Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG – The Hokies shined at the home-opening Virginia Tech Invitational on Friday and Saturday at Rector Field House.
DAY 1 RECAP
Virginia Tech earned three event wins and saw five Hokies crack the all-time top-10 list performers list in day one of the Virginia Tech Invitational.
Most notably, George Couttie dominated in the men's 3000m, boasting a 7:52.29 career-best and the event win, which pushed him into the No. 2 slot in the Virginia Tech all-time top-10 performers list.
Katie Bohlke, in her indoor collegiate debut, crushed the women's 3000m in 9:22.34, which earned her the No. 9 spot in the all-time top-10 performers list. She finished second in the event but first among collegiate athletes and she's reached the ACC qualifying standard for the indoor championships.
In his first VT outing and first career attempt at the 60m, Clavin Meyer boasted a 6.78 mark. He missed a spot in the all-time top-10 performers list by .01, but reached the ACC qualifying standard for the indoor championships.
Sara Killinen opened her final indoor season with a 22.66m (74'4.25") in the weight throw, reaching the ACC qualifying standard for the indoor championships and tying her career-best. Her original personal-best 22.66m mark was reached in the 2023 ACC Indoor Track & Field Championships where she finished second overall and qualified for the NCAA Championships.
Kahleje "KJ" TIllmon continued his rise in the 300m indoor all-time performers list, shifting in the No. 5 hole with his 33.33 result.
Both Caitlyn Bobb and Declan Rymer held steady in their spots in the all-time top-10 performers list, Rymer with his 7:59.07 in the 3000m and Bobb with her 38.29 in the 300m.
10 Hokies reached career-best marks in their respective events in day one of the Virginia Tech Invitational.
DAY 1 RESULTS
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Women's 3000m (2) Katie Bohlke - 9:22.34 (6) Lila Waters - 9:36.36 (8) Sophia Holgado - 9:41.16 (10) Mary Kate McGranahan - 9:49.45* (17) Kylie Bonser - 10:03.37 (21) Anna Rigby - 10:05.73 (5) Caitlyn Jones - 10:17.44 (unseeded) |
Men's 3000m (1) George Couttie - 7:52.29 (2) Declan Rymer - 7:59.07* (4) Ryan Fowkes - 8:03.76 (5) Ben Reynolds - 8:05.33 (8) Luke Affolder - 8:13.74 (9) Ethan Coleman - 8:15.20 (11) Roan Kelly - 8:15.91 (13) Viktor Idhammar - 8:16.77 (14) Arnav Tikhe - 8:17.13* (16) Dylan DeCambre - 8:18.37 (18) Sam Hubert - 8:20.13* (22) William Winter - 8:22.82 |
Women's Mile (3) Elizabeth Coe - 4:52.56 (4) Star Price - 4:53.93 (7) Kenza Elakari - 4:55.96 (8) Avery Legault - 4:56.60 |
Men's Mile (14) Nick Plant - 4:11.45 (17) Christian Jackson - 4:12.61* |
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Women's 300m (3) Caitlyn Bobb - 38.29 (8) Farah Nasir - 39.10 (10) Micayla Collins - 39.39* (16) Krystalann Bechard - 40.30 (27) Ashley Krahe - 42.85 (unseeded) |
Men's 300m (1) Kahleje "KJ" Tillmon - 33.33 (5) Tomas Kersulis - 33.73 (13) Maximus James - 34.51* |
Women's 60m (25) Logan Daley - 7.90 |
Men's 60m (3) Calvin Meyer - 6.80 ^ (first in the prelims with 6.78) |
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Women's Pole Vault (Unseeded) (1) Lyndsey Reed - 4.06m (13'3.75") |
Men's 1000m (7) Cameron Davis - 2:26.40 |
Women's Weight Throw (1) Sara Killinen - 22.66m (74'4.25") (4) Barbora Stejfova - 19.64m |
Men's 60m Hurdles (Prelims) (10) Stuart Pirtle - 8.34 (13) Nate Paris - 8.40 (15) Evan Taylor - 8.45 |
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Women's Long Jump (18) WIlla Hock - 5.24m |
Men's Long Jump (2) Caleb Stephens - 7.29m (3) Nate Paris - 7.25m (7) Stuart Pirtle - 6.86m |
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*indicates personal-best | *^ indicates personal-best from short approach
DAY 2 RECAP
Virginia Tech tallied three personal-records in day two of the Virginia Tech Invite, with five all-time top-10 program performances.
Julia Fixsen, the 2023 outdoor track & field national champion in the pole vault, saw her return to the event for the first time since 2023, in the seeded portion. In the event, Fixsen battled with Olympian Bridget Williams to the final where both attempted for 4.61m, but neither was able to clear it. With the 4.51m final result, Fixsen elevated her career-best from 4.48m, held steady in the No. 2 slot for the all-time top-10 performer in the event, and was the top collegiate performer in the meet.
The men's pole vault was a four-way battle heading into the final heights between three Hokies and one other opponent. Maddox Hamm's 5.57m personal-best guided him to a second-place finish and the No. 3 all-time top-10 performer slot for Tech. Ben Conacher, in his first collegiate appearance since June of 2023, boasted a 5.52m result, which hoisted him to the No. 6 all-time top-10 performer slot for the men's indoor pole vault. The 5.52m was also a personal-best by .05m for the vaulter.
In the triple jump, Federico Lorenzo Bruno made his Virginia Tech debut, where he boasted a 15.73m mark, propelling the new Hokie into the No. 8 all-time top-10 performers list. He also was the top collegiate performer in the meet.
Rounding out the meet were the men's and women's 4x400m relays. The women's squad featured Farah Nasir (54.66), Caitlyn Bobb (54.14), Micayla Collins (58.08) and Krystalann Bechard (55.57) who came together for the event win and a 3:42.43 result. On the men's side, Kahleje "KJ" Tillmon (47.61), Judson Lincoln IV (45.80), Tomas Kersulis (46.80) and Ali Diaby (47.81) put together a performance of 3:08.00, which led them to the event win and the No. 6 slot in the all-time top-10 performers list for the event.
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Women's Pole Vault (2) Julia Fixsen - 4.51m* (3) Chiara Sistermann - 4.26m (8) Erin Kelleher - 3.96m |
Men's Pole Vault (2) Maddox Hamm - 5.57m* (3) Ben Conacher - 5.52m* (4) Conner McClure - 5.42m*^ (11) Jack Helmich - 4.87m |
Women's Triple Jump (5) Madison McConico - 12.27m |
Men's Triple Jump (2) Federico Lorenzo Bruno - 15.73m |
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Men's High Jump (5) Nate Paris - 1.95m (7) Stuart Pirtle - 1.90m |
Men's 200m (8) Julian Roberson - 22.33 |
Women's 4x400m (1 | 3:42.43) Farah Nasir (54.66), Caitlyn Bobb (54.14), Micayla Collins (58.08), Krystalann Bechard (55.57 |
Men's 4x400m (1 | 3:08.00) Kahleje "KJ" Tillmon (47.61,) Judson Lincoln IV (45.80), Tomas Kersulis (46.80), Ali Diaby (47.81) |
*indicates personal-best | *^ indicates personal-best from short approach
After two days of competition, the Hokies totaled five event wins, 15 all-time top-10 performances, and three top collegiate performer appearances.
UP NEXT
The most of the Hokies will stay at home in Rector Field House for the Hokie Invitational from Jan. 24-25. The sprints and hurdles events group will venture to Lubbock, Texas for the Red Raider Invite, hosted by Texas Tech.