On Track for Success: VMI Track Sees Personal Bests in Season Debut

The VMI track and field teams opened the 2025 outdoor season with multiple personal-best times and distances to set the tone for the season at the Davidson Relays in Davidson, North Carolina, March 29, 2025.

Men’s Team

Cameron Thomas ’27 set a new personal record in the pole vault with a first-place height of 5.10 meters to pace the Keydets in the season opener.

Xander Topos ’25 placed second overall in the 400-meter hurdles with a new personal record time of 53.39 seconds.

Elisha Williams ’27 earned a new personal record in the shot put by finishing seventh in the event at 14.99 meters. He was followed by Tazewell Rae ’28 in eighth at 14.71 meters and Hunter Davis ’25 in 10th at 14.17 meters.

In the 400-meter dash, Anthony Wilkerson ’28 came in ninth in 49.42 seconds, and Rye Jackson ’28 earned a new personal record in 10th place at 49.60 seconds.

Great Performances

• Ben Hagerich ’26 finished third overall in the 800-meter in 1:54.45.
• Kevin Shank ’27 finished fourth in the 300-meter in 8:53.15 ahead of Jackson Geisendaffer ’28 in seventh at 9:05. Colin Crenshaw ’27 arrived in ninth in 9:20.69.
• Shank also competed in the mile run, placing 10th in 4:25.41.
• The 4×400 relay team of Jackson, Hagerich, Wilkerson, and Topos finished fourth in 3:23.62.

Women’s Team

The 4×100-meter relay team of Evelyn Anderson ’27, SeMore Green ’26, Naturale Faison ’28, and Heaven Hall ’26 paced the Keydets with a second-place finish for the event in 4:01.84. The team of Shea Hart ’26, JeNiya White ’28, Eleyah Armstrong ’25, and Gretal Shank ’25 came in fourth in 4:15.02.

Reagan Gilman ’28 finished second in the 800-meter in 2:15,45, while Shank came in sixth in 2:19.51.

Morgan Fraser ’27 came in third in the high jump at 1.60 meters, and E’yana Watson ’28 logged an 11th-place height of 1.50 meters.

Faison arrived in third in the 100-meter dash in 12.04 seconds, and Jennifer Koumondji ’27 placed 15th in 12.51 seconds.

Julie Freitas ’25 competed well in the triple jump with a distance of 11.42 meters for fourth place.

Great Performances

• Jillian Sisk ’27 placed sixth in the 1500-meter in 4:47.86.
• Hart came in eighth in the 100-meter hurdles in 14.38 seconds.
• Olivia Hurd ’27 registered a 15th-place time of 1:03.43 in the 400-meter dash.
• Samantha Layton ’28 finished 11th in the 3000-meter run in 11:49.35 and was followed by Carolina Fiorillo ’25 in 13th in 13:11.65.
• Diamond Baker ’26 placed 10th in the shot put at 11.32 meters

Editor’s Note: This article was first published on vmikeydets.com.