Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

TRACK & FIELD | Hoyas Shatter Personal Records in Virginia Grand Prix

Saturday’s Virginia Grand Prix saw numerous Hoyas break personal records on the track for both the men’s and women’s teams and an overall strong performance as Georgetown looks ahead to the Big East championship.

The Charlottesville event featured athletes from the University of Virginia, Providence College, East Carolina University and Gardner-Webb University, as well as contestants participating as individuals or on behalf of footwear companies. The Grand Prix concluded the regular season for the Hoyas, who have next weekend off before the Big East championship in Geneva, Ohio on May 14 and 15.

Georgetown’s strongest performances came from distance runners in the final events of Saturday’s slate. On the men’s side, graduate student Jack Salisbury captured a victory in the 1-mile race with an all-time personal best of 3:56.22, his first time breaking the four-minute barrier. Sophomore Parker Stokes finished directly behind Salisbury in second, with a personal best of his own, narrowly beating the four-minute mark at 3:59.89. These personal bests to beat a strong field will give the duo confidence as they begin preparing for the Big East and potentially NCAA championships later this month.

The 1500-meter race featured the strongest performances by Georgetown on Saturday. Junior Sami Corman led the way, finishing in fourth place with a final time of 4:19.95, just 3.41 seconds away from the winning time. 

GUHOYAS | Graduate student Jack Salisbury and sophomore Parker Stokes celebrate after coming in first and second place, respectively, in the men’s 1-mile race. Both Salisbury and Stokes set new personal records as a result of their strong performances.

A trio of fellow Hoyas had Corman on her toes as graduate student Alie Fordyce set her personal best with a 4:22.75 finish, while the first-year duo of Chloe Gonzalez and Mary Hennelly each recorded their best times of the season at 4:23.14 and 4:25.38. Having such depth in one event, with two first-years and a junior, is a sign of strength on the Georgetown roster as the Hoyas look toward a championship season and the 2022 spring season.

Another event featuring commendable Georgetown performances came earlier in the afternoon,  with two female runners sneaking into the top nine in the 400m race. Junior Cathilyn McIntosh finished in 56.15 seconds, edging out senior Chelsea Smith, who came in ninth place with a finish of 57.94 seconds.

Several other strong performances came from Hoyas who nearly achieved key milestones in their times. In the 100m race, junior Tamiya Roberts crossed the finish line in a personal best of 12.12 seconds, within striking distance of the 12-second mark. In the men’s 5000m race, sophomore Shea Weilbaker set a personal best with a time of 14:00.48, tantalizingly close to the elusive 14-minute mark. 

Two other runners set personal bests on the men’s side, showing signs of great potential on their way to top four finishes in their individual events. First-year Joshua Paige set a personal record with a time of 21.46 seconds in the 200m, while sophomore Matthew Payamps set his personal best in the 800m with a final time of 1:47.17. The times were each runner’s  personal best by a substantial amount, showing they are peaking at the right time in their first collegiate season.

The Hoyas have next weekend off before returning to the track for the Big East championships in Geneva, Ohio on Friday, May 14 at 12 p.m.

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