Lewis Clocks 20.76 to Defend Virginia Challenge 200 Crown

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Liberty's Omari Lewis successfully defended his Virginia Challenge men's 200 title with a season-best 20.76 clocking, Saturday at Lannigan Field.

Men's Day 2 Recap
Lewis powered away from Norfolk State's Kendrick Winfield, an indoor All-American at 200 meters, to claim his first 200 victory since last year's Virginia Challenge. His wind-aided 20.76 effort has the junior in contention for an NCAA Division I East First Rounds berth in a third event (also 100 and 4 x 100 relay).

After opening with a mark of 49-10, Joshua Smith led for a good portion of the men's triple jump competition before ending up in fourth place.

Isaiah Idore won his heat of the men's 110 hurdles and came in 11^th overall, equaling his personal best of 14.28.

Similarly, Simon Lamparelli claimed a heat victory in the men's 400 while matching his season best of 48.11. That was good for 17^th place out of 72 400-meter competitors.

Women's Day 2 Recap
Indea Cartwright made a strong bid to repeat as Virginia Challenge women's 100 hurdles champion before finishing as the runner-up. Her time of 13.34 was just behind the 13.29 posted by event champion Maya Rollins of host Virginia.

Arriving in Charlottesville with a personal best of 39-0.5 in the triple jump, Kacy Cox made a huge breakthrough. The senior's two legal marks measured 40-1.25 and 39-9.75. Cox came in 11^th in the competition and now ranks No. 8 all-time for the Lady Flames.

Mahogany Mobley's first 400 as a Lady Flame took just 55.19 seconds to complete as she won her heat and came in 18^th overall. It was the fastest 400 clocking by a Liberty runner in two years.

Mobley later anchored the Lady Flames' 4 x 400 relay squad home in 54.59. The team of Shania Adderley, Maddy Merritt, Marianah Scott and Mobley took eighth in 3:45.51.

Iyana Sherard (personal-best 24.32) and Akilah Lewis (24.33) won consecutive heats of the women's 200 while finishing 12^th and 13^th, respectively.

Sherard has now run a personal best all three times she has contested the 200 this season, improving from 24.71 at the Dr. Jack M. Toms Alumni Invitational to 24.52 at the Dennis Craddock Coaches Classic to 24.32 on Saturday in Charlottesville.

Meanwhile, Lewis became the seventh different Lady Flame to record a sub-25.00 200 this year, extending a program single-season record for the category.

Men's Day 2 Event Winners
Omari Lewis – 200 – 20.76

Women's Day 2 Top 3 Finishers
2^nd – Indea Cartwright – 100 Hurdles – 13.34

Day 2 Updates to Liberty's All-Time Women's Top 10 List
Triple Jump – No. 8 – Kacy Cox – 40-1.25

Up Next
Liberty will close out the month of April with a pair of meets, including the Charlotte Invitational (April 25-26) and Virginia High Performance (April 27 in Charlottesville).

Schedule

Lewis Clocks 20.76 to Defend Virginia Challenge 200 Crown

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Players Mentioned

Shania Adderley

Indea Cartwright

Kacy Cox

Isaiah Idore

Simon Lamparelli

Akilah Lewis

Omari Lewis

Maddy Merritt

Mahogany Mobley

Marianah Scott

Iyana Sherard

Joshua Smith