Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG, Va. – The Virginia Tech track and field squads wrapped up their weekend with impressive performances at the Stanford Invitational in Palo Alto, Calif., and four victories at the High Point Vertklasse Meet in High Point, N.C., on Saturday.
Senior Billy Berlin ran a season-best 3:42.78 to win the second section of the men’s 1,500-meters. Berlin, already regionally qualified in the event, edged Derek Scott of Brooks Team Indiana by less than two-tenths of a second to take the heat. In the fourth section of the event, sophomores Ryan Witt and Eddie Judge earned third and fifth, respectively. Witt regionally qualified with a time of 3:46.78, while Judge posted a time of 3:51.57.
In the men’s 5,000-meters, freshman Will Mulherin regionally qualified with an effort of 13:58.18 in the third section of the race. The Yorktown, Va., native finished seventh in the stacked heat, which featured 16 runners under the regional standard.
Senior Natalie Sherbak completed the Stanford Invitational for Tech with a provisional-qualifying effort in the 10,000-meter run. The Virginia Beach, Va., native crossed the line in 34:11.50 and came in seventh in the race. 14 of the 15 runners in the race put together provisional-qualifying efforts. Sherbak was the second collegiate runner across the finish line.
Meanwhile in High Point, N.C., sophomore Caitlin Thornley cleared a personal-best height in the women’s pole vault to capture the victory over freshman teammate Abby Schaffer. Thornley and Schaffer both vaulted a regional-qualifying clearance of 12-07.50, and Thornley won the event in a jump-off. Thornley’s mark ensures her a trip to the NCAA East Regional, while Schaffer already stood regionally qualified in the event entering the meet.
Freshman Lauren Lemieux won her second event this week, finishing first in the women’s 1,500-meter run. Lemieux, who earned first in the 800-meters at the Liberty Twilight on Thursday, clocked a 4:32.82 in the race. Sophomore Jackie Merrick placed second in the event with a time of 4:42.95.
On the men’s side, sophomore Joe Davis matched his season best in the pole vault with an effort of 16-06.75 to take first place. Davis vaulted the regional-mark of 16-06.75 in a fourth-place showing at the ACC Outdoor Championships on April 18.
The men’s 4x400-meter relay squad wrapped up the Hokies day in High Point with a victory. The quartet of freshman Eric Hoepker, sophomore Jeff Miller, sophomore Nick McLaughlin and sophomore Kieran Lee crossed the line in 3:18.57.
Tech will next compete in the Georgia Tech Invitational on May 15-16 in Atlanta, Ga., and in the North Carolina Elite Meet in Chapel Hill, N.C., on May 17. Results will be available on hokiesports.com following the conclusion of the meet.
Stanford Invitational Results
Men’s
1,500-meter run (section 2) – 1, Billy Berlin, Virginia Tech, 3:42.78, 2, Derek Scott, Brooks Team Indiana, 3:42.94
1,500-meter run (section 4) – 1, Chad Hall, UC Riverside, 3:44.81, 2, Ian Cronin, Eugene Running Co., 3:45.24, 3, Ryan Witt, Virginia Tech, 3:46.78, 4, Alex Nelson, Unattached, 3:51.37, 5, Eddie Judge, Virginia Tech, 3:51.57
5,000-meter run (section 3) – 1, Matt Leeder, Florida State, 13:54.42, 2, Ryan Collins, Virginia, 13:55.94, 3, Matt Tebo, Colorado, 13:56.39, 4, Phillip Reid, Asics Aggies, 13:57.02, 5, Colby Lowe, Oklahoma State, 13:57.06, 6, Bobby Moldovan, North Carolina, 13:57.46, 7, Will Mulherin, Virginia Tech, 13:58.18
Women’s
10,000-meter run – 1, Rebecca Donaghue, New Balance, 33:08.97, 2, Allison Grace, Zap Fitness, 33:38.21, 3, Alissa McKaig, Unattached, 33:49.29, 4, Zoila Gomez, Strands, 33:50.92, 5, Aileen Conlon, Nike Cptc, 33:56.49, 6, Lara Crofford, Nebraska, 34:07.20, 7, Natalie Sherbak, Virginia Tech, 34:11.50