WASHINGTON – The Georgetown University track & field program competed in two meets this weekend, with the Wake Forest Invitational on April 19 and the Virginia Challenge on April 19-20. 

The Wake Forest Invitational was held in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and the Virginia Challenge was held in Charlottesville, Virginia. 

Hoyas Melissa Riggins and Joshua Paige set new program records in the 800m and 200m, respectively, while several other Hoyas set new personal records.

ON THE RECORD
"What a weekend for the Hoyas. A lot of PRs and fast times across the board at both meets. It was great to see the multiple personal bests by our women who ran the 200m at the UVA Challenge. Also a good PR for Nick Givan in the 400m hurdles, running 52.06.

The highlight for the weekend at UVA, though, has to go to Josh Paige, who ran a personal best in the the 100m on Friday (10.43 for 2nd fastest in school history), and then finally broke the longstanding school record in the 200m, running 20.61. Overall, the performances this weekend will set us up very well for the Penn Relays where we plan on lining up several relay teams along with some individual participants on Thursday's distance night along with the 400m hurdles earlier on Thursday. We're certainly looking forward to competing at the oldest Relay Carnival in the U.S. next weekend and further on as postseason approaches." - Director of Track & Field/Cross Country Alton McKenzie

"I was very pleased with this weekend overall. I thought the team really demonstrated their depth, which I am happy about. We now have 7 guys that have run under 1:49 in the 800 this year, including 3 true freshmen. I'm not sure how many schools have ever done that in a year. Parker Stokes had an excellent opener. It's hard to run super fast in your debut in a distance, so 8:26 was a very encouraging sign. We are in an excellent position headed into Penn Relays and then the postseason." - Assistant Coach Brandon Bonsey

ABOUT THE WAKE FOREST INVITATIONAL

• Melissa Riggins set a new school record in the women's 800m with a 2:01.97 finish, taking fourth place overall.
• Matt Rizzo took first place in the men's 800m, running 1:48.67. His time currently ranks 64th nationally.
• Barrett Justema took first place in the women's steeplechase with a time of 10:37.64.
• Chloe Scrimgeour took second place in the 5000m invite with a time of 15:29.87, recording the second-best finish in the event in program history.
• Natalie McLean took second place in the women's 5000m, running 16:48.62.
• Also in the women's 800m, Katy-Ann McDonald took 6th in her heat and 12th overall in the 800m with a time of 2:05.27, while Angeline Caamano finished 14th overall (2:11.98).
• Ryan Mulrooney won his heat and took fourth overall in the 800m with a time of 1:48.99.
• Gabriele Angiono also ran the 800m in 1:47.64 for fourth in his heat and eighth overall.
• Kelsey Swenson finished in fifth place in the women's 10000m with a time of 34:31.30. 
• Mary Hennelly took second in her heat and 12th overall in the women's steeplechase with a 10:27.22 finish.
• Caroline Cummings took 17th place in the 1500m, running 4:31.12. Joining her is teammate Chloe Gonzalez, who took 25th overall with a 4:17.50 finish.
• Lucas Guerra finished in 17th place in the 1500m with a time of 3:41.37. Owen Johnson finished in 21st place with a time of 3:47.23.    

ABOUT THE VIRGINIA CHALLENGE 

• Joshua Paige broke the Hoya record in the 200m with a new personal-best 20.61 finish for second place overall. 
• Paige also took third place in the men's 100m final with a 10.43 finish. 
• Abbie Huey took second place in the women's 200m with a season-best 23.64 finish. 
• Nicholas Givan took third overall in the men's 400m hurdles with a new personal-best time of 52.06.
• Givan also took first in his heat and 13th overall in the men's 400m with a time of 48.45.
• Georgetown took 4th overall in the women's 4x100 with a 45.98 finish run by Hoyas Jadah Fitzgerald, Rebecca Ochan, Piper Rodgers and Abbie Huey.
• Parker Stokes took fifth place overall in the men's steeplechase with a time of 8:26.61.
• Teammates Peter Herold and Jantz Tostenson also took 11th (8:43.59) and 20th (9:01.42), respectively, in the event.
• In the women's 400m, Rebecca Ochan took 10th overall and first in her heat with a time of 55.40. KC Ashiogwu joined her with a time of 55.55 for 12th overall and second in her heat.
• Kaira Brown also finished in 13th (55.56) and Maya Drayton took 17th (55.94).
• Tim McInerney ran 1:48.11 in the men's 800m for sixth place overall, while Matthew Payamps finished in 11th with a time of 1:48.50.
• Sean Laidlaw took 20th place in the 1500m with a 3:46.97 finish.
• Rebecca Ochan also recorded a new personal best in the 200m, running 24.19 for 11th place, while Piper Rodgers took 18th with a new personal-best time of 24.38.
• Georgetown took seventh place in the women's 4x400m with Hoyas Kaira Brown, KC Ashiogwu, Jadah Fitzgerald and Piper Rodgers running 3:45.50. 

OF NOTE

• Riggins' 800m time topped Treniere Clement's 2004 record in the event (2:02.35).
• Paige's 200m time broke Chris Brown's record of 20.81, set in 1989.
• Scrimgeour's 5000m time is the second-best finish by a Hoya in the event all-time, second only to Olympian Emily Infeld's 2012 record of 15:28.60.

UP NEXT
Georgetown will compete in the Penn Relays next weekend, from Thursday, April 25 through Saturday, April 27th. The meet will be held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.