Wake Forest Athletics
Deacs Earn Five Top-Five Finishes at Virginia Challenge
5/10/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Track and Field
May 10, 2014
By Currie McFayden, Wake Forest Athletic Communications (@WakeTrack)
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - Wake Forest earned five top-five finishes on the final day of the Virginia Challenge on Saturday afternoon, including a pair of strong performances from Patrick Donelan and two-time ACC champion Jessie Merckle in the javelin throw.
Hunter Roberts turned in an excellent performance in the 100m hurdles to finish fifth overall, while Kyle Graves powered to a new personal-best mark and a fifth place finish in the 1,500m run.
The Demon Deacons will be back in action next Friday and Saturday at the Georgia Tech Invitational in Atlanta, Ga. It is currently the last scheduled meet prior to the NCAA East Regional, set for May 29-31 in Jacksonville, Fla.
Following is an event-by-event summary of Wake Forest's results from the final day of the Virginia Challenge on Saturday.
Men's 1,500m Run
Junior Kyle Graves, who earned All-ACC honors in the 800m run in April, established a new personal-best time in the 1,500m run after crossing the line in 3:43.92 to finish fifth overall. Simon Holden was next up, finishing 19th with a time of 3:48.37, while Alexander Rose finished in 3:54.95 to place 42nd.
Women's 100m Hurdles (Prelims)
Hunter Roberts took third in her heat and sixth overall in the preliminary heats of the 100m hurdles, advancing to the finals with a time of 14.38.
Women's 100m Hurdles (Finals)
Roberts turned in a nearly identical time of 14.39 in the finals of the 100m hurdles to take fifth overall, her third top-five finish in the event this season.
Women's Long Jump
Alyssa Thompson earned her fourth top-10 finish of the season in the event, taking fifth place with a leap of 18-5.75 (5.63m) while outperforming a trio of ACC competitors.
Men's Javelin Throw
Patrick Donelan led the way for the Demon Deacons, taking fifth place with a season-best throw of 208-3 (63.47m). Also competing in the event was Michael Belardia, whose toss of 172-0 (52.42m) gave him a ninth-place finish.
Women's Javelin Throw
Jessie Merckle, the two-time defending ACC champion in the event, placed fourth overall with a mark of 159-4 (48.57m). The sophomore utilized a seven-step throwing technique and picked up her fourth top-10 finish in as many events this season.
Players Mentioned
