NEW ORLEANS – Following the NCAA East Preliminary Rounds in Tampa, Florida, the Virginia Tech track and field women's team moved up one spot to No. 16 in Week 9 of the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Top 25 Outdoor Rankings, announced on Monday.
The ranking is the highest the women have been this outdoor season and the Hokies remain the lone team from the ACC inside the Top 25.
Eight women punched their ticket to NCAAs in the Sunshine State last weekend on the campus of USF. Of the eight, three are distance runners, two are pole vaulters, two are throwers and one is a triple jumper.
Junior Rachel Pocratsky qualified in the 1,500-meter race in the pouring rain, sophomore Laurie Barton qualified in the 800 and fellow sophomore Sara Freix advanced in the 10,000 meters, representing the distance event group.
In the pole vault, freshmen Lisa Gunnarsson and Rachel Baxter cleared a height of 4.18 meters (13 feet, 8.5 inches), punching their tickets to Eugene, Oregon. The newcomers were the only two vaulters to clear 4.18 meters on their first attempt.
Junior Pavla Kuklova and sophomore Emma Thor both threw over 61 meters in the hammer throw to place in the top 12 at prelims. It will be the second year in a row the pair is going to Eugene.
For the first time in her career, sophomore Eszter Bajnok will be heading to Tracktown USA after leaping a mark of 13.08 meters (42 feet, 11 inches) in the triple jump.
The Hokies will have this weekend off and will leave next week for Eugene to compete at Hayward Field from June 6-9 at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
