Hokie ClubSTATE COLLEGE, Pa. – Junior Queen Harrison won her first 60-meter hurdle competition of the season, to highlight the Virginia Tech track and field squad’s first day of the Penn State National Invitational, in State College, Pa., on Friday.
The hurdlers and sprinters shined in the opening day of the meet. In the 60-meter hurdles, junior Queen Harrison, competing in her first 60-meter hurdles competition of the season, captured the title with a time of 8.02, automatically qualifying the Richmond, Va., native for the NCAA Indoor Championships on March 13-14 in College Station, Texas. Harrison’s time set a meet record.
Junior Kristi Castlin placed fifth in the event, with a time of 8.33. Castlin ran an 8.05 in the semifinals of the event, to also automatically qualify for the national meet, while Harrison clocked 8.06 to ensure a trip to the finals. Freshman Leslie Aririguzo also earned a trip to the finals in event, running an 8.47 in the semifinals, but did not finish the race in the finals.
On the men’s side, freshman Keare Smith earned eighth in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.17. Smith ran his fastest time of the season, clocking an 8.04 in the preliminaries, and then improved on the time at the semifinals, clocking an 8.01 to advance to the finals of the event.
In the women’s 60-meter dash, freshman Ogechi Nwaneri ran a time of 7.57 to take seventh in the event. The Maplewood, N.J., native posted a time of 7.62, while Castlin clocked in at 7.65 in the preliminaries. Nwaneri bettered her time in the semifinals, with a clocking of 7.52 to ensure a trip to the finals.
Sophomore Hunter Hall and junior Yavgeniy Olhovsky finished second and third, respectively, in the invitational section of the pole vault. Both vaulters cleared 17-00.75. Sophomore Mike Miller placed third in the regular section of the men’s pole vault, with an effort of 14-11.
Events continue tomorrow, beginning with the 60-meter hurdles portion of the men’s heptathlon at 9:30 a.m. Results will be available following the conclusion of the meet.
Men’s Results
60-Meter Hurdles – 1, Mikel Thomas, Kentucky, 7.79, 2, Jarrett Eaton, Syracuse, 7.87, 3, Daniel Kinney, Howard, 7.97, 4, Aramis Massenburg, Norfolk State, 7.98, 5, Chris Kinney, Georgetown, 8.08, 6, Korel Mack, Charlotte, 8.11, 7, Geoffery Daley, Kentucky, 8.14, 8, Keare Smith, Virginia Tech, 8.17
Pole Vault (invitational) – 1, Brian Mondschein, Unattached, 18-02.50, 2, Hunter Hall, Virginia Tech, 17-00.75, 3, Yavgeniy Olhovsky, Virginia Tech, 17-00.75
Pole Vault -1, James Foreman, Penn, 15-11, 2, Dan Garrett, Akron, 15-11, 3, Mike Miller, Virginia Tech, 14-11
Women’s Results
60-Meter Hurdles – 1, Queen Harrison, Virginia Tech, 8.02, 2, Aleesha Barber, Unattached, 8.13, 3, Tiki James, Central Florida, 8.25, 4, Jacquelyn Coward, Central Florida, 8.28, 5, Kristi Castlin, Virginia Tech, 8.33
60-Meter Dash – 1, Trisha-Ann Hawthorne, Connecticut, 7.36, 2, Lamarra Currie, Charlotte, 7.39, 3, Flings Owusu-Agyapong, Syracuse, 7.43, 4, Lynne Layne, Tennessee, 7.46, 5, Shavon Greaves, Penn State, 7.52, 6, Sheila Paul, Central Florida, 7.54, 7, Ogechi Nwaneri, Virginia Tech, 7.57