LOUISVILLE, Ky. – For the second-straight week, University of Evansville junior Zach Dove (Princeton, Ind./Princeton Community) broke the UE hammer throw record on Friday as the UE track and field teams battled the competition and the elements at Bellarmine's Jim Vargo Invitational in Louisville, Kentucky.

Competing in rain, sleet, and wind, Dove broke the UE school record in the hammer throw for the second-straight meet.  After posting a mark of 47.96 meters last Friday at Eastern Illinois, Dove bettered that mark again with a toss of 48.15 meters to place fifth overall.  For Dove, it continues a strong start to his 2022 season, as he has set a personal-best mark in six of his first seven meets this spring.

"Zach just continues to impress this year," said UE head coach Don Walters.  "It was not a nice day to compete weather-wise, but Zach didn't let that bother him at all, and had a great day, as he also set a PR in the javelin.

"Overall, I am really proud of the way that the team persevered today.  Like I said, the weather was not good today, but our team did a great job of focusing on the task at hand, and set some really good PRs."

With the weather forcing the postponement of the pole vault event until Saturday, Evansville competed in just three events on both the men's and women's sides.  But, that didn't stop the Purple Aces from posting five personal-best marks on the day.

Dove added to his school record in the hammer throw with a PR in the javelin with a throw of 38.48 meters.  Dove placed seventh, while senior Joey Rucinski (Ft. Wayne, Ind./Concordia Lutheran) placed second overall with a toss of 42.97 meters.

On the women's side, UE's two competitors – senior McKenna Sapp (Bloomington, Ill./University) and freshman Kaitlyn Sansone (Fairfield, Ohio/Mercy McAuley) – both set personal-best marks in the javelin with throws of 25.51 and 19.21 meters, respectively, to place fifth and seventh overall.

Junior Giovanni Purser (Port Maria, Jamaica) also set a new personal-best mark in the long jump with a leap of 6.37 meters to place sixth overall.

The Jim Vargo Invitational will continue on Saturday, with field events beginning at 10 a.m. central time.  Track events are currently scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. central.