A handful of Virginia athletes and alumni are scheduled to compete at the 2022 U.S. Track/Field Championships this week in Oregon. The meet begins on Thursday and runs through Sunday at Hayward Field.
The top three finishers in each event qualify for the World Championships in July at the same venue. That meet runs from July 15-24 in Oregon.
The first Cavalier to compete at the U.S. Championships (how to watch information) will be Michaela Meyer. She is entered in the 800-meter open that takes place Thursday afternoon at 4:25 p.m. (all times in this article are local Oregon times) with preliminary heats. Meyer drew a spot in the fourth heat. After a brief break, Meyer returns for the 1,500-meter prelims on Thursday night at 7 p.m. She’s in the third heat for that event.
Meyer transferred from Delaware to complete her collegiate career Virginia last spring. She became the first woman in UVA program history to capture an individual national title when she won the 800 at the 2021 NCAA Championships with a school-record time of 2:00.28. Later, she bettered that with a fourth-place run at the US Olympic Trials in a time of 1:58.55. Meyer is also the school record holder in the 1,500 with a time of 4:09.78 in 2021. (Outdoor records at UVA.)
Henry Wynne is also running on Thursday in the men’s 1,500-meter prelims. That event is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. just ahead of the women’s 1,500. Wynne is in the third heat.
While at Virginia, Wynne received the 2016 ACC Outdoor Men’s Track Performer of the Year honor. That year, he won the 1,500 at the ACC meet and finished third at the NCAA Championships to earn All-America status. He remains the school record holder with a time of 3:38.05 set earlier in 2016 at the Virginia Challenge. He was the NCAA Champion in the indoor mile in 2016 as well.
On Friday, Bridget (Guy) Williams begins competition in the pole vault. That’s scheduled for 5:55 p.m.
At UVA, Williams received All-America recognition in the pole vault in 2018 and 2019. She was the ACC Champion in both seasons and finished fourth at the NCAA Championships in both seasons as well. She remains the school record holder with a vault of 14’,7.5” in 2018.
Ethan Dabbs has to wait until Sunday for his turn in the javelin throw. That event is scheduled for 12:35 p.m. on the final day of the meet. Dabbs is in the second flight. Dabbs is the only current UVA team member at the meet. He returns to Hayward Field fresh off a runner-up finish at the NCAA Championships in the same venue earlier this month. That second-place throw of 79.68 meters added to a remarkable comeback story as Dabbs underwent Tommy John Surgery less than a year ago in July of 2021.
Dabbs holds the javelin school record with a throw of 82.92 meters earlier this year.
A pair of current Cavaliers are competing in the Under-20 U.S. Track/Field Championships (how to watch information) running at the same time Thursday-Saturday in Oregon. Mia Barnett is entered in the 1,500 (Saturday at 4:52 p.m.) and the 3,000 (Saturday at 5:45 p.m.). Justin Wachtel is entered in the 1,500 (Saturday at 5:03 p.m.), the 3,000 (Saturday at 6:01 p.m.), and the 5,000 (Saturday at 8:40 p.m.). Athletes can qualify for the U-20 World Championships in August.
