Women's XC/Track 3/27/2021 8:45:00 PM

Trio of Top-10 All-Time Performances Highlight Season Opener at the Raleigh Relays

WASHINGTON – Following a year-long hiatus from competition, the Georgetown men's and women's track & field program opened the 2021 outdoor campaign at the Raleigh Relays on the campus of North Carolina State University. The Hoyas did not disappoint, recording three top-ten marks in Georgetown school history.

DIRECTOR OF CROSS COUNTRY/TRACK & FIELD ALTON MCKENZIE ON THE RALEIGH RELAYS:
"From all indications, we had a solid outdoor season opener as a program. Several Hoyas had a chance to make their debuts and returnees also had a chance to step back on an outdoor track for the first time in a year. We closed the last two days with some huge performances; Maggie Donahue (5th all-time in the 5K in school history) and Robert Brandt's effort to run an NCAA-leading time at 10K Friday night. Ending the meet on a high note on Saturday with very competitive relay teams and our women finishing fourth, but winning their heat convincingly was encouraging and a great way to close out Saturday. We're looking forward to building on this effort to continue our progress for the rest of the outdoor season across all event areas."

THURSDAY'S EVENTS (3/25):

The men's short sprinters and middle-distance runners kicked off the meet on Thursday with the 100m and 1500m events.
In the 100m, freshman Chris Pitt and senior Josiah Laney turned in solid marks running 11.10 and 11.14 respectively. Pitt, making his debut for the Hoyas, was just off his personal best of 10.98 set in March 2020.
Freshman star Parker Stokes returned to action following the NCAA Cross Country Championships to set a personal best at 1500m of 3:46.24.
For Carter Blunt and Theo Woods, Thursday also marked their debut for the Blue & Gray.
Blunt set a solid early-season mark of 3:47.75. For Woods, it was a significant personal best in the event, running 3:47.89 for the 800m specialist.

FRIDAY'S EVENTS (3/26):

Friday's action was highlighted by three top-10 all-time marks from Maggie Donahue, Robert Brandt, and Jack Van Scoter.
In the women's 5000m race, the newly minted All-American Donahue finished seventh running 15:53.11 in her outdoor debut.
Donahue now sits #5 all-time in the Georgetown record books.
Brandt, who has set Georgetown records at 5000m and 10000m since joining the Hoyas in June 2020, continued his dominance winning the men's 10k event running 28:23.55.
The veteran ace settled into the lead pack early on to outkick 2018 NCAA 10k silver-medalist Vincent Kiprop of Alabama over the final 400 meters.
Brandt has now run the three fastest 10k marks in school history. Junior Jack Van Scoter had a breakthrough night to finish 8th and set a 50-second personal best of 29:05.21. Both marks will ensure their qualification to the NCAA East Preliminary Rounds to be held later this season.
Five Hoyas saw action in the men's 400m, highlighted by personal bests from Ethan Delgado and freshman Jibril Syed.
Delgado and Syed finished fourth and fifth in their heat running 49.01 and 49.22, respectively. Syed also broke the 50-second barrier for the first time in his career.
In the women's 1500m, Katie Dammer and Mary Hennelly finished second and fifth in their heat. Dammer set the pace early and finished just off her personal best in a gutsy effort running 4:28.64.
Hennelly clocked a personal best of 4:33.92 in her collegiate debut. The two-time high school All-American in the steeplechase will make her debut in the 3000m event next week at the University of Virginia.

WOMEN'S DISTANCE COACH MITCHELL BAKER ON MAGGIE DONAHUE:
"Maggie did an exceptional job managing herself and trusting her instincts in what was a great field. Like all races at this level, gaps develop as athletes position themselves and move forward in the latter stages of the race. She moved quickly on those like a savvy veteran. To jump into the all-time top-10 on any middle or long-distance list at Georgetown is no easy task, let alone in your first race at the distance. We're excited to see her use this experience to continue growing as an athlete."

HEAD MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY COACH BRANDON BONSEY ON THE RALEIGH RELAYS:
"I was extremely pleased with the competitiveness from the men's middle distance and distance group. Robert and Jack in the 10k were certainly the highlight. I knew Jack was ready for a breakthrough and I'm so happy for him that this happened. The middle-distance group looked very strong but that extra gear just isn't quite there yet and that's fine. It's still only March and unlike most of our competitors, we did not run indoor track. I think it was a great start and sets the groundwork for the rest of the outdoor season."

SATURDAY'S EVENTS (3/27):

The final day of competition was highlighted by the young and talented sprints group and the season debut in men's 800m for Ruach Padhal.
Theo Woods finished in 1:50.12, while Padhal clocked 1:50.21.
The men's 4x100m Relay of Laney, Joshua Paige, Chris Pitt, and Andrew Robinson (with the last three carries making their outdoor debuts for the Hoyas) combined for a time of 41.44 to finish seventh.
Their time moves the squad into the top-20 (17th) on the all-time Georgetown list.
Just a few hours later, Robinson and Paige returned to the track for the 200m, Paige set a personal best in the 200m running 21.82 while Robinson ran 21.89 in his outdoor debut at 200m. The pair currently sit fourth and fifth in the BIG EAST.
In the women's 200m, Maya Drayton was also just off her personal best running 24.58, the second-fastest time of her career.
In the women's 4x400m relay the team of Drayton, McIntosh, Tamiya Roberts, and Linnea Saltz ran 3:44.74.
The men's 4x400m of E. Delgado, Padhal, Woods, and Lawrence Leake closed out the final event of the day with a second-place finish running 3:15.47.