Three IC4A Qualifiers Highlight Day One of Men's Track and Field at Virginia Tech Challenge

Jacob Frey wins the 5,000m

02/13/04 11:59PM

BLACKSBURG, VA - Senior Jacob Frey (Oakton, VA) won the 5,000m to lead three IC4A qualifiers in the event as defending CAA Champion William and Mary men's track and field competed on day one of the Virginia Tech Challenge. The highly competitive meet features 19 teams, including Tennessee, Georgia, N. C. State, North Carolina, Wake Forest, Richmond, James Madison, Virginia, Norfolk State, Liberty, VMI, Lynchburg, Radford, Roanoke and host Virginia Tech.

The Tribe dominated the 5,000m, sweeping the top-two positions and taking six of the top seven. Frey bested the IC4A qualifying mark by some 14 seconds in his 5,000m win, clocking a 14:36.12. Right behind was sophomore Matt Keally (Virginia Beach, VA) who paced a 14:39.24, under the IC4A standard, for runner-up honors. Also netting an IC4A qualification was sophomore Jason Schoener (Grand Blanc, MI) who ran a personal-record 14:48.46 for fourth-place. Just a few ticks off the IC4A time was freshman Keith Bechtol (Alexandria, VA), who claimed fifth with a 14:52.89. In sixth was junior Charlie Hurt (Charlottesville, VA) while junior Patrick Comstock (Portsmouth, VA) took seventh.

In the 1,000m, junior Bill Tarantino (Woodbridge, VA) clocked a career-best 2:30.82, less than a second off the IC4A qualifying time, to take runner-up honors. In the same race, sophomore Robert Pitts (Washington, DC) set a personal record by running a 2:37.38. Sophomore Steve Cason (Richmond, VA) also set a personal record in the 60m with a 7.16 while fellow sophomore James Hipolit (Lititz, PA) ran a career-best 1:08.03 in the 500m.

The Virginia Tech Challenge concludes on Saturday.