// FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE //

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Track and Field Contact: Tom Fenstermaker

Virginia Opens New Track Facility Saturday with UVa Team Swashbuckle

Events start at 10:00 a.m.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va.—The Virginia men’s and women’s track and field teams open the 2012 outdoor track and field season with the UVa Team Swashbuckle Saturday (March 24) at Lannigan Field. It is the first meet since a complete renovation of the facility.

Live results will be linked through VirginiaSports.com

The meet will feature more than 600 athletes from 11 schools. The field action begins at 10 a.m., with the hammer throw, while running events are scheduled to start at 1 p.m., with the 100 meter hurdles.

Admission to the meet is free and concessions and merchandise will be available. Entrance to the facility is the renovated entrance plaza for the track and field facility, Davenport Field and Klöckner Stadium. The facility has a grandstand that seats 800 spectators.

Public parking for track and field will be available in the University Hall, JPJA and McCue parking lots as well as the Emmet/Ivy Garage. With capacity crowds expected for the baseball and men's lacrosse games that are occurring during the afternoon, fans are encouraged to arrive early.

Amy Griffin, a 1998 Virginia graduate and former volleyball player for the Cavaliers, pledged $5 million for the construction of a new track and field facility. Phase I of the project, including the track, lights and the renovated entrance plaza, has been completed. Lannigan Field will host the 2012 ACC Championships April 19-21.

In addition to replacing the existing track, Phase II for the new facility includes seating for 1,500 fans, a scoreboard and team locker rooms. The facilityÂ’s plans also include column features similar to those at Scott Stadium and John Paul Jones Arena.

Both the Cavalier men and women finished fourth at the ACC Indoor Championships. Virginia had four representatives at the NCAA indoor meet, including senior Marcus Robinson (Richmond, Va.) and junior Morgane Gay (Bethesda, Md.) who earned first-team All-America status with fifth-place finishes in the menÂ’s triple jump and womenÂ’s mile, respectively.

Junior Dallas Rose (Pearland, Texas) and freshman Nick Vena (Morristown, N.J.) picked up second-team All-America honors. Rose placed 12th in the womenÂ’s triple jump, while Vena finished 14th in the menÂ’s shot put.