CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - Virginia’s throwers highlighted day two of the Lou Onesty/Milton G. Abramson Invitational at Lannigan Field on Saturday. All-Americans junior Yemi Ayeni and senior Billie-Jo Grant won their respective discus events, while Alexa Manning won the shot put and junior Meghan Briggs won the javelin. All four throwers threw NCAA regional qualifying marks for the Cavaliers in each of the events.

Manning’s throw of 14.97 marks a personal-best for the junior, while Ayeni’s mark of 59.92m in the discus was a season-best. Briggs' throw of 47.50m in the javelin was a personal-best.

Freshmen Adams Abdulrazaaq and Greg Nelson also qualified for the regional meet. Abdulrazaaq crossed the 110m hurdles line in a personal-best time of 14.24, while Nelson won his first-ever 400m hurdles race in an NCAA regional qualifying mark of 52.43.

Reuben Jones won the 200m title in 21.41, while Conlon Bonner finished runner-up in a personal-best 21.65. Both men met IC4A championship standards.

For the women, Lauren Echko finished the 100m hurdles in a fourth place time of 14.02, while Ayla Smith finished fifth in a personal-best time of 14.05. In the 100m dash, Bridgeford finished third in 11.85 and Talia Wise took fourth in 11.90. All four marks qualify the women for the ECAC championships.

In addition, the women’s 4x100m relay team of Talia Wise, Janne’a Bridgeford, Gayln Iloka and Rashawnda James won the race in 45.75 to qualify for the ECAC meet.

In field events, Ayeni also had a solid performance in the shot put, throwing a length of 16.68m to qualify for the IC4A meet. Virginia’s volunteer assistant coach, the most decorated shot putter in history, Adam Nelson won the event with a throw of 21.38m. Sophomore Eric Pickle threw a personal-best 16.15m to qualify for the IC4A meet, also.

Pickle added to his conference qualifying marks, throwing 47.41m in the discus, and Amy Bilmanis took second in the discus with a season-best throw of 47.80m.

In the pole vault, senior Davis Lewis and sophomore Kathleen Darraugh finished third in their respective events. Lewis vaulted over a mark of 4.80 to qualify for the IC4A meet and Darraugh cleared a personal-best 3.64 to qualify for the ECAC meet.

Katie Terschel finished third in the triple jump to qualify for the ECAC championships. She leaped a season-best 12.04m.

Next weekend, the Cavaliers will travel to Atlanta for the ACC Championships. The conference championship will begin on Thursday and conclude on Saturday.


WOMEN
100m: Janne’a Bridgeford (3rd – 11.85), Talia Wise (4th – 11.90), Kisha Garrick (12.44); 100mH: Lauren Echko (4th – 14.02), Ayla Smith (5th – 14.05); 200m: Kisha Garrick (4th – 24.93); 400mH: Kristina Chapman (3rd – 1:02.87), Keshia Ashe (5th – 1:04.15), Hilary Moen (1:05.17); 800m: Susan Brooks (4th - 2:16.05), Valerie Wilder (2:22.21), Megan Durkee (2:23.67), Jennifer Dolson (2:24.20), Erin Klein (2:25.44); 1500m: Valerie Wilder (4:46.86), Susan Brooks (4:47.10), Megan Durkee (4:48.10), Jennifer Dolson (4:48.80), Erin Klein (4:50.51); 4x100m: Virginia (1st - 45.75); 4x400m: (4:10.51).

LJ: Rashawnda James (5.49m), Katie Terschel (5.31m), Katie Trizna (5.06m); SP: Alexa Manning (1st – 14.97m), Annie Grant (10.25m), Callie Hlavin (9.88m); HJ: Katie Trizna (4th - 1.60m), Callie Hlavin (t-6th – 1.55m), Assiatu Williams (1.55m), Annie Grant (1.55m); Disc: Billie-Jo Grant (1st – 53.47m), Amy Bilmanis (2nd – 47.80), Caitlin Kelly (5th – 41.87m); TJ: Katie Terschel (3rd – 12.04m); PV: Kathleen Darraugh (3rd – 3.65m); Jav: Meghan Briggs (1st – 47.50m), Caitlin Kelly (33.96m), Callie Hlavin (18.02m).

MEN
100m: Reuben Jones (2nd – 10.57), Meikle Paschal (10.92), Rainer Fiala (11.00), Brandon Carter (11.04), Eddy Nicolas (11.11); 110mH: Adams Abdulrazaaq (2nd – 14.24), David Lewis (15.49); 200m: Reuben Jones (1st - 21.41), Conlon Bonner (2nd – 21.65), Meikle Paschal (7th – 21.90), Rainer Fiala (22.05), Brian Lee (22.16), Eddy Nicolas (22.29); 400m: Brian Lee (7th – 49.32); 400mH: Greg Nelson (1st – 52.43); 800m: Alex Bowman (3rd – 1:54.02), Edmund Dixon (1:55.33); 5000m: Graham Tribble (3rd – 15:19.25).

Disc: Yemi Ayeni (1st – 59.92m), Eric Pickle (8th – 47.41m), David Lewis (29.55m); LJ: Marcus Robinson (2nd – 7.25m), Conlon Bonner (6th – 6.95m), Vince Parker (5.48m); PV: David Lewis (3rd – 4.80m); SP: Yemi Ayeni (3rd – 16.68m), Eric Pickle (5th – 16.15m); TJ: Vince Parker (12.42m); HJ: Greg Nelson (t-4th – 1.95m); Jav: David Lewis (51.48m).