Feb. 9, 2009

JOHNSON, MONTAGUE JUMP TO VICTORY
Pair also teams with Finney, Key for relay victory

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – The Virginia Commonwealth University women’s track and field team continues to make significant leaps – both in actual competition and in level of improvement.

Long jumper Verniece Johnson (Mineral, Va.) and triple jumper Rachel Montague (Marlton, N.J.) each posted victories over the weekend at Christopher Newport University’s Vince Brown Invitational.   Johnson, a senior, and Montague, a freshman, were also part of the 4x400 relay team that finished first.

“We made some improvements this past weekend in every event,” VCU coach Jon Riley said.   “Verniece looks as though she’s hitting her stride in the jumps.”

Johnson had a jump of 5.92 meters to win the long jump.   Freshman teammate Jazlynn Finney (Leesburg, Va.) was second at 5.44 meters.

Montague went 11.34 meters to take the triple jump.

Finney also part of the winning 4x400 relay.  Junior Whitney Key (Goochland, Va.) was the fourth runner in the group that finished in 3 minutes, 59.66 seconds – almost seven seconds ahead of any other quartet.

In the high jump, freshman Allison Morris (Langhorne, Pa.) finished second at 1.6 meters.   Sophomore Stephanie Newing (Virginia Beach, Va.) was fourth in the pole vault at 3.15 meters.

Senior Natalie Duncan (Alexandria, Va.) also established a personal best, finishing fifth in the shot put at 13.04 meters.   Riley praised assistant coach Ethan Tussing “for doing an incredible job with the throwers.”

Other highlights:  Sophomore Quina Fortune (New Orleans, La.) was fourth in the 55 meters at 7.32 seconds; Montague was fifth in the 55 hurdles at 8.41 seconds and junior Sernarra Archie (Winston-Salem, N.C.) was 10th at 8.88 seconds; sophomore Cassandra Thondique (Norfolk, Va.) was fifth in the 400 meters at 1:00.33; and freshman Nicole Walters (Orange, Va.) was eighth in the 800 meters at 2:21.34.

“Nicole Walters is one we need to keep an eye on.  I believe she and the rest of the mid-distance crew will improve under Coach Tussing’s tutelage,” Riley said.

The Rams are off this coming weekend.  They will compete again in the CAA Indoor Meet on Feb. 21 in Newark, Del.