The VCU Rams men’s track and field team reported strong performances on Apr. 19 as several athletes achieved personal bests and program milestones during the Virginia Challenge in Charlottesville, Virginia, and the Georgia Tech Invitational in Atlanta, Georgia.
These achievements highlight a season of progress for the team, with multiple competitors reaching new heights in their respective events. The results underscore both individual development and collective momentum heading into championship season.
Freshman Presten Augustin won the 400-meter hurdles with a personal record time of 51.63 seconds, marking the third-best performance in program history. Marcus Acheampong also set a personal record in the 110-meter hurdles at 14.00 seconds, finishing sixth overall and tying for third-best all-time at VCU. In sprints, Jordan Davis clocked times of 10.79 seconds in the 100 meters and 21.66 seconds in the 200 meters.
In field events, Destiny Ese established a new personal best with a long jump of 7.35 meters to finish fifth overall as a freshman. Philip Daniel competed in both long jump (6.96 meters) and triple jump; he recorded a wind-aided program record of 15.92 meters to place fifth while teammate Isaiah-Taji Kargbo-Owens set another program triple jump record at 15.78 meters for seventh place.
On the distance side, Jonathan Hess participated at Georgia Tech with times of 3:56.26 for the 1500-meter run and 1:53.88 for the 800-meter run while Carter Smith finished his own race at four minutes flat over fifteen hundred meters.
The relay squad featuring Lopez Lumaine, Jude Okafor, Jaeden Cassell, and Davis posted a time of just over forty-one seconds (41.05) in their event.
With these results behind them, VCU now prepares for its next competition: The Atlantic-10 Outdoor Championships hosted by George Mason University from May second through May third.
