Hokie ClubNEW ORLEANS – Following a month of action, Virginia Tech track and field now sits No. 12 on the men's side and No. 19 on the women's side in the latest United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Top 25 rankings, announced on Monday afternoon.
The men moved up one spot while the women moved down one spot compared to last week's poll, announced on April 9. Tech owns the highest-rated team on both sides out of the ACC for the third consecutive week.
The Hokies are one of only two schools (Florida State) from the ACC to have both of its units ranked inside the Top 25. The men are one of three schools from the conference ranked, with Florida State at No. 14 and Virginia at No. 23, and the women are one of three teams ranked from the league, too, with Florida State at No. 20 and Miami at No. 23.
Tech is coming off another successful weekend, tallying five first-place finishes at the Tennessee Relays on the campus of Tennessee in Knoxville. The pole vault group swept both sides, as Rachel Baxter and Deakin Volz took first place, Greg Chiles won the 400-meter hurdles and Rachel Pocratsky placed first in the 1,500 meters.
The distance medley relays also shined, with the women consisting of Katie Kennedy, Laurie Barton, Sarah Edwards and Pocratsky turning in a school-record time (11:22.93) to place second and the men made up of Peter Seufer, Jared Bane, Diego Zarate, Vincent Ciattei placed first.
The Hokies will split up this weekend and go to four meets – Beach Invitational, Duke Invitational, Mt. SAC Relays and War Eagle Classic.