VIC Tracksters Dominate ETSU Invite

Virginia Intermont College\'s Fernando Cabada led a contingent of high performing Cobras at East Tennessee State University\'s Niswonger Invitational this past weekend. Cabada came from behind to out kick a stellar field in the invitational 3,000-meters. His time of 8:08, a nation leading mark, bested runner-up teammate David Cheromei by three seconds. The duo combined to outdistance Liberty\'s Josh McDougal, who in cross-country had beaten both when taking the individual title at the Great American Nike Race of Champions. McDougal had only suffered one loss this entire year, that being at the NCAA Division I XC Championships.

VIC\'s Corey Duquette stepped up to take fourth, making it an all-Virginia sweep, with a national qualifying mark of 8:19, three seconds ahead of Alabama\'s Augustine.

Other national qualifying Cobras included Ondrej Puskar, who finished 3rd in the unseeded 3,000-meters at 8:37 and Desmond Brown who posted a 22. 200 meters. VIC\'s Distance Medley Relay of Puskar, Russell Neff, Pat Marion and Jamie Millage also qualified with a 10:26 fourth place finish.

Provisional qualifiers for VIC included Neff, who narrowly missed the 3k standard with an 8:48, and Brown in the 400 with his 50.

The Lady Cobras earned two provisional marks with Christina Davis\' 7.99 60-meters and Renata Volf\'s 5:17 mile.

Cabada will compete in this weekend\'s Boston University Invitational 5,000-meters in an attempt to qualify for the US Indoor Track & Field Championships to be held February 25-27 in Boston. The rest of the VIC squad will be back in action February 5th at UNC-Chapel Hill\'s Fast Times Invitational.