VIRGINIA BEACH, Va.—Freshman middle distance runner Gabby Pistner (St. Marys, Pa.) led a top three sweep by Villanova in the 800 meters and senior Kinsey Pogue (Danville, Calif.) finished first in the mile as the Wildcats opened two days of competition at the Indoor Pre-Nationals at the Virginia Beach Sports Center on Friday afternoon. The day's slate of events also included competition in the 60 meters and the long jump.
 
Pistner paced a field of 23 runners in the 800 meters with a season best time of 2:11.66. She was followed by the junior duo of Caelen O'Leary (Taunton, Mass.) and Therese Trainer (Havertown, Pa.) who posted times of 2:12.25 and 2:13.52, respectively. O'Leary improved her lifetime best for the second time this season and Trainer added a season best time as Villanova swept the top three spots in the race. Pogue closed out the first day of competition for the Wildcats with a winning time of 5:08.64 in the mile.
 
Freshman Mariana Lopez del Valle (Tampa, Fla.) and sophomore Jenny Smith (Pittsburgh, Pa.) posted identical marks of 5.32 meters in the long jump. The distance is a new PR for Lopez del Valle, who officially came in one spot ahead of Smith based on her second-longest jump of the day at 5.16 meters. Lopez del Valle has competed in the high jump, long jump and 60 meters in her first collegiate season; she improved on the previous PR of 5.31 meters in the long jump that she had recorded at Penn earlier this year.
 
Junior sprinter Lore Olakunle (Elkridge, Md.) posted a time of 7.88 in the preliminary heats of the 60 meters.
 
Saturday's events for the Wildcats include the high jump, triple jump and 200 meters.