The Keydets win gold at the SoCon meet

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — VMI’s Andrew Granger, Cameron Thomas and Keyandre Midgett won gold Monday on the first day of the Southern Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

Granger won the men’s hammer throw (183 feet, 10 inches), with teammate Rafe Clendenin taking third (165-01).

Thomas won the men’s pole vault (16-2 3/4), with teammate Isaiah Blount third (15-3).

Midgett won the men’s long jump (24-1 3/4), while teammate Charles Male was second (23-6 3/4).

Virginia was in fourth place Monday with a score of 1-over 289 after the first round of an NCAA regional tournament in Cle Elum, Washington.

Virginia Tech is 11th out of 12 teams with a 20-over score of 308.

Duke is first at 6-under 282.

After 54 holes, the top five teams and the top individual, none of these five teams will qualify for the national championships.

Duke’s Anne Chen is first with a 5-under 67. UVa’s Celeste Valinho is fourth with a 3-under 69. UVa’s Amanda Sambach and Tech’s Emily Mathews are tied for 10th at par 72.

Washington and Lee received an at-large bid Monday for the NCAA Division III National Championships, which will be held May 14-17 at Boulder Green Golf Club in Boulder City, Nevada.

Forty-three teams, including ODAC champion Lynchburg and East Atlantic champion Marymount, will compete in the tournament. Six golfers received individual offers, including ODAC individual champion James Alden of Guilford.

The eighth-ranked Generals finished third in the ODAC tournament.

Washington and Lee were named hosts of a five-team NCAA Division III regional competition.

The NCAA Tournament pairings were announced Monday. W&L won an automatic bid as ODAC champion.

W&L (17-7) will meet 13th-ranked Sewanee (20-4), the Southern Athletic Association champion, in the second round on Saturday.

Middle Atlantic Conference champion-Freedom Stevens (13-8) will meet Landmark Conference champion Goucher (14-8) in the first round Friday, with the winner meeting fourth-ranked Emory (16-5) in the other game of the second round. Lexington Saturday.

Saturday’s winners will meet Sunday in the Sweet 16 at W&L.

Washington and Lee were assigned to an NCAA Division III regional tournament at John Hopkins in Baltimore.

The NCAA Tournament pairings were announced Monday. W&L won an automatic bid as ODAC champion.

Ninth-ranked W&L (20-1) will meet Texas-Dallas (10-5) or Middle Atlantic Conference-Commonwealth champion Albright (18-2) in the second round on Saturday. Centennial Conference champion Johns Hopkins (18-4) will face Williams (14-5) in the other second-round game. The winners will meet Sunday at Johns Hopkins in the Sweet 16.

Hunter Keen hit an RBI single in the top of the eighth inning to give the visiting Highlanders (14-29, 5-12 Big South) a victory over the Eagles (16-25-1, 5-12) in Game 2 of a doubleheader Sunday evening.