The Elon University track and field team travelled to Blacksburg, Virginia, to compete in the Virginia Tech challenge. The event marked the final competition of the regular season for the Phoenix.
Tereza Novotna won the 3,000-meter race with a time of 9:39.54, the second fastest in school history and good for first place in the event. Senior Jenny Gallagher was the runner up, finishing in 10:18.63.
Jen Esposito set a personal best in the 400 meter run, posting a time of 56.00, good for second place. In the long jump, Carrie Abraham finished fourth with a mark of 18’ 1.5”. Megan Kirschling took fifth in the high jump, clearing 5’ 6”. In the 4x400 meter relay, the Phoenix took fifth with a time of 3:56.79 and a team consisting of Esposito, Jennifer Pash, Lydia Laws and Emily Dixon.
The Phoenix had 25 athletes in competition at Virginia Tech, with many attempting to qualify for the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Indoor Championships. The ECACs take place March 5-7 in Boston, Ma., and Elon has eight athletes who have already qualified- Elyse Bierut (3,000 and 5,000 meters), Esposito (400-meters), Sydney Griffin (60-meter hurdles), Bryanna Hames (shot put), Kimberly Johansen (one-mile, 800 and 1,000-meters), Kirschling (high jump), Novotna (one-mile) and Bre’anna Warren (shot put).