Hokie ClubBOSTON, Mass. – The Virginia Tech men’s indoor track & field team finished second and the women placed fifth as competition concluded Saturday at the 2012 Atlantic Coast Conference Indoor Track & Field Championship at the Reggie Lewis Track Center. Redshirt senior Ryan Witt (800 meters) won an ACC individual title for Tech, the Hokies’ third of the weekend, as Marcel Lomnicky (weight throw) and Victoria von Eynatten (pole vault) took first yesterday.
“We had some great highlights this weekend with our three individual ACC Champions in Ryan Witt, Marcel Lomnicky and Victoria von Eynatten and then sweeping the top-three in the men’s weight throw and women’s pole vault,” said director of track & field and cross country Dave Cianelli.
In the men’s team race, Florida State won the ACC title with 123 points. The Hokies were second with 95.5 points and were followed by North Carolina (84.5), Virginia (80), Clemson (78), NC State (61), Duke (47), Georgia Tech (33.5), Maryland (28), Miami (19), Wake Forest (10) and Boston College (2.5). Tech's men were also runner-up at the ACC indoor meet in 2009.
“I thought that the men had an ok meet,” continued Cianelli. “We felt like we could contend coming in, but we had too many hiccups to really challenge for the title. Hopefully we can come back outdoors, regroup, and try to win the ACC Championship.”
Clemson won the women’s title with 166 points as Tech finished fifth with 53 points. Florida State (87) was second, followed by North Carolina (85), Virginia (59), Tech (53), Duke (48), NC State (47), Maryland (35), Miami (32), Boston College (26), Georgia Tech (21) and Wake Forest (4).
Witt won his second career ACC indoor title in the 800 meters in a school record time of 1:48.76, bettering Tihut Degfae’s record of 1:48.90 set last year. Witt also won the 800 meter ACC indoor crown in 2009 and his time was the fastest winning time at the meet since Georgia Tech’s David Krummenacker set the meet record in 1998 at 1:47.77. It was his third overall ACC gold as he also won the 800 meter outdoor title in 2009.
In the men’s triple jump, senior All-American Hasheem Halim reset his own school record with a leap of 52-10.75 (16.12m) to finish second, while junior Corey Fuller was seventh for Tech at 49-7.25 (15.12m). Halim has been runner-up in the triple jump at the ACC Indoor Meet each of the last three years and is now a four-time All-ACC triple jumper indoors.
Senior Chris Walizer started off the day for Tech by earning a runner-up finish in the men’s mile with a time of 4:09.24 for his first career All-ACC honor. Sophomore Frances Dowd was third in the 800 meters in 2:10.41 as she also earned her first All-ACC award.
Freshman Luka Mustafic placed third in the shot put with a personal best mark of 57-11.25 (17.66m) on his final throw to earn All-ACC accolades. Junior Jonathan McCants posted a PR for the second straight day in the 200 meters as he ran 21.40 in the final to finish fourth for the Hokies.
Sophomore Kristen Brown continued her strong weekend as she ran a personal best time of 8.38 in the 60 meter hurdle final to finish sixth. After clipping the final hurdle in the 60 meter hurdles, junior Jeff Artis-Gray managed to finish seventh and score two points for Tech.
In the women’s 400 meter dash, junior Yvonne Amegashie tied a season-best with a time of 55.09 to finish fifth and senior Aunye Boone was eighth in 56.76.
Senior Keith Ricks (6.72) and sophomore Darrell Wesh (6.79) were fifth and seventh, respectively, in the 60 meter dash. In the women’s 60 meters, freshman Ciara Simms was sixth (7.47) and senior Ogechi Nwaneri eighth (7.52). Nwaneri was also sixth in the 200 meters in a season best 24.17.
In the men’s pole vault, redshirt senior All-American Joe Davis tied for sixth with a vault of 16-6.75 (5.05m). Senior Mike Miller continued his strong vaulting this weekend as he set an indoor PR, also at 16-6.75 (5.05m), to finish ninth overall.
The men’s 4x400 meter relay team of McCants, Wesh, Artis-Gray and senior Eric Hoepker were third in 3:14.67. The women’s 4x400 meter quartet of Amegashie, freshman Amanda Smith, junior Natalie Woodford and freshman Leah Nugent were sixth in 3:46.70.
Fans can get all the information for the 2012 ACC Indoor Track & Field Championship at: http://www.theacc.com/championships/12-indoor-track-field-championship.html
Tech returns to action next weekend at Rector Field House as it hosts the VT Final Qualifier on Saturday, March 3.