Moye and Hariston Lead VMI on Day One of Big South Championships

Women's Track and Field 12/4/2010 10:48:00 PM VMIKeydets.com

Moye Wins Mile, Vaulters Impress at Season Opener

BOSTON, Mass. – Jenna Moye won the mile and set a new VMI record in the process, and the Keydet pole vaulters claimed four of the top seven spots to lead VMI women's track and field in the team's season opener, held at the Reggie Lewis Track and Field Center in Boston, Mass. Saturday.

Moye's time of 5:03.86 was good enough for a three-second win, as the sophomore took the lead with just over two circuits remaining and pulled away for the easy victory. The time is the first individual school record Moye has added to her ledger.

In the pole vault, Jen Sing led the way by cleared 11'0” (3.35 M), which was good for a third place finish. Last year's Big South indoor champion, Kate Collins, cleared the same height, but Sing bested her teammate on misses. Carrie Wortham was fifth, clearing 10'6” (3.20 M), while freshman Nicole Harding tied for seventh by clearing 10 feet (3.05 M).

“This was a successful trip for us to open up the season,” said VMI head coach Darrin Webb. “Jenna ran a great race to break the school record in the mile, and the vaulters all did a great job, as did Jasmine Hariston and Zipporah McCann. I am also proud of our younger competitors, who stepped up and gained quality experience on a major stage such as this one. Finally, our multi competitors were what really stuck out to me. They all had lifetime bests in multiple events, that won't in all cases be noticed in their finish. They were, however, strong for multi athletes. Coach Brickner has done a great job preparing that crew, and they've worked very hard. Each of our athletes, and our entire staff, has continued to work throughout cross country and our fall practices, which is very exciting for me.”

Hariston had a pair of top-five finishes in her return to competition. After redshirting the 2009-10 campaign, she was second in Saturday's triple jump (11.40 M/37'10”) and fifth in the long jump (5.13 M/16'10”). McCann had a pair of personal best times in the 55-meter hurdles, breaking the nine-second barrier on a pair of occasions en route to a fifth-place finish. In the preliminaries, she posted a 8.95 clocking, and followed that up with an 8.74 effort in the finals.

The Keydets also had two in the top 10 of the 5,000-meter run. Tammy Cheung, the current Big South Freshman of the Year, was fourth in 18:00.83, nearly matching the time she posted at the Big South Cross Country Championships. Dalton Kuhar continued her consistent improvement, rallying late in the race for an eighth-place finish (18:48.56), while Lindsey Carty and Nicole Augins were also in action in the day's longest event.

Another member of the cross country team, Leah Schubel, was seventh in the 3,000-meters, clocking in at 10:32.74.

Freshman Mary Grace Lemon made her collegiate debut, notching a 10th-place finish in the weight throw, thanks to a 12.37 M toss (40'11”). Lemon was also in action in the shot put.

VMI track and field is back in action January 28 and 29, as most of the team travels to Lynchburg, Va. for the Liberty Open. The pole vault contingent will, however, travel to Reno, Nev. for the UCS Spirit National Pole Vault Summit.

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