The West Virginia University track and field team delivered a strong performance Saturday at the Stan Romanoski Open, hosted at the Track & Field Complex at Mylan Park in Morgantown. With numerous first-place finishes and personal records, the Mountaineers closed out a successful day on home turf.
The standout of the day was sophomore Lexi Lamb, who turned in a stellar showing in the women’s 3,000-meter race. Lamb crossed the finish line with a personal best of 9:39.38, claiming first place and solidifying her place as a top distance runner for the Mountaineers.
Freshman Joy Naukot made an impressive collegiate debut in the 1,500 meters, earning first place with a time of 4:19.78. Her performance marked a promising start to her college track career and added another victory to the Mountaineers’ tally for the day.
Sophomore Eva Rinker also made her mark on the track, setting a new personal record of 2:15.21 in the 800 meters. Her time earned her first place and showcased the depth of talent in WVU’s middle-distance program.
The Mountaineers found further success in the hurdles and sprints. Redshirt sophomore Olivia Cress recorded a career-best time of 14.65 seconds in the 100-meter hurdles. Meanwhile, sprinters Lily Haught and Cate Pickering, both sophomores, set personal records in the 200-meter dash with times of 25.00 and 25.37 seconds, respectively.
In the field events, redshirt sophomore Annishka McDonald led the way with a first-place finish in the high jump, clearing 1.75 meters. Her performance demonstrated consistency and growth in the vertical jumps. Freshman Sabira Jones also turned heads in the long jump, finishing second with a solid leap of 5.48 meters.
Saturday’s meet not only highlighted the continued development of individual athletes but also underscored WVU’s overall team depth as they near the end of the regular season.
Head Coach Sean Cleary and the Mountaineers will now look ahead to the WVU Last Chance Meet, which will take place May 9–10, again at Mylan Park in Morgantown. This final regular season meet will give athletes one more opportunity to qualify for postseason competition and improve their times and rankings.
With the momentum gained from the Stan Romanoski Open, the Mountaineers appear poised for a strong finish to the spring season. The blend of veteran leadership and breakout freshman talent continues to push the program forward in competitive form.
