Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG, Va. – Day two was a banner day for the Hokies as ACC Championship records were set, school records were smashed and five champions were crowned as the Virginia Tech men take a 22-point lead into the final day of the ACC Indoor Track and Field Championships.
“It was just an incredible day,” Director of Track and Field Dave Cianelli said. “I don’t think there could have been much more that we could’ve done as far as the final events that we had today with the weight throw, the 5,000 meters, the distance medley relay and the women’s vault. Also, the number of qualifiers that we got for tomorrow is obviously a key.”
Tech got the day off to a great start in the men’s mile as all four of the Hokies runners qualified for tomorrow’s file. Ryan Hagen posted the third-best time in prelims 4:09.48. Jason Cusack and Michael Hammond weren’t too far off of his pace coming in fifth and sixth while George Carter had the eight-best time.
Shortly after the mile finished, Scott Campbell and Matt Hoogland gave the Hokies their first points of the meet as they took fifth and eighth in the heptathlon. Ronnie Black followed that up as he tied for second in the high jump, hitting a mark of 7-0.25 (2.20m).
In the hurdles, both the men’s and women’s entrants qualified for their finals tomorrow as both Leah Nugent (8.52) and Jeff Artis-Gray (7.84) recorded the third-best times in the prelims.
Those performances were followed up by a Hokie sweep in the men’s weight throw as Alexander Ziegler put a stamp on his career in Blacksburg break the ACC Championship meet record with a colossal throw of 77-8.75 (23.69m). The throw is currently tops this season in the NCAA, by more than three feet.
“We’re going to fight for every place and fight for every point, so it’s going to be close,” Ziegler said. “It felt pretty good. I still feel like I’m missing the release a little bit, that’s always my problem. There is a little more in it and the collegiate record isn’t that far away. I felt pretty good and I knew there would be more in it. I hit a big mark, I didn’t think I could throw it that well, on that high of a level but it makes me look forward to the next two weeks.”
Tomas Kruzliak came in second as the freshman put everything together at the right time with his heave 69-4.75 (21.15m). Senior Denish Mahmic capped off the sweep with heave of 65-3.25 (19.89m). For the Hokies it was their-year they have laid claim to the podium at the championships.
Just as the men’s 60-meter dash was going underway, Artis-Gray surpassed a mark he had his eye on since the start of the season. With his first attempt in the long jump, the senior flew past the school record of 25-3 (7.70m) by seven inches as he hit the sandpit at 25-10 (7.87m). The previous mark by Ken Stewart has stood since 1984.
“Everything came together at the right moment, and I’m glad it came together at the ACC Championships,” Artis-Gray said. “All the hard work that I’ve put is finally paying off and I’m finally seeing the rewards from it. The job isn’t finished yet, I need prepare for tomorrow, but I couldn’t ask for a better day one. I have the record posted on my wall, I knew I had to beat it and I’m so glad I did.”
Darrell Wesh and Tadashi Pinder each set new personal bests in the 60 meters after that achievement as Wesh qualified in third 6.69 and Pinder in fifth 6.79.
Jonathan McCants qualified second in the men’s 200 meters as set a new personal record at 21.18, two-tenths off of the school record.
With the women’s pole vault championship already wrapped up, Martina Schultze went when step further as she soared past her previously set school record of 14-4.5 (4.38m), just slipping over the bar at 14-7.25 (4.45m) on her third attempt at the height. The vault was also both an ACC Championship meet record and a European Indoor Championships qualifying standard.
“I didn’t think I could jump that high, because the focus was on winning at first,” Schultze said. “I’m glad that I did it because it gives me confidence. It’s not always winning an ACC title, it’s winning the ACC title with the best one can get, so I’m really glad. This allows me to go to nationals a lot more confident.”
The 5,000 meters saw Sarah Rapp finish seventh at 16:38.52, but move up to second all-time at Tech in the event. Thomas Curtin finished off the men’s race with a heroic final 100 meters to win the event as he slipped just past the school record at 14:01.65. The record previous record of 14:02.00 was set in 1989 by Tim Covington.
“I got out in the lead and this entire season I’ve got out into the lead and I think that is what I am good at,” Curtin said. “ It was exactly what I wanted it to be. I definitely didn’t think that I had it in me but then the noise in the stadium was deafening. The last 100, I felt a surge that I really wanted it and it was my chance to be the ACC champ.”
An exhausted Curtin paved the way for fourth-place showing from the women in the distance medley relay at 11:37.64. The men followed that up by winning their first-ever ACC championship in the DMR with a time of 9:45.23.
“Starting off it was very physical and it set the tone of what it was going to be like,” lead leg Grant Pollock said. “We knew who the big players were and knew to keep into position. There’s nothing nicer than having Will (Mulherin) on the anchor. I thought I had an idea of what to expect but it feels 100 times better than that. After the restart the nerves went away and I was ready to go.”
“I think when we qualified four in the mile, it really got people going,” Cianelli said of what got the ball rolling. “When we went 1-2-3 in the weight, it was sort of expected, but I think that 5,000 with Tommy winning that out of the second section, it was so close and then coming back and winning the DMR it just kept rolling.”
“We have a lot of momentum going into tomorrow. The guys are fired up and it’s going to be quick, but I think as long as we get started well with mile, I think that will give us momentum for the day.”
The men currently sit in first place with a 22-point lead over Florida State while the women are in seventh, 19 points behind Duke. The Hokies will open up the final day of competition tomorrow in Rector Field House at 12:10 with the men’s mile.