The track team had several standout performances at the Miami Elite Invitational in Coral Gables, Fla., on April 12.
The women dominated their 800-meter run, coming up with three top 10 finishes among a group of 27 racers. Senior Arusha McKenzie placed second with a time of 2:09.98, a mere 0.38 seconds behind senior Karen Kozub of Central Florida. Junior Jordan Sarruda took fifth with a time of 2:13.19. Junior Emily McMillan rounded out ‘Nova’s runners for this race, coming in ninth with 2:20.10 on the clock.
Freshman Kristen Mahon also had a top 10 finish when she competed in the women’s 400-meter hurdles. She finished with a time of 1:00.81, landing her in seventh place out of 16 participants, along with recording a NCAA qualifying time.
The women’s 4×400-meter relay finished fourth among a field of 10 teams. The team, composed of sophomore Makalia Griffith, Sarruda, Mahon and freshman Jessona McDonald, ended with a time of 3:43.30.
Senior Patrick Gazzini won the men’s 400-meter hurdles with his time of 52.08, an NCAA regional qualifying time. Junior Elliot Whaley took a third-place finish in the same event with a lifetime-best time of 53.17.
Senior Kevin Okolie had a strong showing, taking ninth and 10th in two different races. He took 10th in the 100-meter dash among a field 58 runners. He later brought home ninth in the finals with a time of 21.42.
Junior Elvis Lewis and sophomore Garrett Kroner also had good multiple-race outings. The Saturday meet marked the first open meet Lewis has competed in since he ran in the Big East Indoor Championships. He placed fifth in the men’s 400-meter dash with a time of 47.25. Kroner followed him across the finish line 1.25 seconds later, taking 10th place in the event.
The duo also participated in the men’s 4×400-meter dash. Lewis was the first runner and was followed by Kroner, freshman Christopher Giunta and senior John Morse. The relay team’s effort brought in a second-place finish at the event with an impressive time of 3:11.93.
Next up for both the men and women’s teams is the Widener Invitational held in Chester, Pa. The event will take place Saturday and is slated to last all day.