Hokie ClubTRUJILLO, Peru – Laurie Barton and Rachel Baxter represented the U.S.A. Track and Field team well at the Pan American Junior Championships on Friday and Saturday, as the Hokie duo produced top-five finishes.
Barton turned in a time of 2:07.92 in the 800-meter run to place fifth and Baxter took home the pole vault title, clearing a height of 4.41m (14’5.5”) to break the meet record.
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Barton, a rising sophomore, was one of two Americans in the event alongside Bolles High School product Caitlin Collier, hailing from Florida. Collier (2:05.26) finished third behind the Canadian pair of Victoria Tachisinski (2:04.22) and Jazz Shukla (2:04.52) in the finals.
In the preliminaries on Friday, Barton crossed the finish line in 2:12.46 to finish second in her heat, qualifying for the finals on Saturday. A total of 14 competitors participated in the 800.
Baxter, an incoming freshman from California, broke her personal record on Friday. She edged second place, who also reigns from America, Carson Dingler, by 8.25 inches.
The 3,000-meter steeplechase will begin on Sunday at 1:40 p.m. ET for fellow Hokie Sarah Edwards.
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For more information on the Pan American Junior Championships, click here to go to the home page.