Hokie ClubFAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – As with most championship meets, there will always be some ups and downs, getting past them and staying the course, and that is exactly what the Virginia Tech track and field team did this weekend at the NCAA Indoor Championships at Randal Tyson Track Center. Once again, it was the weight throw on day two leading the Hokie charge as Alexander Ziegler capped off his career in Blacksburg with his third national championship, his first during the indoor season.
After the first day saw the usually consistent Jeff Artis-Gray get called for five fouls, yet still earn All-America first-team honors, Darrell Wesh smashing his personal record and claiming the school record in the 60 meters, and a distance medley relay team falling short of their mark from last week, it was the always dependable Ziegler that did what was expected of him. The native of Germany claimed the national title with his third throw, a mark of 73-8.25 (22.46m) that stood pat through the final three rounds.
“It was really rough,” Ziegler said of the event. “I didn’t get into the meet as quick as I would like to. I couldn’t find my technique. I was really glad to be in the second flight to see what the others did. It was very important for me to pass the Michigan State guy on my third attempt because going last in the finals is a big, big advantage so you can see what everyone does before you and then you still have a chance to punch back.”
Although the win was expected as he came in with the eighth-best mark all-time in the NCAA, nearly four feet beyond his next competitor, Ziegler certainly had his share of nervous moments.
“Coming into this meet with a huge PR at ACCs, a huge lead on the NCAA list, at the end of the day that all I could do was screw up so I’m glad it worked out,” Ziegler admitted.
Just as the weight throw was coming to a close, Ronnie Black’s day was just beginning in a very deep high jump field. From the get go, the senior appeared to be on his game. As he put it after the event, he felt that it was the sharpest he’s ever been and the best he’s ever felt, a combination that proved to bode well.
Black cleared the first two heights on the first attempt, then missed once at the next two heights before responding the second time around at each height to pass through with ease. When it came to 7-3.75 (2.23m), Black showed just how good he was performing as he cleared the bar with plenty of room to spare. He wasn’t the only one to make it look easy though as 10 jumpers cleared the height that won the competition a year ago.
The senior didn’t let that rattle him as it pushed him to step it up. The first to jump at 7-5 (2.26m), he set the bar for the mark by resetting his school record on his first attempt. Unfortunately, he was unable to make the next height, but still, by clearing that first attempt, he was able to finish fourth. It was the fourth All-America honor of Hokie career.
“It was an outstanding performance from all of the guys,” Black said of the competition. “I had a bunch of good looks at 2.26 this season, but there’s something about nationals, it just brings out the best in everybody. Initially right after you’re done, you’re thinking about what more you could have done. I’m just humbled that I could set a PR and get fourth, then watch somebody attempt a national record.”
As the evening drew on, Martina Schultze, the lone Hokie on the women’s side to make it nationals, hit the runway in the pole vault. After not feeling the best with her warm-ups, the sophomore struggled early, but really turned it on after dodging an early disappointment.
The sophomore cleared 13-5.25 (4.10m) on her first attempt, but struggled at the next height, missing her first two attempts. After regrouping, Schultze came through on her final chance at the height, easily sailing over the bar. After that, the native of Uhingen, Germany hit a groove. She opted to pass at 13-11.25 (4.25m) and breezed through the next three heights with the last being at 14-5.25 (4.40m).
“I was very nervous,” Schultze said. “I don’t know why I didn’t clear 4.20 the first two times, but I was just telling myself that it doesn’t stop here, I’m not going out here. Then I cleared it and the next three were pretty good. It’s different to jump 4.20 on a third attempt, than 4.40 on a third attempt. Instead of wanting to do something with your last attempt, you’re just hoping that you get over the bar.”
Schultze though hit a road block as she attempted to tie her personal best mark of 14-7.25 (4.45m). She missed on her first two attempts, before opting to move up to 14-9 (4.50m) for her final attempt. She was unable to clear the bar and as a result, finished third, four spots better than a year ago.
“I’m satisfied, but I’m also a little bit disappointed because I was so close,” the sophomore said. “If the winner would have jumped 4.50 or 4.55, she would have been that much better, but it was so close that I felt like I could have made it. I felt that I could have made 4.50.”
Right about the same time Schultze bowed out of the pole vault, Darrell Wesh was in the blocks for the finals of the men’s 60 meters. After a blazing time 24 hours earlier, Wesh fell victim to the red card after being the third ACC sprinter to false start in two days. Despite the misstep, the junior still earned his first indoor All-America honors after reaching the finals.
The Hokies night came to a close in the men’s 3,000 meters as Will Mulherin, in the last race of his career, performed just the way he will always be remembered, as a competitor that never gives up. In a loaded field that saw the top five runners all finish under 7:50.00, the redshirt senior laid low and dug in late, passing two people on the final straightaway as he finished eighth at 7:55.08. He was later moved to seventh as Eric Jenkins of Northeastern was disqualified for impeding.
“Right before the race, Coach Thomas just said to hang with somebody and don’t fall back so that was my strategy,” Mulherin recalled. “Halfway through the race I was further back than I wanted to be, but I kept looking forward to see if there were any moves made. After people started getting faster, gaps were starting to form. Then going into the last lap, I was in I think ninth place and there was pretty big gap, and then the Indiana guy passed me and I was able to hang on to him and pass the guy in front of him and then pass him at the line.”
“I knew I had a good kick,” Mulherin added. “I felt good, but I just didn’t have the speed to go with the top group, but I felt that I could have a good kick if there was someone there to push me and there was.”
This year, the senior won ACC individual championships in both cross country and the indoor 3,000 meters, both which were firsts, as well as team championships at both meets. He also won his first All-America honors at the indoor championships.
“It’s a pretty good way to finish,” Mulherin said of way he wrapped up his career. I was really hoping to get into the top eight and I accomplished that. I thought that would be a good cap to everything. This season has been great, almost everything I wanted it to be.”
In all, the Hokies came away with six first-team All-America honorees, while their other two entries earned second-team honors. As for the men’s squad, the team finished tied for ninth-place which is second to only last season’s result of eighth. The 19 points is also the second-most at the indoor championships behind last year’s 22.
“We had a couple hiccups along the way, but that’s the way this meet goes,” Director of Track & Field Dave Cianelli said. “It’s never going to go 100 percent the way you plan it out. There is always going to be something that is a surprise whether it’s a positive or a negative, you have to kind of balance that out.
“For everyone that scored, you have to look at this meet and see that if you can score at this meet, it’s an amazing accomplishment. It’s tough enough to just get to this meet, but to then finish in the top eight is that much tougher. For the men finishing in the top 10, it was a great job. It’s always tough to go from conference which is such an emotional meet, then going to last chance and getting a couple kids in, then coming here all in three weeks, it’s a tough deal, but for the most part, I felt really good about our meet.”
“I think on the men’s side, this gives us a lot of momentum going into the outdoor season,” Cianelli said as he looked ahead. “There is always a transition period as we finish indoors and go to outdoors. It takes a little while to get into the groove outdoors, but our conference meet comes up so quickly that you really have to get at it. It’s basically five weeks from now so any momentum can help.”