The West Virginia University track and field team closes out the weekend at the Raleigh Relays on Saturday, March 29th, at the Paul Derr Track and Field Facility in Raleigh, North Carolina. The WVU track and field team set personal bests and made history, paving the way for a strong outdoor season. Read more WVU Gains Momentum for Outdoor Season at Raleigh Relays.
Successful Weekend in Raleigh
The West Virginia University track and field team performed impressively across the board, with standout performances from Izayah Everett, Naomi Kemboi, and Sarah Tait.
The Raleigh Relays, hosted by NC State at the Paul Derr Track and Field Facility, featured approximately 150 teams.
The Mountaineers opened their outdoor season in Morgantown, West Virginia on March 21-22 at the Marty Pushkin Invitational, followed by the USF Alumni Invitational in Tampa, Florida.
In just their third outdoor meet, WVU continues to build the momentum needed for the remainder of the season with impressive performances.
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Standout Performances
In the 200-meter, Izayah Everett (redshirt sophomore) finished with a time of 25.01, earning a personal best time. Known for her consistency in the 200, she previously placed 7th at the 2024 Carnegie Mellon Invitational.
Everett has collected other achievements in her outdoor seasons at WVU, such as a career best time of 12.63 in the 100-meter – earned at the Bison Outdoor Classic.
To recap Friday, Naomi Kemboi (freshman) finished the 5,000-meter with a record-breaking time of 15:39.17. This performance garnered a 6th place finish.
Sarah Tait (graduate student) also made Mountaineer history by becoming the second fastest Mountaineer in the event, posting a time of 15:40.00. She followed directly behind Kemboi with a 7th place finish.
Coach Sean Cleary
Coach Cleary has led the Mountaineers for over 17 years and continues to bring success to the team. Cleary has showcased his ability to develop athletes at conference and national levels and has shown determination in ensuring the Mountaineers gain momentum early on in the season.
Looking back at the 2023-24 season, Cleary guided the Mountaineers to finish 4th place in the Big 12 Cross Country Championships. WVU also earned three All-Mid Atlantic Regional honors in Katherine Dowie, Alexis Lamb, and Sarah Tait, while coming in 4th at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regionals.
Looking Ahead
WVU will continue to focus on their outdoor season, where they will continue to impress and fine-tune their performances. Upcoming, The Mountaineers will compete at the Dalton Ebanks Invitational, in the George Mason Stadium in Fairfax, Va. This competition will run from April 4th-5th.
The team will also participate in the Stanford Invitational, in Stanford, California, at the Cobb track and Angell Field. This competition also spans from April 4th-5th.
With the strong performances we have seen in the outdoor season thus far, WVU is in good shape to find success in upcoming meets.
For more information on the upcoming meets, check out wvusports.com.
WVU Gains Momentum for Outdoor Season at Raleigh Relays.
