BLACKSBURG – Sophomore Rachel Baxter and Senior Deakin Volz each earned event titles, while junior Eszter Bajnok bested her own school record in the long jump, as the Virginia Tech track and field team wrapped up the final day of the Hokie Invitational at Rector Field House.
Baxter, an Orange, California native, vaulted a mark of 4.34 meters (14 feet, 2.75 inches) to take first place in the event. With that mark she posted a new personal best that that she set only last week with her vault of 4.32 (14 feet, 2 inches). Volz topped the men's side with his vault of 5.45 meters (17 feet, 10.5 inches).
"Rachel turned in another solid performance," Tech vaults coach Bob Phillips said. "Now we just have to keep everybody working hard and preparing for that next competition."
Bajnok may not have placed where she wanted after finishing fifth in the long jump, but the native of Hungary made up for it when she jumped 6.11 meters (20 feet, 0.25 inches) and set a new PR that reset her previous school record of 6.06 meters (19 feet, 10.75 inches).
"This is definitely the best opening meet Eszter has ever had as a Hokie," Tech jumps coach Paul Zalewski said. She came out, executed well, and broke her own school record setting a lifetime indoor best in the process.
"There are some technical things that I know we want to tweak and refine over the next few weeks, but for where she is right now as we get ready for the conference championship in a few weeks, I could not be happier and more excited to see what's down the road."
SPRINTS
Two freshmen stood out as they got their first taste of running in the 400 at the collegiate level. On the men's side, Miles Green placed seventh with his time of 49.31 seconds. On the women's side, Nykah Smith clocked a time of 54.88, the 10th-fastest time in school history, as she finished second in the event.
"I'm really, really proud with Nykah," Tech sprints coach Tim Vaught said. "Her personal best today in the 400 was an all-time personal best. She is definitely on pass to run 53 seconds indoor this year. She was step for step with a girl from Tennessee that has ran 52 seconds and that was very impressive to me for a freshman to do that."
"This was Miles' first 400 at the collegiate level," Vaught added. "He got out well and his first lap was very good, but after that, he got a little tight. He just needs to get use to the pace, but he knows what he did wrong, and he can't wait until the next 400.
Junior Joseph Tay turned in a time of 21.61 in the 200 for an eighth-place finish.
VAULTS
Freshman Harrison Rice vaulted 4.85 (15 feet, 11 inches) to place eighth, while junior Jaelyn Demory placed 10th with his vault of 4.70 (15 feet, 5 inches).
UP NEXT
Tech splits up, as the throwers head to the Iowa Black and Gold Premier, while the sprinters head to Clemson for the Bob Pollock Invitational. The Hokies will return home the following week, as they play host the Virginia Tech "Doc Hale" Elite meet on Feb 1-2.
PERSONAL BESTS
Women's 400
Nykah Smith (54.88)
Imagine Patterson (56.34)
Allison Zolkiewicz (59.69)
Kaylah Duke (59.83)
Olivia Duston (1:00.91)
Women's Long Jump
Eszter Bajnok (6.11 meters; 20 feet, 0.5 inch)
Women's Pole Vault
Rachel Baxter (4.34 meters; 14 feet, 2.75 inches)
Men's 200
Noah Ramsey (22.62)
Tahjere Lewis (22.99)
Men's 400
Miles Green (49.31)
Hans Gallagher (50.72)
Men's 800
Clint Gault (1:57.40)
Men's Long Jump
Jayron Cheatham (6.68 meters; 21 feet, 11 inches)
Sean Murphy (6.64 meters; 21 feet, 9.5 inches)
John Manilli (6.45 meters; 21 feet, 2 inches)
DAY 1 (HOKIE INVITATIONAL)
BLACKSBURG – First-place finishes by Michael Davenport, Kennedy Dennis, Matthew Harding and Rachel Pocratsky and numerous personal bests highlighted the Virginia Tech track and field teams' performances on day one of the Hokie Invitational on Friday at Rector Field House.
On the women's side, Pocratsky headlined the distance group, as she took first place in the 1,000-meter run with her time of 2 minutes, 43.65 seconds. Harding would follow suit minutes later for the men when he won the 1,000 with his time of 2:25.41
Dennis got it started for the sprints group on the women's side when she ran 7.39 seconds in the preliminaries of the 60 to secure a spot in the finals. She went on to follow that with a time of 7.34 in the finals, which was good for her to take the event title and her third first-place finish of the season.
