Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG, Va. – Thirteen Virginia Tech track and field athletes qualified in eight different events, as the NCAA announced the bids to the 2009 Men’s and Women’s Indoor Track and Field Championships on Monday. The national meet will take place in College Station, Texas on March 13-14.
A total of 568 athletes will compete in the championships. The Hokie women received six bids, while the men qualified seven athletes in three events.
Leading the women’s squad are juniors Queen Harrison and Kristi Castlin in the 60-meter hurdles. The duo enjoy the second and third-fastest times in the nation, respectively. Harrison holds a season-best of 8.02, while Castlin clocked an 8.03 en route to the 60-meter hurdle title at the ACC Championships on Feb. 28.
Sophomore Asia Washington also will represent Tech’s women’s sprints squad at the national meet, declared to participate in the 400-meter dash. The Piscataway, N.J., native ran a 53.66 at last week’s Final Qualifier to give her the 15th-fastest time in the country and earn a bid. Senior Natalie Sherbak broke the school record in the mile run earlier this season with a time of 4:40.31, and will compete in the event at the national meet. Harrison, Castlin and Washington all competed at the indoor meet last year, while this weekend will mark Sherbak’s first NCAA indoor meet.
In women’s field action, freshman Abby Schaffer received a berth in the NCAA meet in the pole vault, with a season-best height of 13-07.75. Schaffer is one of only four freshmen in the national pole vault field. Sophomore Dorotea Habazin also will make her first indoor national meet appearance, receiving a bid in the weight throw. Habazin, who qualified for the 2008 NCAA Outdoor Championships in the hammer throw, owns a season best of 65-03.50.
Several field athletes will represent the Hokie men at the national meet. Junior Yavgeniy Olhovsky and sophomore Hunter Hall garnered trips to the NCAA meet in the pole vault. Olhovksy, who broke the school record in the pole vault earlier this season with a clearance of 18-02.50, nabbed All-America honors in the event at 2008’s national indoor meet, while Hall is making his first appearance at a NCAA Track and Field Championships. Hall cleared 17-07.75 at the Final Qualifier to seize a bid.
Also making his first NCAA Track and Field meet showing, sophomore Marcel Lomnicky will represent the Tech men’s throwers this weekend. Lomnicky, who joined the Hokies in January and only competed twice this indoor season, won the ACC weight throw crown with a 68-07 toss.
The men’s distance medley relay squad, featuring sophomore Eddie Judge, freshman Nick Vaughn, sophomore Ryan Witt and senior Billy Berlin, registered an automatic-qualifying time of 9:30.24 on March 6 at the Alex Wilson Invitational in South Bend, Ind. The quartet won the second heat, and came in third overall in the event, which saw 15 squads automatically qualify for the national meet. All 18 teams in the field ran under the automatic mark during the indoor season.
The NCAA Track and Field Championships will kick off at 10 a.m., on Friday with the women’s pentathlon. Habazin will begin Tech’s national meet at 4 p.m., on Friday with the women’s weight throw. Results will be available on hokiesports.com following the conclusion of events each day.
Tech NCAA Qualifiers
MenBilly Berlin - Distance Medley RelayHunter Hall - Pole VaultEddie Judge - Distance Medley RelayMarcel Lomnicky - Weight ThrowYavgeniy Olhovsky - Pole VaultNick Vaughn - Distance Medley RelayRyan Witt - Distance Medley Relay
WomenKristi Castlin - 60-Meter HurdlesDorotea Habazin - Weight ThrowQueen Harrison - 60-Meter HurdlesAbby Schaffer - Pole VaultNatalie Sherbak - Mile RunAsia Washington - 400-Meter Dash