Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG, Va. – The Virginia Tech track and field team broke three records and recorded several other strong efforts to close out the final day of the VT Challenge on Saturday at the Rector Field House in Blacksburg, Va.
“It was an excellent tune-up for the ACC Championships, that was really the focus of the meet,” Tech Director of Track and Field Dave Cianelli said. “We had some outstanding performances, and now it is time to focus on the conference meet next week. I think everyone is primed to do well.”
Freshman Abby Schaffer set the pattern for the day when the Easton, Pa., native vaulted a 13-07.75 to surpass her collegiate best of 12-11.75 and her prep best of 13-02.50. The Easton Area High standout broke the school record of 13-07.25, set by Ashley Early in 2007.
Schaffer took first in the event and came up just shy of the automatic-qualifying mark of 13-09.25, but improved her provisional-qualifying mark to the 12th-highest height achieved in the nation coming into the weekend. Teammate junior Lisa Birnbaum also provisionally qualified with a clearance of 12-11.50. Birnbaum finished third in the event.
The record books continued to be rewritten, as senior Natalie Sherbak clocked a 4:40.31 to cross the finish line just under the school-record time of 4:40.46, set by Marlies Overbeeke in 2004. Sherbak won the race, her first time running the mile this year, and provisionally qualified in her second event. The Virginia Beach, Va., native provisionally qualified in the 3,000-meters with a time of 9:18.02 at the VT Elite Meet on February 6.
Another Tech record fell in the men’s mile, as senior Billy Berlin clocked a career-best and provisional-qualifying time of 4:02.47 to break his own school record of 4:06.74 he set in 2006. Berlin captured first place in the race, his first mile run of the 2009 season.
Several other Tech performers competed strongly in the men’s mile as well. Senior James Scheiner ran a personal-best 4:08.56 for third place, and sophomore Eddie Judge and freshman Will Mulherin earned fourth and sixth place, respectively. Judge posted a time of 4:09.06, while Mulherin crossed the line in 4:10.65.
Sophomore Hunter Hall improved his career best and provisional mark in the men’s pole vault, clearing 17-05.50 to tie for second place with teammate junior Yavgeniy Olhovsky. The 17-05.50 mark helps Hall in his quest to make the national meet, while Olhovsky already holds an automatic-qualifying height of 18-02.50 achieved at the VT Elite Meet. Junior Jared Jodon finished fourth with a clearance of 16-09.50.
The field event athletes completed a solid VT Challenge with strong showings in the shot puts and in the men’s triple jump. Junior Igor Misljenovic tossed a 53-11.00 for fourth place in the men’s shot put, while junior Erika Schroeder placed second in the women’s shot put with a throw of 48-00. In the men’s triple jump, freshman Hasheem Halim leaped a 48-02 for third place in the event.
In sprints action, the men’s 4x400-meter relay took fourth overall. The quartet of freshman Nick Vaughn, freshman Keith Ricks, sophomore Ebenezer Amegashie and freshman Bobby Onyeukwu ran a time of 3:16.13. Senior Shakirra Pinnock represented the women’s sprinters, with a fifth-place effort in the 400-meter dash, earning a time of 56.46.
Tech must now shift its focus to the ACC Track and Field Championships on Thursday, Friday and Saturday at the Rector Field House in Blacksburg, Va.
“I think [record-breaking performances] gives everybody a lot of confidence,” Cianelli said. “We feel like they are where they need to be, going into a conference championship. Overall it was an outstanding meet, and now it is time for everybody to get ready for next week.”
Results for the ACC Championships will be available on hokiesports.com following the conclusion of each day’s events.