BOSTON, Mass. – Looking to finish the indoor season with continued improvement, several VMI track and field team members advanced to Sunday's final rounds of the 2020 ECAC/IC4A Indoor Championships in Boston, Massachusetts.
 
VMI's men's distance medley relay team of Zach Lauster, Rafael Mas, Dylan Haines and Trent Whittaker finished the race in fourth place with a time of 10:09.61 to advance to Sunday's final for the event.
 
The VMI men's 4x400 relay squad consisting of Jonathan Gray, Jordin Poindexter, Johnnie Walker and Mas earned a season-best time of 3:16.25 to advance to Sunday's final round. The time was good for ninth place in the preliminaries.
 
Senior Jahanzib Shahbaz competed in the men's mile run and arrived in eighth place in 4:14.22 to also advance to Sunday's final.
 
"I am excited for those that advanced to the finals," said VMI head coach Darrin Webb. "I think all of them have a great opportunity tomorrow along with Sarah Leckman (women's shot), Daniel Usher (men's shot), and Griffin Kowal (men's pole vault).  But I am also proud of how everyone competed today, including those that did not advance and those that were in finals today.
 
"There is some very good competition at this meet and as a team we have grown throughout the indoor season, and I am really excited about this team as I look forward to the future."
 
Although they did not qualify for the final rounds, many Keydets showed well for the program and had excellent placements Saturday.
 
Junior Ariana Ruffin came in 18^th place in the women's 400 in 57.39 seconds and was pursued closely by teammate Ahliyah Williams, who arrived in 19^th place in 57.52 seconds. Ruffin also competed well in the 200 meter by placing 27^th overall in 25.19 seconds. Teammate Ingrid Joseph was close behind in 30^th in 25.39 seconds.
 
Poindexter also competed in the men's 200 and placed 21^st overall in 21.99 seconds.
 
In the men's long jump, senior James Granderson finished in 13^th place in the field with a distance of 6.60 meters. He then competed in the men's 60 meter hurdles and finished in 19^th overall in 8.59 seconds.
 
Caleb Minus represented VMI in the men's 60 meter dash and placed 23^rd overall in 7.11 seconds.
 
The Keydets conclude the ECAC/IC4A Indoor Championships tomorrow in Boston, Massachusetts.