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 sprints, hurdles and relays coach Tim Vaught to get his thoughts on his talented group for the upcoming season.
Volunteer coach Hyleas Fountain enters her second season assisting the sprints, hurdles and relays group. Fountain has been an excellent addition the group as she has taken her knowledge as an Olympian and a four-time NCAA individual champion at Georgia to help strengthen a rather young group.
Q: What are some of your takeaways from last season?
VAUGHT: "I felt like the indoor season should have went a little bit better. I was expecting to score more points in indoors, but expectations fell short. We had a young team last year as well. We didn't have enough backups for what I needed for the indoor season, but we did what we had to do. We fell short by a few points from winning the indoors conference. Outdoor, pretty much the same thing happened. Our numbers were down in my area and we just fell short of scoring the points that we needed to capitalize and win the ACC."
Q: You have a talented group of newcomers this season. What about them has you excited and who has stood out to you?
VAUGHT: "The newcomers that have come in this year, we have a lot of young guys, a lot of young talent and a lot of young women with great talent as well. It seems like every day at practice there is another young one that might do something that might catch my attention throughout this whole semester. There's a lot of talent on this team. Jacory Patterson is one that is constantly stepping up and doing some outstanding things at practice. Cole Beck is another one that has done a great job crossing over from football to track. This whole semester he's been making a huge impact at practice, especially when it comes to block work day. Miles Green has shown leadership skills this whole semester as well. Across the board, the freshman group of guys that came in are really doing an outstanding job of believing in the program, believing in the system and working hard. I think they kind of see that we recruited them for a reason. The bond that they bring together, they understand that them staying healthy, them developing and getting better, they're going to continue to grow and keep this program going in the right direction.
"On the women's side we have Imagine Patterson who came from South Carolina and was the Gatorade Runner of the Year in for South Carolina last year. She has a lot of potential, but she is a freshman. There's a learning curve that has to come with it, but she's doing an outstanding job at practice. Nykah Smith is another one from Atlanta that's stepping up and really understanding the program, working hard and doing what she has to do to be a part of this as well. Overall, we have Kennedy Dennis from last year who is just a sophomore this year and Caitlan Tate. Both coming back and looking strong. Dennis right now, she is looking amazing. On the work she has put in during this fall. I think men and women should have a strong, strong season indoor and outdoor this year."
Q: This is a young group with a handful of juniors. Who do you believe will step up or has already stepped up into a leadership role?
VAUGHT: "I still have to wait and watch a little more because with a young group you just have to watch them. Right now, it's still too early for me to judge a leader, but everybody is making a big push in that direction to lead by example across the board. Kennedy [Denis] coming back as a sophomore and being more experienced this year than she was last year. She's definitely leading by example right now. Like I said, Miles Green and Jacory [Patterson], those guys are both leading by example and doing what they have to do to be a leader. We have Michael Davenport who was a member of our ACC Championship team and that went 10.20 [seconds] as a freshman. He's shown leadership skills right now as well. