FAIRFAX, Va. - The George Mason track & field team had a
solid showing at its own Patriot Open Invitational on Saturday, posting a
combined 14 IC4A/ECAC qualifying marks at the meet.
The men saw seven individuals record IC4A qualifying times,
led by senior Lavell Handy who ran a time of 10.84 in the prelims of the 100m
dash while also winning the long jump with a season-best distance of 7.64m.
Handy was joined in the long jump by junior Travaughn
Baker-Johnson, who finished second with a jump of 7.54m and senior Dwight
Webley, who placed fourth after a jump of 7.22m.
On the track, junior David Verburg put his name in the Mason
record books with an eighth-best all-time finish of 20.91 in the 200m dash,
good for second place. Also posting IC4A qualifying marks on the day was
sophomore Adrian Vaughn in the 400m dash (47.51, 4th), junior Cody
Raphael in the 800m run (1:51.66, 19th) and freshman Anthony
Williams, who recorded a season-best time of 14.24 in the 110m hurdles.
For the women, senior Monique McKenzie added her name to the
Top-10 Mason list in the 800m with a season-best time of 2:10.62, good for
eighth place in the event and seventh all-time for the Patriots. In the 200m
dash, a duo of athletes also recorded ECAC qualifying marks, as junior Crystalyne
Clark finished third in a time of 24.44 and sophomore Katea Jemmott crossed the
line in 24.73, good for fifth place.
The final women's track qualifier was junior Taylor Wheaton,
who finished the 400m hurdles in a time of 1:01.12.
In the field events, freshman Kelsey Reese continued her
impressive showings in the javelin, climbing to fourth in the Mason record
books with a season-best throw of 47.02m. Junior Mandissa Marshall also shone,
winning the pole vault with a jump of 4.20m.
The Patriots return to action next weekend, traveling to
three separate meets.
