The track and field team ended a phenomenal season, with 11 All-Conference athletes, new school records, and Gavin Jenkins ’22 taking a trip to the NCAA East Regional. Photo courtesy VMI Keydets
The 2021 outdoor track and field season saw incredible feats by multiple cadet-athletes as the team continued to improve over the course of the season.
Gavin Jenkins ’22, steeplechase runner, qualified for the NCAA East Regional by way of his No. 16 ranking for the event with a school record time of 8:44.56 earned at the Lee University Last Chance Meet May 15. During the outdoor season, he achieved All-Southern Conference honors in both the steeplechase and 5,000-meter run by placing second at both at the SoCon Championships. He finished 30th at the NCAA East Regional.
Jordin Poindexter ’22, sprinter, was named the SoCon’s Male Most Outstanding Performer at the SoCon Championships after winning the 200m title, placing second in the 100-meter dash, and helping the 4×400 relay team to a league title.
The 4×400 relay team of Poindexter, Jonathan Gray ’22, Trent Whittaker ’23, and Johnnie Walker ’22 won the outdoor title. This is the same group that won the indoor SoCon title for the event just two months earlier.
The women’s 4×400 group of Eliza Brooks ’22, Autumn Parson ’22, Ahliyah Williams ’22, and Ariana Ruffin ’21 placed second at the SoCon Championships with a new school record time of 3:47.90.
The VMI throwers performed well at the SoCon Outdoor Championships, as Solomon Ghosh ’22 placed second in the discus and Sarah Leckman ’21 placed second in the shot put. Both athletes earned All-SoCon honors.
In total, 14 different athletes earned a total of 11 All-Conference honors for VMI during the outdoor season.
VMI’s 2021 SoCon All-Conference Recipients:
Poindexter: 200m, 1st place
Men’s 4×400: 1st place (Poindexter, Gray, Whittaker, Walker)
Poindexter: 100m, 2nd place
Women’s 4×400: 2nd place, (Brooks, Parson, Williams, Ruffin)
Jenkins: 2nd place, 5000m
Jenkins: 2nd place, steeplechase
Ghosh: 2nd place, discus
Leckman: 2nd place, shot put
Walker: 3rd place, 400m
Naomi Hahn ’24: 3rd place, steeplechase
Men’s 4×100: 3rd place (B. Trahan, Gray, K. Midgett, Poindexter)
