LEXINGTON, Va. - Junior Keaton Rush reset the Washington and Lee University men's track and field reset the program's 5,000m record on the first day of the W&L Carnival.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE MEET

• Rush, a Devon, Pennsylvania native, highlighted the first day of action at the Generals' lone home meet of the season. He clocked a program-record time of 14:23.18 in the 5,000m to take first place, surpassing Charles Scharf's previous record of 14:32.81, set in 2023.
• Colin Verrett capped off the night in dominant fashion, cruising to the 10,000m title with a time of 31:57.51. Robert Cooper competed alongside Rush in the 5k, clocking 14:59.14 to finish in fourth place.
• George Marable, Ryan McKenna, Luke Avigliano, and Ethan De Fonseka teamed up in the 4x400m relay, securing a second-place finish with a time of 3:20.48 which currently ranks ninth in Division III.
• Javan Hirwa, Danny Jakubowski-Lewis, Will Vaughn, and Wilson Kasischke also raced in the 4x400m relay, clocking 3:28.22 to finish in sixth place. Davis Amare, William Fitch, Jaden Brighter, and Mitchell DiMond rounded out the 4x400m relay teams for the Generals, turning in an eighth-place finish with a time of 3:35.50.
• Evan Novak recorded a top-five finish in the hammer throw, posting a toss of 45.97m to place fourth in his first meet of the season.
• Raja Mehendale and Thomas Kallen both competed in the unseeded 1,500m, finishing in the top eight. Mehendale clocked a time of 4:16.38 to finish in fourth place, while Kallen crossed the finish line in 4:20.80 to take eighth.

TOP-EIGHT FINISHERS

• 5,000m: Keaton Rush | 1st place (14:23.18)
• 10,000m: Colin Verett | 1st place (31:57.51)
• 4x400m Relay: Marable, McKenna, Avigliano, De Fonseka | 2nd place (3:20.48)
• 5,000m: Robert Cooper | 4th place (14:59.14)
• 1,500m Unseeded: Raja Mehendale | 4th place (4:16.38)
• Hammer Throw: Evan Novak | 4th place (45.97m)
• 4x400m Relay: Hirwa, Jakubowski-Lewis, Vaughn, Kasischke | 6th place (3:28.22) 
• 1,500m Unseeded: Thomas Kallen | 8th place (4:20.80)
• 4x400m Relay: Amare, Fitch, Brighter, DiMond | 8th place (3:35.50) 

TOP FIVE UPDATES

• Keaton Rush moved to the top spot in the 5k record books after clocking in a time of 14:23.18 to finish in first place in the event. His mark overtakes Charles Scharf's previous record of 14:32.81. 

PERSONAL BESTS

• Keaton Rush | 5,000m (14:23.18)
• Thomas Franklin | 1,500m (4:04.50)

UP NEXT

• The second day of action will kick off at 10 a.m. on Saturday with the shot put while the 4x100m relay will start the events on the track at 12:35 p.m.

---

Nestled in the mountains of Virginia, Washington and Lee University is a proud member of NCAA Division III and the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. Founded in 1749, W&L is the ninth-oldest college in the United States and a top-ranked liberal arts university. With over 500 student-athletes in 24 varsity sports, the Generals have celebrated over 265 conference championships. Learn more about the Blue and White by visiting www.generalssports.com or on social media at @WLUGenerals.