VMI Track Has Strong Season Start at Col. Bev Read Opener

The VMI men’s and women’s track and field teams opened the 2025–26 season with strong performances at the inaugural Colonel Bev Read Opener at the Corps Physical Training Facility Dec. 6, 2025. Both squads earned early individual titles, highlighted by Zach Denton ’27 winning the 6.92-meter long jump and Tazewell Rae ’28 making a 14.67-meter shot put throw for the men, and the first-place finish by Diamond Baker ’26 with a 11.68-meter shot put throw for the women.

Zack Scott ’89, VMI Director of Track and Field

“We have a brand new fast track which allowed for fast start PRs throughout the facility. The Colonel Bev Read Opener showed what this team is capable of. Now we shift to finals and keep building.”

VMI Men’s Team

Denton came in first place in the long jump with a distance of 6.92 meters to lead the field.

Rae, thrower, also registered an individual title in the shot put with a distance of 14.67 meters just ahead of the second-place mark of 13.93 meters by Elisha Williams ’27. Grayson Talbott ’29 came in ninth in 8.33 meters.

Great Finishes

• Taj Peace ’29 came in second in the 500-meter in 1:06.30, ahead of Ben Hagerich’s ’26 mark of 1:06.57. Cameron Lambert ’29 came in fourth in 1:12.05.
• Vahin Middough ’29 came in second place in the high jump at 1.95 meters.
• Rae placed third in the weight throw at 13.55 meters.
• Timothy Renquist ’29 led VMI in the 1000-meter in fourth place in 2:39, ahead of teammate Nicholas Russo ’29 in a fifth-place time of 2:44.65. Colin Crenshaw ’27 came in sixth in 2:51.
• Rye Jackson ’28 finished sixth in the 60-meter hurdles in 9.12 seconds, a new PR.
• Jackson came in seventh in the 300-meter with a PR time of 35.27 seconds.
• David Elliott ’28 finished 16th overall in 37.68 seconds in the 300-meter.

VMI Women’s Team

Baker came in first in the shot put with a distance of 11.68 meters to win her event. Ruth Dickersheid ’28 placed third at 11.12 meters, and Jada James ’29 placed fifth at 10.61 meters.

In the 60-meter prelims, Naturale Faison ’28 placed second with a PR time of 7.55 seconds just ahead of soccer newcomer Taliyah Headman ’29, who came in fourth in 7.79 seconds. Miracle Eric ’28 came in fifth in 7.81, and SeMore Green ’26 arrived in sixth in 7.82.

Faison, Headman, and Eric advanced to the finals for the 60-meter, where Faison again took second in 7.58 seconds. Headman finished fourth in 7.77, and Eric earned a new PR in 7.79 seconds.

Excellent Finishes

• Jeniya White ’28 came in third in the prelims and finals of the 60-meter hurdles, where she earned a PR time of 9.03 seconds in the prelims.
• In the 300-meter, Green placed third in 40.31—a new PR—and Faison came in sixth in 41.57 seconds as a new PR.
• Reagan Gilman ’28 came in third in the 500-meter with a new PR time of 1:16.22, just ahead of Evelyn Anderson’s ’27 10th-place time of 1:20.
• Samantha Layton ’28 placed fifth in the 1200-meter in 4:18.44.

Editor’s Note: This article was first published on vmikeydets.com.