Maslowski a Double-Winner on Day One of VT Challenge

Friday, February 19

Blacksburg, Va.

4:00 PM

Duke University

Day One at Virginia Tech Challenge

Maslowski a Double-Winner on Day One of VT Challenge

2/19/2016 9:58:00 PM | Track & Field

Day 1 Results

By: Duke Sports Information

BLACKSBURG, Va. – Competing at the Virginia Tech Challenge Friday in Blacksburg, Va., the Duke men's and women's track & field teams produced a number of strong performances to kick off the first day of the meet. Overall, the Blue Devils captured four event wins, including two victories and a school record by redshirt senior Teddi Maslowski.

Highlighting the first day, Maslowski reset the school record in the 60-meter hurdles twice during Friday's portion of the meet. Starting in the preliminary heats, Maslowski logged the fastest time among the field, crossing the line in 8.38. Already better than her own previous school-record time of 8.39, the Burgettstown, Pa., product broke the all-time mark again by blazing to an 8.34 showing to place first.

Proving her versatility, Maslowski returned to action later for the women's long jump and registered her second win of the evening. On her final attempt, Maslowski recorded her best jump of the day, soaring 20-2.50 (6.16m) to finish first. Fellow redshirt senior heptathlete Karli Johonnot finished fifth in the event with a leap of 18-9.75 (5.73m).

Freshman Nati Sheppard logged her first victory as a Blue Devil, topping the field in the women's pole vault unseeded competition. Sheppard cleared 12-1.50 (3.70m), a season-best height for the Miami, Fla., native. In the men's competition, junior Connor Hall and sophomore Tanner Johnson paced the Blue Devils by taking third and sixth, respectively, clearing heights of 15-7.00 (4.75m) and 15-1.00 (4.60m).

Back on the track, the Blue Devils turned in a strong group effort in the men's 800, placing three in the top four. Leading the charge was junior Dylan Murphy, capturing the win in a time of 1:51.86, followed by sophomore Kyle Francis and redshirt junior Michal Filipczak in second and fourth, respectively, logging times of 1:52.22 and 1:55.10.

Juniors Michael Wilson and Alec Kunzweiler added top-three finishes of their own in their respective races. Running the men's 600, Wilson stopped the clock at 1:22.43 to finish third, while Kunzweiler took third in the men's mile with a personal-best 4:07.71 performance, the fastest time run by a Blue Devil this season.

Racing in the women's 200, rookie India Lowe etched her name in the Duke records book after clocking the fifth-fastest time in Duke history, placing seventh in a time of 24.88. Fellow freshman MacKenzie Kerr finished close behind, taking 10th with a 25.13 showing. In the men's 200, sophomore Brett Bofinger led a contingent of Blue Devils with a personal-best time of 22.15 to finish eighth overall.

Competing in the men's weight throw, sophomore Jack Maher registered a personal-best distance of 53-1.50 (16.19m), placing sixth and ranking No. 3 in the Duke records book, while rookie Iyin Battle used a throw of 47-7.00 (14.50m) to take 10^th. In the women's event, rookie Stefani Vukajlovic placed 13^th with a toss of 50-5.50 (15.38m), the fourth-best throw in program history.

The Virginia Tech Challenge will resume Saturday, with field events starting at 11 a.m. and running events scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. In addition, a handful of Blue Devils will be competing at the UCS Invitational in Winston-Salem, N.C., and senior pole vaulter Megan Clark will be participating in the Millrose Games in New York City.

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