While some of the UNC track and field team traveled to compete in the JDL DMR Invitational in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, the others headed to Blacksburg, Virginia, to compete in the Virginia Tech Challenge on Friday and Saturday. Two athletes finished their events with season bests, while another finished second overall in their event.
What happened?
On Friday, first-year Isiah Travis placed second overall in the men’s 600 meters at the VT Challenge. He finished with a time of 1:20.68.
The second day of the challenge, brought on several more field events for the Tar Heels. For two pole vaulters, Saturday ended in season bests. Sophomore Ben Finger finished seventh in the men’s pole vault, and senior Emerson Porter finished ninth in women’s pole vault.
Over at the JDL DMR Invitational, UNC's men’s indoor distance medley relay team set a program record, while the women’s indoor distance medley relay team placed fourth.
Who stood out?
Finger and Porter were the only two athletes who competed for the team on Saturday, although they both made the most of their performances, earning season bests.
Finger is a sophomore from Dallas, North Carolina, who has been on the team since last season, but his first indoor season was cut short due to an injury. This is his first time competing in a regular season since the start of COVID-19. Finger finished with a height of 4.92 meters.
Porter is a senior from Charlotte, North Carolina, who was a competitive gymnast for 13 years but decided to try track and field her junior year of high school. Clearly, it stuck, and Porter was able to secure a spot on the UNC team after she graduated high school. Porter finished with a height of 3.89 meters.
