Cavaliers Compete at ACC Indoor Track & Field Championships

Men\'s Distance Medley, Sullivan in the pole vault take runner-up honors

Chapel Hill, NC - The Virginia men\'s distance medley team of Alex Tatu, Kellen Blassingame, McGavock Dunbar and Walt Kingsbery took home second place at the ACC Indoor Track and Field Championships today in Chapel Hill, NC. The foursome ran a 9:53.77, just 1.5 seconds off the ACC meet record set three years ago. David Sullivan also won silver today, clearing the pole vault with a 5.00m (16\' 4.75\"). The men\'s team stands in fifth place overall after two days of competition with 20.5 points.

Despite a bout of the flu that ravaged the men\'s and women\'s team earlier in the week, seven Cavaliers qualified for the finals that will take place tomorrow, including three men in the mile run. Three of the men, Tatu, Blassingame and Dunbar were on the distance medley team. Blassingame had the fourth-fastest time in the prelims of the 400m, while Dunbar and teammate Jordan Orr both qualified in the 800m as Dunbar ran a 1:53.99, just ahead of Orr\'s season-best 1:54.25. Shannon Hawrylo also qualified for the 800 on the women\'s side. Tatu was one of three Cavaliers in the mile, along with Soeren Lindner and Kevin McHale.

Ryan Foster\'s 5K time of 14:32.99 was a Virginia best in 2005 and was good enough for fourth place while Cheryl Carr took eighth place for the women with her 17:08.07, the fastest time at Virginia this year. Meggie Schuelke also scored for Virginia, taking seventh in the high jump with a 1.65m (5\' 5\"), while Rachel Marks also took seventh, earning 3303 points in the pentathlon.

A number of Hoos hit season-best marks but did not advance to the finals of their events. Reuben Jones set a UVa season-best time in the 60m with a 6.92, but missed advancing by .06 seconds. Isi Azeke also ran a season-best time with an 8.17 in the 60m hurdles and just missed qualifying by .04 seconds. Trumaine Pendleton\'s long jump of 6.91m (22\' 8\") just missed his personal best leap by 4cm. Keshia Ashe lowered her best time by .07 seconds in the 60m hurdles. The women\'s distance medley team ran a season-best 12:02.83 and finished seventh.

Women\'s results: 60m: Janne\'a Bridgeford, 7.81; Tosin Oluwole, 7.89; Tomika Ferguson, 8.02; 200m: Bridgeford, 25.52; Tiffany Roberts, 25.88; Oluwole, 25.93; 400m: Roberts, 57.74; Erin Crawford, 57.85; Ashley Gore, 57.94; 800m: Hawrylo, 2:15.35Q; Huma Husain, 2: 20.10; Mile: Suzanne Ginnow, 5:05.71; Janine Ricci, 5:19.02; 5K: Carr, 17:08.07, 8th; Laura Hodges, 17:33.09; 60m HH: Ashe, 8.85; Janine Holman, 9.15; DMR: 12.02.83; HJ: Schuelke, 1.65m (5\' 5\"), 7th; Marks, 1.60m (5\' 3\"); LJ: Kathryn Tershel, 5.43m (17\' 9.75\"); Pent: Marks, 3303, 7th.

Men\'s results: 60m: Jones, 6.92; Pendleton, 7.13; Kevin Carson, 7.31; 200m: Jones, 22.87; Carson, 23.31; 400m: Blassingame, 48.98Q; 800m: Dunbar, 1:53.99Q; Orr, 1:54.25Q; Zach Davis, 1:54.77; McHale, :55.85; Mile: Lindner, 4:11.95Q; Tatu, 4:12.32Q; McHale, 4:15.43Q; 5K: Foster, 14:32.99, 4th; Andrew Dumm, 14:56.01; Jeff Eggleston, 14:57.98; Matt Gutridge, 15:02.91; Andy Filachek, 15:09.60; Taylor Smith, 15:11.36; 60mHH: Azeke, 8.17; Devin Canaday, 8.32; DMR: 9:53.77, 2nd; PV: Sullivan, 5.00m (16\' 4.75\"), 2nd; Greg Blair, 4.70m (15\' 5\"); LJ: Pendleton, 6.91m (22\' 8\"); Azeke, 6.51m (21\' 4.25\"); Shadion Buckley, 6.40m (21\' 0\"); Hept: Thomas Codevilla, 4360