Three Syracuse sprinters medaled during day one of Virginia Tech Invitational

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This weekend, Syracuse traveled to Blacksburg for the Virginia Tech Invitational. While the distance squad sat out the events held on the meet’s first day, both the men’s and women’s sprinters ran multiple races on Friday.

Shahleah Colaire and Peyton Rollins represented the Orange for the preliminary women’s 60-meter hurdles. Despite both finishing in under nine seconds, neither qualified for the final.

Syracuse asserted themselves in the men’s 60m hurdle prelim heats as Jaheem Hayles, Anthony Vasquez and Naseem Smith qualified. Hayles posted a time of 7.93, a mere .53 seconds off the meet record, while Vasquez and Smith recorded times of 8.15, and 8.17 respectively.

In the women’s 60m prelims, Kahniya James finished .03 seconds off the top qualifying time. Kaleia Arrington, Morgan Marshall and Rollins missed the qualifying mark.

Trei Thorogood put up an impressive time of 6.77 in the 60m prelims while Daijon Richards narrowly missed the qualification cutoff after producing a 6.97 finish.

James returned to the track for the 60m hurdles final where she’d fall just seven hundredths short of the win despite setting a new season best and placing second with a time of 7.47. VCU’s Lauryn Taylor took first place.

The men’s 60-meter final went underway next, but Thorogood placed sixth in the men’s 60-meter final despite running an impressive 6.83. His time was less than two-tenths off of Virginia Tech sprinter Cole Beck, who finished first.

Syracuse thrived in the men’s 60m hurdles final, with the Orange finishing just eight-hundredths of a second away from a clean sweep. Hayles decidedly secured first place, finishing the final in 7.86 seconds. Vasquez medaled as well, running an 8.08 and Smith took sixth place with an 8.16.

Syracuse track closed out the day with the men’s 300-meter final where Elijah Mallard etched his name into the school’s record books. Although Mallard couldn’t medal in the final, he ran a 34.65, setting a new Syracuse school record for the men’s 300-meter dash.

Syracuse will return for day two of the Virginia Tech Invitational on Saturday morning.