Record Breaking Performance for Lavassas at Virginia Invitational
EARLYSVILLE, Va. — Sophomore Daphnee Lavassas broke the University of Miami school record in the 5K, leading the Miami women to a third-place finish at the Virginia Invitational on Friday.
“This was a great first race back for Daphnee,” coach Cody Halsey said. “Melanie Schultz was a tough athlete, so it’s exciting to see Daphnee break such a long-standing record and so early in the season. It’s a testament to the consistent work she continues to put in. I’m looking forward to progressing in training with her.”
Lavassas broke Schultz’s 17-year-old record with a time of 17.23.1, finishing fourth overall.
Three other Hurricanes also cracked the top 10 in program history for 5K times. Sophomore Elle Mezzio finished 10th (17.58.2) in the race, matching her sixth-place program record in the 5K. Sophomore Bianca Banato moved to ninth-place in school history with her 15th-place finish (18.11.4). Junior Natalie Varela rounded out the Hurricanes top finishers, earning the 10th spot on Miami’s all-time list with a new personal record of 18.14.8.
“The women are working really hard together. It was fun to see Bianca, Natalie and Elle out there running fast and moving up on the all-time list,” said Halsey.
The race was hosted by Virginia, who will host the ACC Conference Championships in late October. The Hurricanes competed against Duke, Pittsburgh and Norfolk State on the women’s side.
In addition to the women’s 5K, Friday morning’s competition featured a men’s 6K. The Miami men finished fourth, led by sophomore Austen Cannon.
“I thought we put in some good work today on both the men’s and women’s side,” said Halsey. “It was great to get a preview of the ACC course and I think we are walking away having learned a lot.”
The Hurricanes are back in action Sept. 23 when they head to Minneapolis, Minn., for the Roy Griak Invitational.
