Aveni, Rothwell Set Program Records in Day One at Raleigh Relays

Thursday, March 25

Raleigh, NC

Duke University

Day One at Raleigh Relays

Aveni, Rothwell Set Program Records in Day One at Raleigh Relays

3/25/2021 9:12:00 PM | Track & Field

Results (PDF)

RALEIGH, N.C. – Graduate students Brittany Aveni and Cha'Mia Rothwell made history on Thursday at the Raleigh Relays, setting school records as part of a packed first day of action at the Paul Derr Track Facility on the campus of NC State.

The Blue Devils opened the day with a flourish, as freshman Scott Campbell performed well in the javelin. The Hazelton, Pa. native made his Blue Devil debut and shined, taking home second place with a throw of 68.77 meters (225-7 feet). His first throw as a Blue Devil landed him in the record books, as he recorded the fourth-best mark in program history.

Following the strong start in field events, graduate student Julia Valenti took home top honors in the pole vault, with a mark of 4.00m (13-1.5 feet). The North Reading, Mass., native made her Blue Devil debut, following a decorated career at Dartmouth College and delivered the opening first-place finish of the outdoor season.

In the afternoon, the Blue Devils hit their stride in the sprints. Junior Isabel Wakefield opened action in the 100m hurdles with a personal best time of 13.89 seconds, good for fourth all-time at Duke. Wakefield was followed up by another former Dartmouth student-athlete and Duke newcomer, as Cha'Mia Rothwell took the stage in the same event. The Durham, N.C., native made her Blue Devil debut count, earning the top preliminary time in the 100m hurdles with a personal best 13.21 seconds to break the school record held by teammate Erin Marsh (13.37) by 0.16 seconds.

Immediately after Rothwell's record-breaking run, another graduate student, Brittany Aveni made history in the 100m. A four-time All-ACC and 2018 Second Team All-American honoree, Aveni competed in the 100m for the first time in her career. Aveni recorded a time of 11.46 seconds to break the school record of 11.59 seconds, set by Kethlin Campbell in 2018. The Geneva, Ohio native will advance to the 100m finals on Saturday.

Not to be outdone, Joseph Laster took his own run into the record books in the 100m. Laster recorded a time of 10.54(w) seconds to not only move into the final round, but also tally the fourth-fastest time in program history. Laster's run was the fastest by a Duke sprinter in the event since Robert Rohner in 2014.

The Blue Devils return to action on Friday at 10 a.m., with the women's discus and the men's high jump. Sophomore Payton Little will represent the Blue Devils in the discus, while sophomore's Beau Allen, Davis Howell and Keith Williams are set to compete in the high jump.

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