Hokie ClubSTANFORD, Calif. – Jared Berman set a school record to highlight an impressive showing for the Hokies at the 2014 Payton Jordan Invitational hosted by Stanford University on Sunday evening.
Berman set the school record in the men’s 3000-meter steeplechase with a time of 8:43.95. Berman’s time beat the previous school record of 8:47.29 set by Jason Cusack in 2011. Berman ended up finishing fifth in his heat of the race. If times stand, Berman’s mark puts him in the top ten in the NCAA.
Leoule Degfae ran a personal best in the men’s 5000-meter race with a time of 14:03.21, moving him to sixth on the Hokies’ all-time list. Degfae’s time was good for a 12th place finish.
Grant Pollock won his section of the men’s 1500-meter race with a time of 3:41.76. Patrick Joseph finished second in his heat at the same distance with a time of 3:44.98.
Sarah Rapp improved upon her already impressive personal best in the women’s 5000-meter race by shattering it by almost five seconds with a time of 16:07.28. Rapp’s time moves her to fifth on the Hokies’ all-time list.
Shannon Morton finished in fourth place in her heat of the women’s 1500-meter race with a time of 4:20.47. Morton’s time beat her previous personal best and sits third best on Tech’s all-time list at the distance.
Amanda Smith finished in fifth in her heat of the women’s 800-meter race with a time of 2:05.19.
Tech and the distance runners will be back in action on Thursday, May 8 when they take part in the VT/Roanoke Distance Classic in Roanoke, Va.