javelin