Women's XC/Track 4/10/2022 2:00:00 PM

Hoyas Put Together Solid Outings at Ole Miss and George Mason

WASHINGTON – The Georgetown track & field team once again split sites sending a small contingent down to Oxford, Mississippi for the Joe Walker Invitational, hosted by Ole Miss University while another group stayed local at the George Mason Invitational in Fairfax, Virginia.

ON THE RECORD
"The women at Ole Miss took big steps forward in race management and competitiveness. In conditions that did not lend to fast times Friday night, we just missed winning one and took two other 1500m sections including the overall win from Riggins in a field of three NCAA Champions and two mile / 1500 All-Americans. Saturday was more strong racing with one section win and all with PRs or strong season openers." - Assistant Track & Field Coach Mitchell Baker

"We had some really solid performances down at Ole Miss. Particularly Lucas Guerra and Abel Teffra running 800m PRs. Running 1:50 on tired legs after racing the 1500m the night before was big time stuff." - Assistant Track & Field Coach Brandon Bonsey

"We had some competitive performances that led to several wins, with Joshua Paige in the 100m and Katie Dammer running a PR for a win in the 1500m, and our Women's 4x100m team (Williams, Drayton,Ochan, Ashiogwu) winning overall from the slower section. This time of year is about racing and putting ourselves in position for wins and overall I believe our group did just that at George Mason this weekend. I was also very impressed with two PRs from Noah Norris in the 200m (22.28) and 400m (48.96) in his first meet of the outdoor season." - Director of Track & Field Alton McKenzie

HOYA HIGHLIGHTS - JOE WALKER INVITATIONAL

Melissa Riggins brought home a win in the women's 1500-meter run as she clocked 4:17.53 in the race and made up a lot of ground through the final 700 meters, especially leading into the bell lap. The time was a PR for the freshman in a stacked field.
The men's 1500-meter run saw Parker Stokes and Camden Gilmore come in on each other's shoulders with times of 3:43.01 (4th) and 3:43.06 (5th), respectively. Abel Teffra finished 10th with a time of 3:45.97. All three times were PRs.
Following up in the men's 800-meter run, Matthew Payamps was the first of a trio of Hoyas among the top 10 finishing sixth (1:49.64) while Lucas Guerra and Teffra finished ninth (1:50.28) and 10th (1:50.31), respectively, both with PRs.
In the men's 3,000-meter steeplechase Owen Ritz finished fifth with a time of 9:08.93 in his first steeple of the season.

HOYA HIGHLIGHTS - GEORGE MASON INVITATIONAL

Despite competing in the second of a two-heat event, the squad of Chloe Williams, Maya Drayton, Rebecca Ochan and KC Ashiogwu clocked 48.62 to take the win. The men finished seventh with a time of 43.09.
Joshua Paige won the 100-meter dash, running 10.76 to take first overall and in the first heat. Christopher Pitt added a seventh-place showing (11.08) in the event. Paige's time is a collegiate PR. In the women's 100-meter dash, Drayton's 12.16 was good enough for third place while Williams finished ninth with a PR 12.52.
Katie Dammer ran a PR 4:24.29 as she led a quartet of Hoyas among the top 10 in the women's 1500-meter run. All competing in the first heat, Chloe Scrimgreour finished third (4:28.39) while Pippa Nuttall placed seventh (4:36.50) and Charlotte Dannatt took eighth (4:36.55).
Ochan continued her strong day with a third-place finish in the women's 200-meter dash. She clocked a PR 24.61 to win her heat.
In the men's 1500-meter run, Scott Johnson ran a 3:49.67 to finish second in the second heat (4th overall) as the first of two Hoyas among the top 10. Sean Laidlaw took ninth with a time of 3:51.18.
Sean Hewitt finished second in the second heat and fifth overall in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 55.45.
Renee Newton finished fourth in the second heat of the women's 400-meter dash to finish seventh (57.38) overall. In the men's 400-meter dash, Noah Norris ran a PR 48.96 to take 10th place overall.
Malachi Quarles crossed the finish line with a time of 14.95 in the men's 110-meter high hurdles, good enough for eighth place.