RALEIGH, N.C. – The men’s and women’s track and field teams closed competition on the second day of competition at the ACC Outdoor Championships Friday (May 12) as Nate Mountain and Owayne Owens won gold to help lift the men’s team into first place after two days of competition at the Paul Derr Track. The men lead the team standings with 55.5 points while the women sit in seventh place with 21.5 points.
Hoos Dominate the Steeple:
- Nate Mountain and Derek Johnson went 1-2 in the men’s 3000-meter steeplechase as Mountain led the way posting 8:32.05 while Derek Johnson ran 8:33.82. Yasin Sado took fifth place posting 8:42.48 as the Hoos piled up 22 points from the event to put the men’s team in the lead for the overall standings.
- Mountain’s performance stands as a personal-best and now ranks second all-time at Virginia trailing only Johnson’s 8:28.72 which he set in 2021
- Both Johnson and Mountain earn first-team All-ACC honors for the first time in their careers
- Sado made his season-debut in the 3000-meter steeplechase earning second-team All-ACC honors – He won silver in the event at the 2022 ACC Championships on the way to an appearance at the NCAA Championships
🎙️ 𝙈𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝘼𝙘𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙙
Hear from Nate Mountain and Derek Johnson after going 1-2 in the 3000 Steeplechase#GoHoos⚔️ pic.twitter.com/Ra7ZNRIBiL
— Virginia Track & Field and Cross Country (@UVATFCC) May 13, 2023
Owens Wins the Triple Jump:
- Owayne Owens won gold in the triple jump clearing a mark of 16.61 meters (54’6”). The performance matches an outdoor best which he set at last season’s Penn Relays and stands as a facility record at NC State’s Paul Derr Track Facility.
- Owens trailed Miami’s Russell Robinson who set the leading mark on his first jump at 16.60 meters (54’5.5”), but with Owens’ third attempt, he soared to his best mark of the competition to edge Robinson by just half an inch.
- The title marks the second time Owens has won gold at the ACC Outdoor Championships having previously won the triple jump title in 2021. It also marks his fourth title between the indoor and outdoor seasons having won the indoor triple jump title in 2021 and 2022.
🎙️ Owayne Owens after reclaiming the ACC triple jump title #GoHoos⚔️ pic.twitter.com/s8262CTuin
— Virginia Track & Field and Cross Country (@UVATFCC) May 12, 2023
Combined Events Conclude:
- Ethan Robinson finished…