LEXINGTON, Va. – The VMI Track and Field teams will host the 2010 VMI Winter Relays Saturday, Feb. 6. The action will kick off at noon at the Cormack Field House, with both the men's weight throw and the women's distance medley relay getting the meet underway.
The Winter Relays are a nearly 50-year old tradition for VMI Track and Field, and nine teams have registered for this year's proceedings. The Keydet contingent will be led by Chad Lawson, as he is set to compete in the meet-opening weight throw. The defending Big South champion in the event, the VMI junior also won this competition handily at last year's Winter Relays and is this year's top seed by more than a full meter.
Also scheduled to take part in the throwing events are Cody Davis and James Handler, as both are entered in the shot put. Davis comes off a ninth-place effort in the shot two weeks ago at the Armory, as he hurled the implement 13.99 M to just miss out on scoring. Handler trailed him by one spot, placing 10th. The two Keydets are the #1 and #2-ranked throwers in the shot put this weekend, and hope to live up to that when the event gets underway following the women's weight throw.
The jumpers will also be in action on the men's side, particularly in the long jump. Five VMI men are schedule to compete in that event, led by Ademola Titcombe. Titcombe last jumped on Jan. 16, when he finished sixth in the long jump during a meet at Kent State. He will look to round back into form Saturday, and will be joined by Terrance Green and Nate Gant.
Green had VMI's best long jump effort of the young season during that Kent State event, the Doug Raymond Invitational, when he finished second on the strength of a 6.81 M leap. Freshman Gant posted the longest effort of his young career two weeks ago at the Armory, when he jumped 6.74 M and finished seventh. Those three competitors will be joined by Antonio Wood and Michael Munson, who traditionally focus on the multi events but will be competing in several competitions at this meet to gain experience.
Also in action for the Keydet men will be high jumper Dennis James, who will be joined by Wood and Munson in his traditional event, and James Alexander, scheduled to take part in the 55-meter dash.
On the women's side, the pole vault features all three of the Keydet competitors, as Kate Collins, Carrie Wortham and Jennifer Sing are all on the entry list. The trio comprises the top three seeds for the pole vault, with Collins sitting atop that board as the freshman comes off a 3.45 M clearance at the Armory. That effort would have won last year's Big South title, and certainly places her in the discussion for this year's crown as well.
The women's pole vault will begin following the women's weight throw, an event that includes VMI's Aquisi Harris. Harris is joined by freshman Kelsey McCusker and veterans Michelle Feole and Laura Resetar, as the weight throw immediately follows the men's version of that event.
Finally, the entry list for the women's mile contains three members of VMI's runner-up cross country team, as Corinne Lariviere, Leah Schubel and Lindsey Carty are all set to compete. Carty comes off a strong showing at the Armory, where she posted a PR in the 3,000-meters. The 10:44.83 clocking earned her a 16th-place finish in the event, and was a PR by some 25 seconds. Schubel was also in action at the Armory, competing in the 800-meters and the mile, and Lariviere was part of the school record-setting DMR effort at Jan. 16's Kent State event. The gun for the women's mile is scheduled to go off at 1:20 p.m.
Following the Winter Relays, VMI Track and Field will return to action Feb. 12. A group of Keydets will travel to Akron, Ohio, to take part in a meet hosted by Akron University, while other team members will journey across the Blue Ridge Mountains to an event taking place at Big South rival Liberty.