On the men's side, it was Davenport's time to shine, and he did, as he set a new personal best of 33.89 in the 300, which gave him a first-place finish and his first event title of the season.
"He showed fight today," Tech sprints coach Tim Vaught said. "I was really proud about that. He showed a lot of fight today to win the meet."
(1/18/2019) 2019 TRACK & FIELD HOKIE INVITATIONAL
SPRINTS
Cole Beck finished fourth in the 60 with his time of 6.80, while junior Joseph Tay finished seventh and set a new personal best not once, but twice. The first time was in the preliminaries when he ran 6.87, a time that was later bested in the finals when he ran 6.86.
"Joseph Tay ran a PR in the preliminaries and followed it up with a PR in the finals," Vaught said. "That was outstanding for him to PR both times like that. I felt like Beck ran a good 60, but he still needs to work on his start."
Nykah Smith ran in the 300 for the first time this season and did not disappoint. The freshman turned in a time of 38.91, which was the eighth-fastest time ever by a Hokie in the event.
"Nykah ran a good race and it was a major PR for her," Vaught said. "She never broke 40 seconds out of high school. For her to go 38 seconds is huge."
JUMPS
Freshman Chauncey Chambers had a strong showing in his first ever appearance as a Hokie. The Staunton, Virginia native turned in a mark of 15.42 meters (50 feet, 7.25 inches) in the triple jump, a mark that places him eighth all time in the record book.
"Very happy with the way Chauncey competed today," Tech jumps coach Paul Zalewski said. "It was his first ever collegiate meet, and he went out and put nearly two feet on his lifetime best. As a freshman, that's incredible. He did a great job today, and we are definitely excited for more to come."
Stefanie Aeschlimann also saw her first action of the season and turned a mark of 12.25 meters (40 feet, 2.25 inches) in the triple jump, coming in eighth.
THROWS
Newcomer Isaiah Rogers set a new personal best in the weight throw with his mark of 20.27 meters (66 feet, 6 inches) to finish sixth in the event.
Emma Thor placed fifth in the weight with her throw of 18.48 meters (60 feet, 7.25 inches), while Pavla Kuklova placed eight with her throw of 18.38 meters (60 feet, 3.25 inches).
DISTANCE
Bashir Mosavel-Lo had a strong showing in the mile, as he finished with a time of 4:05.99 to take fifth place. He was followed by Jack Joyce (4:08.14) and Ben Fleming (4:08.63), who took seventh and ninth place, respectively.
Junior Lauren Berman finished with a time of 4:51.31 in the mile on the women's side to come in eighth.
Sara Freix finished second in the 1,000 with her time of 2:50.04, while Sarah Edwards (2:52.62) finished third.
Diego Zarate took home a third-place finish in the 1,000 with his time of 2:26.48
Shannon Quinn finished the 600 with a time of 1:31.33 to take home second place and set a new personal best.
UP NEXT
Both Tech squads return to the track Saturday, which marks the final day of the Hokie Invitational. The action starts at 11 a.m. with the women's pole vault.
PERSONAL BESTS
Women's 300
Nykah Smith (38.91)
Kayla Copeland (41.14)
Women's 600
Shannon Quinn (1:31.33)
Allie Zolkiewicz (1:38.11)
Olivia Duston (1:42.43)
Women's 1,000
Sara Freix (2:50.04)
Catherine Stone (2:57.24)
Women's 3,000
Emily Schiesl (10:13.55)
Ella Breidenstine (10:22.06)
Women's triple jump
Cecilia Marenick (11.46 meters; 37 feet, 7.25 inches)
Women's weight throw
Emma Thor (18.48 meters; 60 feet, 7.75 inches)
Men's 60
Joseph Tay (6.86)
Men's 300
Michael Davenport (33.89)
Men's 1,000
Matthew Harding (2:25.41)
Antonio Lopez Segura (2:26.53)
Brian Baker (2:27.94)
Peter Seufer (2:28.26)
Tyler Leeser (2:29.57)
Men's mile
Bashir Mosavel-Lo (4:05.99)
Fitsum Seyoum (4:11.26)
Dave Whitfield (4:13.67)
Owen Buck (4:15.21)
Osman Humeida (4:18.60)
Clint Gault (4:19.45)
Men's 3,000
Matthias Cannon (8:28.26)
Simeon Mussie (8:44.72)
Men's triple jump
Chauncey Chambers (15.42 meters; 50 feet, 7.25 inches)
Men's weight throw
Isaiah Rogers (20.27 meters; 66 feet, 6 inches)