BLACKSBURG – First-place finishes by Nykah Smith, Tyson Jones, Rachel Baxter and the women's 4x400 relay team highlighted the Virginia Tech track and field teams' performances Saturday on the final day of the Virginia Tech Invitational held at Rector Field House.
Baxter started the day on a high note with her performance in the pole vault. The sophomore jumped a mark of 4.32 meters (14 feet, 2 inches) to claim first place in the event. With that mark, Baxter also set a new personal record and claimed sole possession of fourth all time in the Hokies' record book. She had shared fourth place with former vaulter Kelly Phillips, with both at 4.30 meters (14 feet, 1.25 inches).
Jones, the No. 1 throws prospect nationally in last year's recruiting class, gave the Hokies their second win of the day when he threw a mark of 17.57 meters (57 feet, 7.75 inches) in the shot put.
The sprints, as a whole, had a great day and weekend, but it was Smith, a freshman, who earned the Hokies' third and final individual first-place finish when she posted a time of 24.29 seconds in the 200.
(1/12/2019) 2019 TRACK & FIELD VT INVITATIONAL DAY 2
SPRINTS
The relay group of Arlicia Bush, Kennedy Dennis, Imagine Patterson and Smith posted a time of 3:37.48 to win the 4x400-meter relay. Their time also ranked as the third-best ever in the Hokies' record book.
The men's relay group Jacory Patterson, Michael Davenport, Hans Gallagher and Myles Green finished second overall in the 4x400 with their time of 3:12.50.
Cole Beck, who made his track debut yesterday in the 60, placed third in the 200 with a time of 21.80 seconds.
"Across the board, I think the athletes see that all of the hard work that they've put in is starting to show," Tech sprints coach Tim Vaught said. "Right now, and overall, I think it was an outstanding first meet."
VAULT
Senior Deakin Volz turned in a mark of 5.52 meters (18 feet, 1.25 inches) to finish second in the event.
"It was a solid opening meet for the vaulters," vaults coach Bob Phillips said. "It's something we can build on."
JUMPS
Laurel Miller headlined the Hokies' jumpers on the final day, as the sophomore finished second in the high jump with a top jump of 1.63 meters (5 feet, 4.25 inches). She finished 1.75 inches behind Nazah Reddick of North Carolina A&T.
On the men's side, Michael Davenport and Donovan Louis came in sixth and seventh, respectively, in the long jump, and Sean Murphy was fifth in the high jump.
THROWS
In addition to Jones winning the shot put, another newcomer, Isaiah Rogers, had another strong day. The Smyrna, Georgia native came in second place in the shot put with his throw of 17.43 meters (57 feet, 2.25 inches) just a day after finishing second in the weight throw.
UP NEXT
Tech will play host to its second meet of the season this weekend with the Hokie Invitational at Rector Field House. The action starts Friday evening and runs through Saturday afternoon.
PERSONAL BESTS
Women's High Jump
Laurel Miller (1.63 meters; 5 feet, 4.25 inches)
Men's High Jump
Sean Murphy (1.91 meters; 6 feet, 3.25 inches)
Men's Long Jump
Michael Davenport (6.70 meters; 21 feet, 11.75 inches)
Donovan Louis (6.70 meters; 21 feet, 11.75 inches)
Women's 200
Nykah Smith (24.29)
Imagine Patterson (25.00)
Kayla Copeland (25.16)
Women's Pole Vault
Rachel Baxter (4.32 meters; 14 feet, 2 inches)
Men's 200
Cole Beck (21.80)
Noah Ramsey (23.08)
Tahjere Lewis (23.21)
Men's Shot Put
Tyson Jones (17.57 meters; 57 feet, 7.75 inches)
DAY 1 (VIRGINIA TECH INVITATIONAL)
BLACKSBURG – Most track and field athletes ease into a season, but Jacory Patterson and Kennedy Dennis certainly provided plenty of fireworks Friday night, as the Virginia Tech track and field teams opened the 2019 indoor track season at the Virginia Tech Invitational held at Rector Field House.
Patterson, a freshman from Columbia, South Carolina, won the 300-meter race in a time 32.49 seconds, breaking the world U20 indoor record and recording the second-fastest NCAA indoor time ever in the event. Coincidentally, former Georgia sprinter Torrin Lawrence holds the NCAA record of 32.32 seconds, which he set at Rector Field House in 2010.
Patterson's time also was the ninth-fastest ever by an American in the event.
Running in the first of four heats – and the fastest – Patterson, North Carolina A&T's Trevor Stewart and Charlotte's Jayon Woodard were even during the first 200 meters, but Patterson pulled away over the final 100 meters to beat Stewart, who finished in a time of 33.35.
"Right now, it really hasn't sunk in," Patterson said. "But I'm really excited because I didn't know that I was going to run that fast. It hasn't sunk it. I still can't believe it.
