Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG, Va. – The Virginia Tech track and field squads closed out their string of home meets this indoor season with the Virginia Tech Final Qualifier on Saturday at Rector Field House in Blacksburg, Va., where the pole vault and the distance races provided several stellar results for the Hokies
Senior Hunter Hall highlighted the meet, setting a new career best and improving his provisional mark in the men’s pole vault. The Fort Wayne, Ind., native vaulted 17-09.25, increasing his personal best from 17-08.50, which he set en route to the ACC championship in the event on Feb. 27. Hall placed second in the event at the Final Qualifier, while senior Yavgeniy Olhovsky took fifth in the event with a clearance of 17-07.25.
On the women’s side, freshman Emma DeJarnette added a Virginia Tech Final Qualifier title in the unseeded section of the women’s pole vault. The Mechanicsville, Va., native cleared 12-02.50 in the winning effort. The first-place finish marked DeJarnette’s second pole vault crown of the season.
Redshirt freshman Sammy Dow placed first in the women’s mile run, shattering her former personal best and registering Tech’s top time in the race this season. The Midlothian, Va., native clocked a 4:53.59, running away with the race, defeating the runner-up finisher by over seven seconds. Junior Jessica Trapeni finished fourth in the event with a time of 5:04.81.
Tech claimed the top three places in the men’s mile, led by sophomore Brian Welch who captured first place. Welch cruised to a personal-best time of 4:09.96 in the race. Fellow sophomores Kieran Lee and Jason Cusack took second and third, respectively, in career-best fashion for both. Lee crossed the line in 4:10.22, while Cusack timed in at 4:11.32.
Distance action continued to produce solid results for the Hokies. Freshman Erika Weidman won the women’s 800-meter run with a time of 2:16.21. In the men’s 800-meter run, junior Jeff Miller ran a season-best time of 1:52.62 for third place, his best finish in the event this season.
Sophomore Ogechi Nwaneri tallied another top-five finish for Tech, earning fifth place in the women’s 60-meter dash. Nwaneri clocked a 7.50 in the event.
The Hokies next compete at the NCAA Championships in Fayetteville, Ark., on March 12-13. Results will be available on hokiesports.com.
Women’s Results
Mile Run – 1, Sammy Dow, Virginia Tech, 4:53.59, 2, Carolyne Chelulei, USC Upstate, 5:01.50, 3, Alyssa Kulik, Clemson, 5:02.45, 4, Jessica Trapeni, Virginia Tech, 5:04.81, 5, Sheena Crawli, Franklin & Marshall, 5:05.82
800-Meter Run – 1, Erika Weidman, Virginia Tech, 2:16.21, 2, Megan Hunter, Franklin & Marshall, 2:16.65, 3, Kathryn Howser, Elizabethtown, 2:18.17, 4, Frances Dowd, Unattached, 2:19.00, 5, Candace Sapp, Clemson, 2:19.13
60-Meter Dash – 1, Saravia Richards, Louisville, 7.26, 2, Flings Owusu-Agyapong, Syracuse, 7.43, 3, Chalonda Silver, Charlotte, 7.47, 4, Sheila Paul, Central Florida, 7.49, 5, Ogechi Nwaneri, Virginia Tech, 7.50
Pole Vault – 1, Emma DeJarnette, Virginia Tech, 12-02.50, 2, Leigh Allin, Unattached, 11-08.50, 3, Christina Rhodes, Bridgewater (Va.), 11-08.50, 4, Julie Ward, Appalachian State, 11-02.50
Men’s Results
Mile Run – 1, Brian Welch, Virginia Tech, 4:09.96, 2, Kieran Lee, Virginia Tech, 4:10.22, 3, Jason Cuasck, Virginia Tech, 4:11.32, 4, Donnie Cowart, Unattached, 4:11.40, 5, Jared Berman, Unattached, 4:11.54
800-Meter Run – 1, Chris Slate, Clemson, 1:51.33, 2, Brandon Hudgins, Appalachian State, 1:51.98, 3, Jeff Miller, Virginia Tech, 1:52.62, 4, Ryan Mangone, Clemson, 1:53.82, 5, Garrett Bradley, Unattached, 1:53.87
Pole Vault – 1, Brian Mondschein, Unattached, 18-00.50, 2, Hunter Hall, Virginia Tech, 17-09.25, 3, Michael Uhle, Akron, 17-09.25, 4, Brad Holtz, Unattached, 17-07.75, 5, Yavgeniy Olhovsky, Virginia Tech, 17-07.25