RICHMOND, Ky. - Sophomore Jakob Abrahamsen's 13:52.2 in the men's 5,000 meters and freshman Tequan Claitt's 7-1 in the men's high jump highlighted the weekend as the Eastern Kentucky University track and field team split between the Virginia Challenge and Louisville's Lenny Lyles/Clark Wood Invitational.
Abrahamsen - who already owns the sixth-fastest 3,000-meter steeplechase time in the NCAA East Region (8:47.56) - was the top collegiate finisher in the fastest heat of the 5,000 meters at the Virginia Challenge in Charlottesville, recording a personal-best time of 13:52.2. That is the fifth-fastest outdoor 5K in EKU history and is currently No. 1 in the OVC and No. 9 in the East Region.
Claitt also delivered a top-15 regional performance at the Lenny Lyles/Clark Wood Invitational in Louisville. The OVC indoor champion bested his personal-best mark of 6-11.75 with a stellar leap of 7-1 on Saturday at Cardinal Park. That is the third-best high jump in EKU history, trailing only Ken Glover's 7-5 (1982) and Ken Wilson's 7-2 (1985). The jump currently ranks No. 11 in the NCAA East Region.
Other Colonels also delivered regional-worthy performances at Virginia, including junior Luis Luna, who finished fifth in the same 5K race as Abrahamsen with a 12-second personal-best of 14:03.58. That time currently ranks him No. 34 in the East.
Junior Jaime Escriche - the reigning OVC Indoor Male Track Athlete of the Year who ran 13:56 in the 5,000 meters in February - made his outdoor debut in style late Saturday night at Virginia, finishing sixth in the men's 10,000 meters with a time of 29:45.4, which currently ranks him No. 2 in the OVC and No. 42 in the East.
Sophomore Tom Koringo, meanwhile, ran 3:47.8 in the men's 1,500 meters at Lannigan Field in Virginia, which is currently the top time in the OVC.
On the women's side, sophomore Charlotte Imer dropped a few seconds off her personal-best in the 5,000 meters with a 16:21.5 on Saturday at Virginia. That time puts her at No. 36 in the East Region.
Three other Colonels also notched notable times for the women's team at Virginia. Senior Ashley Svec ran a personal-best 36:12.3 in the 10,000 meters (No. 3 in the OVC), while sophomore Haley Yost ran a personal-best 4:30.7 in the 1,500 meters (No. 5 in the OVC). Senior Julie Mathisen, meanwhile, ran 4:28.1 in the 1,500 meters, which currently ranks her No. 2 in the OVC.
Two Colonels wrapped up solid performances in multi events in Louisville on Sunday. Senior Alena Galertova - a two-time OVC silver medalist in the indoor pentathlon - finished with 4,916 points in the women's heptathlon. That is currently good enough for second in the OVC. Sophomore Yoshua Reed, meanwhile, finished with 5,917 points in the men's decathlon, which is currently tops in the conference.
The EKU track and field team returns to action next weekend at the Drake Relays, before competing in Lexington at the Kentucky Relays on Saturday, May 7.
