With 10 conference championship teams from the 2015 outdoor season and 11 conference championship teams from the 2016 indoor season, the Virginia Challenge featured elite competition all around.
But despite this stiff challenge, the North Carolina track and field team recorded multiple first-place finishes and personal bests this weekend.
In the men’s 400-meter hurdles, sophomore Kenny Selmon ran a season-best time of 50.49 to take first place. He currently ranks ninth in the nation in the event.
The Tar Heels took the top two spots in the men’s long jump with redshirt junior Paul Haley coming in at the top spot and first-year Joey Souza finishing second. Haley earned a personal record with a leap of 7.40 meters, which was also the best performance by any UNC athlete in the event this year. Souza finished with a jump of 7.35 meters.
Redshirt senior A.J. Hicks had a first-place finish in the men’s shot put with a throw of 17.05 meters.
Senior Houston Summers continued his success this year with a fourth-place finish in the men’s javelin with a throw of 68.07 meters. His throw was the second-best by all of the collegians in the field.
On the women’s side, redshirt senior Lizzy Whelan took fourth overall in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:06.98. Her time was close to reaching her season best in the event.
In the women’s 1,500-meter run, sophomore Josette Norris stood out with a career-best time of 4:23.95.
First-year Tainasha Vines competed in the women’s long jump and posted a best jump of 5.91 meters to finish in fifth place. She also earned an eighth-place finish in the women's triple jump at 11.98 meters, which is a season best for her.
