// FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE //

January 19, 2012

Track and Field contact: Tom Fenstermaker

Web link: http://www.virginiasports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=17800&ATCLID=205364584

Track and Field Opens 2012 Campaign at Hokie Invitational

Action begins at 5 p.m., on Friday at Rector Fieldhouse

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va.—The Virginia men’s and women’s track and field teams open their 2012 indoor slate Friday at Saturday (Jan. 20-21) at the Hokie Invitational in Blacksburg, Va.

The action starts at 5 p.m., Friday and at 11 a.m., on Saturday from Rector Fieldhouse with student-athletes from 18 schools competing. Live results will be linked through VirginiaSports.com.

The Cavaliers will take a full complement of throwers, jumpers and sprinters to Blacksburg. Many of the middle distance and distance runners will make their debut at next weekendÂ’s Penn State National Invitational.

Among those scheduled to compete is senior Maureen Laffan, who won the weight throw at the Liberty Kick-Off on Dec. 2, with the second-best mark in school history, 17.74m (58’2.5”).

On the second day of the Liberty Kick-Off, freshman Jordan Lavender won the women’s 60-meter dash in a time of 7.57, the sixth-fastest time in UVa history, while taking third in the long jump with a leap of 5.32m (17’5.5”).

Also booked to compete for the first time this season are 2011 second-team All-American Marcus Robinson in the triple jump and senior Vincenzo Chiariello, the school-record holder in the weight throw.

Next up for the ‘Hoos is the Penn State National Invitational Jan. 27-28 in State College, Pa.