SALEM, Va. - The Washington and Lee Unviersity men's track and field team competed at the Joe LaRocco Invite on Saturday and saw William Dunaway and David Akinnubi post top five program marks in their respective events.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE MEET

• Davis Amare, Javan Hirwa, John Hogan, and Kaden Rife kicked off the meet with a win in the distance medley relay, clocking a time of 10:54.26. William Dunaway secured the second win on the track in the 3,000m, posting the fourth-fastest time in program history with a personal-best time of 8:34.75 to finish first. Robert Cooper placed third in the 3,000m with a time of 8:44.94, while Jackson Kodenski posted a time of 8:52.27 to finish fifth.
• David Akinnubi turned in a first-place finish in the high jump in his first meet with the Blue and White. He cleared 1.93m (6'-04.00"), tying for the fifth-best mark in program history to secure gold. Ford Hunter also competed in the high jump, finishing third with a mark of 1.73m (5'-08.00"). Fidel Small rounded out the first-place finishers with a win in the triple jump after leaping 13.34m (43'-09.25").
• Mark Freeman placed sixth in the 60m dash, shaving time off in all three rounds. He clocked 7.16s in the prelims before crossing the line in 7.13s in the semifinals to secure his spot in the finals. Freeman then posted a time of 7.11s in the final.
• Colin Verrett and Wyatt Benjamin finished back-to-back in second and third place with season-best times of 15:49.24 and 15:50.22, respectively. In the mile, William Fitch secured a third-place finish after crossing the line in 4:27.82, while Will DeLoach posted a time of 4:31.58 to finish seventh. DeLoach later competed in the 800m, where he clocked 2:03.57 to finish eighth.
• Mason Mandis was the lone General in the long jump on Saturday, finishing fourth with a leap of 6.57m (21'-06.75"). Maddox Noll was the top finisher for W&L in the shot put, placing sixth with a toss of 13.57m (44'-06.25").
• Charlie Strobach and Lukas Michael rounded out the competitors in the pole vault, finishing fourth and fifth, respectively, with marks of 3.92m (12'-10.25"). Despite clearing the same height, Strobach secured fourth place by clearing both of his heights on his first attempt.

PERSONAL BESTS

• Jaden Brighter | Mile (4:33.26) | Personal Best
• William Dunaway | 3,000m (8:34.75) | Personal Best
• Ezekiel Mullins | Shot Put (12.67m; 41'-07.00") | Personal Best
• Maddox Noll | Weight Throw (12.03m; 39'-05.75") | Personal Best
• Colin Verrett | 5,000m (15:48.24) | Season Best
• Wyatt Benjamin | 5,000m (15:50.22) | Season Best

TOP EIGHT FINISHERS

• 60m Dash: Mark Freeman | 6th place (Prelims: 7.16s Semis: 7.13s Finals: 7.11s)
• DMR: Davis Amare, Javan Hirwa, John Hogan, Kaden Rife | 1st place (10:54.26)
• 5,000m: Colin Verrett | 2nd place (15:49.24)
• 5,000m: Wyatt Benjamin | 3rd place (15:50.22) 
• Mile: William Fitch | 3rd place (4:27.82) 
• Mile: Will DeLoach | 7th place (4:31.58)
• 800m: Will DeLoach | 8th place (2:03.57)
• 3,000m: William Dunaway | 1st place (8:34.75)
• 3,000m: Robert Cooper | 3rd place (8:44.94)
• 3,000m: Jackson Kodenski | 5th place (8:52.27)
• Long Jump: Mason Mandis | 4th place (6.57m; 21'-06.75")
• Pole Vault: Charlie Strobach | 4th place (3.92m; 12'-10.25")
• Pole Vault: Lukas Michael | 5th place (3.92m; 12'-10.25")
• High Jump: David Akinnubi | 1st place (1.93m; 6'-04.00")
• High Jump: Ford Hunter | 3rd place (1.73m; 5'-08.00")
• Triple Jump: Fidel Small | 1st place (13.34m; 43'-09.25")
• Shot Put: Maddox Noll | 6th place (13.57m; 44'-06.25")

TOP FIVE UPDATES

• William Dunaway | 3,00m (8:34.75) - No. 4 all-time
• David Akinnubi | High Jump (1.93m; 6'-04.00") - Tied No. 5 all-time

UP NEXT

• The Generals are back in action on Friday, Feb. 20 as they head to Harrisonburg, Va. for the Rockingham Collegiate Open.

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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.