Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG – The Virginia Tech track and field teams return to action Friday when both squads compete in the Virginia Tech “Doc Hale” Elite Meet held over the course of two days, Feb. 3-4, at Rector Field House on the university’s campus.
This marks the third of four home meets for the Hokies this season, as the two-day event is set to begin at 5 p.m. on Friday. Saturday’s field events start at 11 a.m., followed by running events at 1:30 p.m. Admission is free for all fans and parking is available in the lots surrounding Rector Field House. Fans can follow @VT_Track on Twitter for updates and additional information.
The Hokies will play host to four women’s squads ranked inside the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Top 25 Poll for the week of Jan. 30, as No. 3 Georgia, No. 5 Florida, No. 16 N.C. State and No. 21 Tennessee are set to compete in Blacksburg. Tech also welcomes three nationally ranked men’s teams, featuring No. 1 Florida, No. 6 Georgia and No. 15 Tennessee. The Hokie men check in at No. 17 on the list.
Overall, seven schools are scheduled to compete. Other schools scheduled to be represented include Florida State, North Carolina and East Carolina.
Last weekend, the track and field teams split and competed at two different meets.
Sophomore Deakin Volz recorded his second straight win in the pole vault event at the Penn State National Invitational, while redshirt junior Olivia Privitera notched her first collegiate win in the pole vault. Volz’s vault of 5.46 meters (17 feet, 11 inches) won the event on the men’s side, while Privitera set a personal best with a vault of 3.92 meters (12 feet, 10.25 inches) on the women’s side.
Tech’s sprinters and hurdlers also competed at the Bob Pollock Invitational in Clemson, South Carolina, as junior transfer Greg Chiles headlined the efforts by setting the school record in the 400 on his way to a third-place finish (47.55 seconds). That time ranks fourth in the ACC after three weeks of competition thus far this season.
Of note, Tech’s distance runners also will compete at the Camel City Invitational in Winston-Salem, North Carolina on Feb. 3-4. Live results can be found HERE.
Senior Daniel Jaskowak, who won the mile at the Hokie Invitational with a time of 4:07.37, has the fifth-best time in the conference for the men. Senior Hanna Green also holds the fifth-best time in the mile on the women’s side, winning the mile at the Virginia Tech Invitational with a personal-best time of 4:47.62.
Camel City Invitational:
Men’s 3,000 meters – Andrew Goldman, Jack Joyce, Brent Musselman, Daniel Jaskowak and Peter Seufer
Women’s 3,000 meters – Lauren Berman, Jennifer Fleming, Sara Freix, Kayla Richardson and Katie Kennedy
Men’s mile – Vincent Ciattei and Neil Gourley
Women’s mile – Rachel Pocratsky
Men’s 800 – Patrick Joseph and Drew Piazza
Women’s 800 – Hanna Green and Laurie Barton