"I really just wanted to go 32.60, but I had a loaded heat, and I let lane 6 [Woodard] pull me the whole race. When I got past the 200, I just gave it all I got."
"I knew from the intrasquad [meet] that we ran in December … he ran 32.80, and after the race, he told me, 'Coach, I could have run faster. I didn't get out that hard in the beginning,'" Tech sprints coach Tim Vaught said. "I said, 'Guess what? In this first meet, don't hold back.' I told him to go for it, and let's see what happens. The all-time record is 32.32 and it was broken on this track, so it's a fast track. If you can get it the first meet, why not? That was his attitude. I saw it then [in December] that he could go faster. "
Dennis, a sophomore from Greenville, South Carolina, was tremendous as well, winning the 300 and finishing second in the 60. Her time of 37.88 seconds in the 300 was a school record, breaking the previous mark of 37.93 second set by Britni Spruill in 2008. Also, her time of 7.29 seconds in the 60 marked the second-fastest time in the event in school history.
"I don't train my athletes to run slow because it's the first meet of the year," Vaught said. "I train my athletes to win every race they run in. That's the way that I approach any meet. It's good that they ran fast now, but guess what? They're going to run faster later on in the season because that's the way my system prepares you. It's good that they're naturally talented, and they're doing some really good things right now, but guess what? They can go faster, especially after they get some more races under their belt."
Patterson and Dennis headlined an evening in which the Hokies recorded seven first-place finishes. For more on the meet:
(1/11/2019) 2019 TRACK & FIELD OPENER
SPRINTS
In addition to Patterson, the meet marked the debut of freshman Miles Green, who won the 500 in a time of 1 minute, 4.62 seconds. Miles edged out teammate Hans Gallagher, who came in second with a time of 1:05.31.
Also, Cole Beck, a member of the football team, made his track debut Friday. The Blacksburg native came in third in the 60 with a time of 6.77 seconds, finishing three-hundredths of a second behind Rodney Rowe of North Carolina A&T. Joseph Tay also ran in this event for the Hokies and finished seventh with a time of 6.95.
On the women's side, Arlicia Bush joined Dennis in the win column, sprinting to first in the 500-meter race with a time of 1:13.38. She led a Tech sweep of the top three spots, as freshmen Nykah Smith (1:13.62) and Imagine Patterson (1:14.76) came in second and third, respectively.
Caitlan Tate had a nice opening meet as well. She finished second in the 300 (38.85 seconds) and seventh in the 60 (7.54).
DISTANCE
Two of the Hokies' female distance runners recorded wins Friday night. Rachel Pocratsky cruised to victory in the 1,000, finishing the race in a time of 2:47.16, and Sara Freix won the mile, running to victory in a time of 4:51.42.
Pocratsky's victory capped a great showing by the Hokies in that event. Sarah Edwards finished third with a time of 2:52.90, while Shannon Quinn, Lauren Berman and Ellie Brush came in fourth, fifth and sixth, respectively.
On the men's side, Bashir Mosavel-Lo won the 1,000 in a time of 2:26.34. The sophomore led a sweep of the top five spots in the event, as he was followed by Jack Joyce, Thierry Siewe Yanga, Owen Buck and Dave Whitfield.
In the mile, Ben Fleming came in second with a time of 4:07.51, while Peter Seufer finished third with a time of 4:07.56. Fitsum Seyoum was fourth, and Will Griffen was seventh in the event.
THROWS
It was a light evening for the Hokies in the throwing events, but Isaiah Rogers had a strong showing in his Tech debut. The transfer from TCU finished second in the weight throw with a top toss of 18.75 meters (61 feet, 6.25 inches).
UP NEXT
Both Tech squads return to the track Saturday, which marks the final day of the Virginia Tech Invitational. The action starts at 11 a.m. with the women's high jump.
PERSONAL BESTS
60-meter dash
Kennedy Dennis (7.29)
Women's 300
Kennedy Dennis (37.88 seconds)
Women's 500
Arlicia Bush (1:13.38)
Nykah Smith (1:13.62)
Imagine Patterson (1:14.76)
Women's 1,000
Shannon Quinn (2:52.98)
Lauren Berman (2:53.86)
Ellie Brush (2:54.10)
Women's Mile
Sara Friex (4:51.42)
Emily Schiesl (5:07.71)
Cate Stone (5:13.79)
Ella Breidenstine (5:24.74)
Men's 60-meter dash
Cole Beck (6.77)
Donovan Louis (6.99)
Men's 300
Jacory Patterson (32.49)
Men's 500
Miles Green (1:04.62)
Hans Gallagher (1:05.31)
Men's 1,000
Bashir Mosavel-Lo (2:26.34)
Jack Joyce (2:26.34)
Thierry Siewe Yanga (2:26.73)
Dave Whitfield (2:30.08)
Men's Mile
Ben Fleming (4:07.51)
Fitsum Seyoum (4:12.24)