Hokie ClubGENEVA, Ohio – Sophomore Frances Dowd set her second school record of the weekend as the Virginia Tech men’s and women’s indoor track & field teams competed on the second and final day of the SPIRE Division I Collegiate Invitational at the SPIRE Institute Indoor Track & Field Facility Saturday. Dowd finished fourth in the 800 meters in 2:07.22, bettering Asia Washington's 2008 record of 2:07.88. She set the 600 meter school record yesterday (1:30.99).
"I thought this was a very productive meet for us," said Tech director of track & field and cross country Dave Cianelli. "For us to be able to get away from Rector Field House and travel on the road to a different venue, I thought this was a good dress rehearsal in preparing us for the trip to Boston and the ACC Championship Meet in two weeks."
Freshmen Victoria von Eynatten and Martina Schultze led Tech to a 1-2 finish in the women's pole vault as von Eynatten won her second straight competition and set the facility record, clearing 13 feet, 10 inches (4.22m). Schultze was runner-up at 13-6.25 (4.12m) and sophomore Kristen Brown tied for fourth with a personal best vault of 13-0.25 (3.97m). In the men's pole vault, redshirt senior All-American Joe Davis was third, vaulting 16-6.75 (5.05m) and freshman Chris Uhle was eighth (16-0.75, 4.90m).
Junior All-American Ronnie Black finished second in the men's high jump, clearing 7-1.75 (2.18m). Senior All-American Hasheem Halim was runner-up in the triple jump with a leap of 51-9.25 (15.78m) and junior Corey Fuller was fourth at 49-9.75 (15.18m).
Junior Jeff Artis-Gray was second in the 60-meter hurdles in 7.83 and finished fourth in the long jump with a leap of 23-1.25 (7.04m). In the men's 800 meters, redshirt senior Ryan Witt moved into second all-time at Tech with a time of 1:49.79, good for eighth place overall. Also in the women's 800 meters, freshman Amanda Smith moved into third all-time at Tech with an eighth place finish and season best time of 2:08.88. Junior Yvonne Amegashie finished fifth in the women's 400 meters in a season-best 55.09.
In addition to her PR in the pole vault, Kristen Brown was runner-up in the 60 meter hurdles, running a time of 8.48 in the final. Freshman Leah Nugent was eighth in the final (8.74), after running 8.58 in the prelims.
In the men's 3000 meters, freshman Brayden Burleigh won heat two and finished ninth overall in 8:08.91. He was followed closely by classmate Thomas Curtin in 10th (8:09.37) and redshirt sophomore Leoule Degfae in 12th (8:10.20). Burleigh, Curtin and Degfae all set personal bests and now rank third, fourth and fifth in Tech history in the 3k. In the women's 3000 meters, junior Sammy Dow led the way for Tech with a personal best 9:40.65. Junior Ryan Hagen placed ninth in the men's mile (4:06.08) and sophomore Paige Kvartunas ran a PR of 4:50.42 to finish 10th in the women's mile.
Tech placed three in the top-eight of the women's 60 meters as freshman Ciara Simms was second (7.53), senior Ogechi Nwaneri third (7.55) and sophomore Ebony Scott seventh (7.68). The Hokies also went 4-5-6 in the 200 meters as Nwaneri was fourth (24.32), Simms fifth (24.46) and sophomore Zakiya Tyson was sixth (24.55).
Sophomore Darrell Wesh was fourth in the final of the 60 meter dash in 6.80 and senior Keith Ricks was fifth in the 200 meters in 21.31. Junior Jonathan McCants led Tech in the 400 meters, tying his indoor PR of 48.50.
The men's 4x400 meter relay wrapped up the day as the quartet of McCants, Wesh, freshman Walter Mitchell and senior Eric Hoepker was eighth in 3:16.90.
Tech returns home next weekend as it hosts the VT Challenge on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 17-18, at Rector Field House.