LEXINGTON, Va. --- For the second straight day, Tusculum University senior Jahzara Hart and freshman Ivan Garcia Rubio turned in school-record performances for the Tusculum University men's and women's indoor track and field teams at the VMI Winter Relays on Saturday.
Hart won the women's 200 meters in school-record time, and Garcia Rubio broke his school record in the men's 60 hurdles for the second day in a row, helping the Pioneers to a third-place finish in the women's event and sixth place in the men's competition.
The Pioneers will return to VMI for the Winter Classic on Saturday, Feb. 14, their final competition before the South Atlantic Conference Championship at the end of the month.
WOMEN'S RECAP
Hart won the 200 meters in a time of 23.93 seconds, the third-best time in Division II this season and nearly a half-second faster than her previous school record of 24.42 seconds set at the Commonwealth College Opener on Dec. 7, 2024. Sophomore Kori Moore took third place at 24.88 seconds and junior Alonda Shelton was seventh in 25.17 seconds.
In the 60 meters, Hart, who broke her own school record in the 60 meters on Friday with the second-fastest time in Division II this season at 7.31 seconds, ran 7.36 seconds in the final to take first place over sophomore Qitarah Castlin, who ran 7.53 seconds. Senior Shanice Cox was eighth with a time of 7.85 seconds.
Moore placed third in the 60 hurdles at 8.54 seconds, with senior Theresa Green-White in eighth place at 9.24 seconds. In the 400 meters, junior Kialia Claiborne had the fifth-fastest time in program history and took sixth place overall at 57.78 seconds, with Castlin in ninth in a career-best 58.97 seconds and Cox 12th at 59.52 seconds, also a career best.
Senior Jesica Mbhamali turned in the third-fastest time in school history in the 800 meters, running 2:23.63 to finish in 12th place overall. Freshman Hannah McLain finished 22nd at 2:33.27 and freshman Abby Counter took 24th place at 2:34.70. McLain also ran the mile and was 25th overall in 5:47.23.
The Tusculum "A" 4x400 relay of Moore, Castlin, Claiborne and Cox finished in third place with a time of 3:57.45, and the B relay of Shelton, Hart, Green-White and junior Kieley Smith was seventh at 4:06.20.
Tusculum placed third out of 20 teams that scored at the meet, recording 55 points as the highest-scoring Division II team in the meet. Wofford took first place with 102.5 points, followed by Virginia Commonwealth with 70 points and the Pioneers with 55, just ahead of fourth-place USC Upstate which had 53 points.
MEN'S RECAP
Garcia Rubio now owns the eight fastest times in program history in the 60-meter hurdles after breaking the school record for the fourth time this season and second time this weekend. Garcia Rubio, who ran 8.19 seconds in Friday's preliminaries, ran 8.06 seconds in the finals to take third place overall.
Junior Chazz Alexander had the seventh-best time in program history in the 400 meters and was third overall at 48.18 seconds, with freshman Lamarkus Dunn in 15th place at 50.20 seconds. Junior Lansford Cunningham was seventh in the 200 meters at 21.90 seconds.
In the mile run, junior Nathan Buckeridge took second place and had the fourth-best mark in school history at 4:19.58, and placed ninth in the 800 meters at 1:57.47 with freshman Tomas Ribeiro in fourth place at 1:54.73, jst off his school record of 1:54.21 set Jan. 17 at the Vanderbilt Invitational.
Junior Nour Nabi completed the heptathlon on Saturday and finished in third place with a total of 4,143 points. His best event on Saturday was the 60-meter hurdles, where he ran 8.76 seconds to earn 800 points toward his score.
The 4x400 relay of Garcia Rubio, Cunningham, Alexander and Dunn finished in second place with a time of 3:17.80.
Of the 18 teams that scored at the meet, Tusculum was tied for sixth place with Wofford with 41 points. USC Upstate was first with 117 points, followed by Carson-Newman (76), VCU (62), UNC Pembroke (48) and Virginia State (43).
VMI Winter Relays
Tusculum results
MEN
60 hurdles finals: 3. Ivan Garcia Rubio, 8.06 (school record).
200: 7. Lansford Cunningham, 21.90; 23. Lamarkus Dunn, 22.67; 24. Kayvon Pickett, 22.68; 28. Cedric Stewart II, 22.81.
400: 3. Chazz Alexander, 48.18; 15. Lamarkus Dunn, 50.20; 22. Alden Peterson, 51.54; 24. Marshae McDonald, 51.82.
800: 4. Tomas Ribeiro, 1:54.73; 9. Nathan Buckeridge, 1:57.47; 25. Levi Carson, 2:07.34.
Mile: 2. Nathan Buckeridge, 4:19.58.
3000: 19. Casen Davis, 9:38.78.
4x400: 2. Tusculum A (Garcia Rubio, Cunningham, Alexander, Dunn), 3:17.80; 10. Tusculum B (McDonald, Ross, Ribeiro, Pickett), 3:29.42; 14. Tusculum C (Peterson, Stewart, Cash, Williams), 3:33.89.
Heptathlon: 3. Nour Nabi, 4,143 points.
Team scores (18 scoring teams): 1. USC Upstate 117; 2. Carson-Newman 76; 3. Virginia Commonwealth 62; 4. UNC Pembroke 48; 5. Virginia State 43; 6. Wofford 41; 6. Tusculum 41; 8. Lees-McRae 40; 9. VMI 37; 10. Saint Francis 36.
WOMEN
60: 1. Jahzara Hart, 7.36; 2. Qitarah Castlin, 7.53; 8. Shanice Cox, 7.85.
60 hurdles: 3. Kori Moore, 8.54; 8. Theresa Green-White, 9.24.
200: 1. Jahzara Hart, 23.93 (school record); 3. Kori Moore, 24.88; 7. Alonda Shelton, 25.17.
400: 6. Kialia Claiborne, 57.78; 9. Qitarah Castlin, 58.97; 12. Shanice Cox, 59.52.
800: 12. Jesica Mbhamali, 2:23.63; 22. Hannah McLain, 2:33.27; 24. Abby Counter, 2:34.70.
Mile: 25. Hannah McLain, 5:47.23.
4x400: 3. Tusculum A (Moore, Castlin, Claiborne, Cox), 3:57.45; 7. Tusculum B (Shelton, Hart, Green-White, Smith), 4:06.20.
Team scores (20 scoring teams): 1. Wofford 102.5; 2. Virginia Commonwealth 70; 3. Tusculum 55; 4. USC Upstate 53; 5. VMI 47.5; 6. Carson-Newman 44; 7. Lees-McRae 43; 8. Elon 33; 9. Frostburg State 32; 9. Washington & Lee 32.
