University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
Virginia Challenge
Notable Performances Net Three Wins at UVA
4/23/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Track & Field
Results
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA. (GopherSports.com) - The University of Minnesota men's track & field program closed out the weekend with three titles at the Virginia Challenge on Saturday behind noteworthy performances from All-Americans Luca Wieland, Sean Donnelly and Ryan Lockard.
Wieland paced the long jump competition with a mark of 7.91 meters (25-11.50 ft.) to set a new Virginia Challenge and Lannigan Field record. The performance not only ranks tied for fourth in the nation this year (and first in the Big Ten), but the distance also moves Wieland up to second all-time at Minnesota in the event. Only Keita Cline's mark of 8.12 meters (26-07.75 ft.) stands in front of Wieland at Minnesota. The junior already owns the school indoor heptathlon record, set in his NCAA title-winning performance last year.
Meanwhile, Donnelly continues to set the bar for the nation's elite hammer throwers with a Virginia Challenge and Lannigan Field record of his own. The senior has now won all four hammer throw competitions he has entered in this season and ended the weekend with a toss of 73.31 meters (240-06 ft.). The performance ranks second in the nation this year, trailing only Donnelly's own school record of 74.35 meters (243-11 ft.) set in his Maroon & Gold debut at the Baldy Castillo Invitational on March 18, 2016. The senior now has the top two throws in the nation this year and three of the top four.
Lockard picked up the high jump title at 2.20 meters (7-02.50 ft.) - setting a new Virginia Challenge record in the process -- while Nick Bachinski finished tied for seventh at 2.06 meters (6-09.00 ft.).
"We had a great weekend including three wins today by a couple of our leaders, and I was certainly pleased to see so many of our guys continuing to improve," Minnesota Director of Men's Track & Field and Cross Country Steve Plasencia said. "This is a vital time in our schedule, and it's great to see the team ramping up its level of competition."
Meanwhile, the Minnesota 4x400-meter relay squad finished second at Lannigan Field with a time of 3.07.64 - less than a second off Pittsburgh's winning time of 3:06.97. Luke Johnson finished sixth in the shot put at 19.03 meters (62-05.25 ft.) - an outdoor personal record for the senior captain that moves Johnson up to fifth all-time at Minnesota. Rashawn Fountain finished ninth in the 400-meter hurdles at 53.12.
The Gophers also had a contingency of unattached freshmen in action at the Carleton Relays on Saturday. Jonathan Webb won the 400 meters at 48.19 while Josh Tracy finished second at 48.62. Eric Walker won the 110-meter hurdles at 14.70 while Samuel Lundquist won the 400-meter hurdles at 54.45. Connor Rousemiller won the hammer throw at 51.70 meters (169-07 ft.) and Jonathan Tharaldsen won the shot put with a personal record of 17.31 meters (56-10 ft.)
The Gophers have another busy week in front of them -- competing at the Drake Relays, Kansas' Rock Chalk Classic, Stanford's Payton Jordan Invitational and Macalester's Bolstorff Twilight.
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