Blacksburg – After another excellent season for the Virginia Tech track and field program, the Hokies enter the 2019 season with great excitement for the indoor and outdoor seasons.
Tech begins its 2019 campaign this week, as they host the Virginia Tech Invitational on Jan. 11-12, at the newly renovated Rector Field House.
We took the time to sit down with pole vault coach Bob Phillips as he talks about how the vaulting group has prepared for the upcoming season
Q: With the season almost upon us. How would you rate the progression of the group throughout the fall?
PHILLIPS: "It's been a good fall for us. It's been really helpful to have Rector Field House back online. Having the full runway and the full sprint capabilities available to us, that's helped a lot. Other than a couple of small dings, a hamstring here or there, it's been pretty good."
Q: Last year was a historic one for the vaulting group. What makes you excited about the ones you have returning?
PHILLIPS: "We've got a smaller group this year, so I'm hoping that everybody stays healthy. So far, everyone has set a short-run PR [personal record] or multiple short-run PRs. Jaelyn [Demory] set over a dozen short and mid-run PRs and Rachel [Baxter] set a lifetime PR. I think we're in good shape. We just have to stay healthy and focused."
You have three returning All-Americans in Deakin Volz, Rachel Baxter and Joel Leon Benitez. What are your goals for them this season?
PHILLIPS: "My expectations for the three returning All-Americans has more to do more with inputs than outputs. My expectation is that they give me 100 percent effort in the workouts, that they buy in to the technical changes that we're making, that they do the little things necessary to jump at an elite level in terms of them getting sleep and rest, letting me know when they're hurting, proper diet – those sorts of things. If they take care of all of those inputs, the results on the output side will be good."