NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. – After more than a month off, VMI track and field returned to competition Friday, taking part in the Great Dane Classic in New York City, hosted by the Albany Great Danes, and recorded several notable results.
 
On the women's side, Jennifer Sing continued her run of meets clearing the 12-foot mark, as that streak hit nine with her 3.75 M (12'3 ½”) effort. She finished in a tie for third place in the crowded field, while teammate Kate Collins finished in a tie for 9th, clearing 3.45 M (11'3 ¾”).

Also for the VMI women, junior Jenna Moye returned to action, competing for the first time this indoor season after an injury suffered late in the cross country campaign. Moye showed little rust, clocking in at 5:07.62 to finish fourth in her heat of the unseeded mile. In the women's shot, freshman Renee Reives missed scoring by just over a foot, throwing the implement 12.33 M (40'5 ½”) to finish 11th.

The Keydet men also posted several solid outings Friday, paced by Ademola Titcombe and Antonio Wood. Titcombe posted a fourth-place finish in the triple jump, leaping 14.34 M (47' 0 ¾”), while Wood's best effort of the day was a 2.01 meter (6'7”) jump in the open high jump event, good enough for sixth place. Wood also participated in the 60-meter hurdles, finishing 19th, and made a rare appearance in the 4X400-meter relay.

The men's 1,000-meter run saw two Keydets finish in the top-10, with Gabe Fisher being the first of those. Fisher finished second in his heat, and ninth overall, by running a 2:33.00 time in the opening section, and Jacob Lysher followed by winning section two with a 2:31.32 clocking. Lysher would wind up fourth.

Two Keydets posted personal best efforts in the men's 3,000-meters, as Ermin Mujezinovic and Noah Hagos did so. Hagos clocked in at 8:49.75, some 20 seconds under his previous PR in the event, and finished 14th in his heat. Mujezinovic passed him down the final straightaway and posted a 8:47.19 personal best time, winding up 13th in the section.

VMI also had a notable return in the men's 5K, with Cabell Willis running for the first time since last June. After redshirting the cross country season, Willis returned with a 15th-place effort Friday night, clocking in at 15:24.11. Teammate Will Thompson posted a 15:35.24 effort, a personal best to finish 17th.

“I thought we had some good performances,” said VMI head coach Darrin Webb. “We didn't really have any negatives, but at times, we looked like a team trying to find our legs after Christmas break. Despite that, we certainly made some positive strides at this meet, and we expect those to continue going forward.”

Finally, VMI alumnus Donnie Cowart was second in the seeded section of the mile, clocking in at 4:02.92 as he continues his training for this year's outdoor season.

VMI track and field will return to action Feb. 3, taking part in the opening day of the Youngstown State Invitational in Youngstown, Ohio.