Dukes Claim 13 Event Victories, Win JMU Invitational on Senior Day

Saturday, April 22

Harrisonburg, Va.

Noon

James Madison University

JMU Invitational

Dukes Claim 13 Event Victories, Win JMU Invitational on Senior Day

4/22/2017 6:01:00 PM | Track & Field

@JMUTrackField JMU Track and Field on Facebook Results Photo Gallery Senior Ceremony

HARRISONBURG, Va. – James Madison set two meet records and had a pair of athletes record personal-best times, as the Dukes celebrated Senior Day with a team victory at the 2017 JMU Invitational on a rainy afternoon at Sentara Park.

The Dukes won a combined 13 events, including nine of 10 on the track and four of seven between jumps and throws. The Dukes won their second straight meet at home by a team score of 97-35 against visiting Robert Morris.

Senior Annie Johnson won a pair of events, claiming the 100-meter dash with a personal-record time of 11.86 seconds. She later won the 200-meter dash with a meet-record mark of 24.57 seconds. Sophomore Nicolette Serratore, who competed in three separate events ranging from jumps, throws and sprints, set a meet record to open competition by throwing the javelin 43.16 meters to win the event. Sophomore Jackie O'Shea also produced a PR in the 5,000-meter run, with a time of 18:38.26.

Also gaining individual wins in sprint races Saturday were junior Tyrah Burrow in the 400-meter dash (57.94), senior Summer Walter in the 100-meter hurdles (14.86) and junior Gina Bischof in the 400-meter hurdles (1:04.61). Bischof joined Johnson as a two-event winner, as she, along with junior Charlie Bell, freshman Sahna Sabbakhan and sophomore Kelly Oler won the 4x400 relay in 4:04.09.

JMU took both mid-distance races with wins by sophomore Erica Jackson in the 800-meter run (2:17.71) and sophomore Olivia Viparina in the 1,500-meter run (5:04.05). Junior Angelique DeMeo rounded out JMU's wins on the track with a triumph in the 5,000-meter run (18:26.06), which was just over 12 seconds ahead of O'Shea's PR.

Aside from Serratore's win in the javelin, sophomore Sidra Morris claimed the shot put (13.17) as the meet's lone competitor in the event. The Dukes also saw leaping victories from senior Ebony Owusu-Sampah in the long jump (5.17m), while she took runner up in the triple jump (10.63m) to sophomore Jantsen Wilson (10.85m).

Robert Morris claimed wins in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, as well as the high jump and discus. JMU fielded no competitors in both of the Colonials' field-event wins.

ONE FINAL RACE OVER THE MOUNTAIN TO CLOSE THE WEEKEND
The Dukes completed their jam-packed weekend of competition Saturday night in Charlottesville at the UVa Challenge, as senior Carol Strock placed 30th overall out of 76 runners in the 1,500 with a time of 4:26.90. That mark was just .09 off her season-best time.

"Carol ran a solid race," Distance Coach Dave Rinker said. "The pace was slow; she got stuck in the back and then waited too long to make her move. She closed well and she knows she has a lot more in the tank."

PHOTO OF THE MEET - view full photo gallery

Ebony Owusu-Sampah leaps her way to a long-jump win on Senior Day.

SENIOR SEND OFF
The Dukes sent their eight seniors out with a big dual-meet victory against Robert Morris at the JMU Invitational. Of JMU's 13 event wins, the seniors claimed a combined fourfirst-place finishes, highlighted by Annie Johnson's triumphs in the 100 and 200. Summer Walter won the 100 hurdles, while Ebony Owusu-Sampah took top honors in the long jump.

UP NEXT
JMU will split the squad next weekend, as the Dukes will compete both at the Penn Relays in Philadelphia from April 27-29 and at the Virginia Grand Prix in Charlottesville on April 29. This will serve at the program's final tune-up meets prior to the CAA Track & Field Championships on May 5-6.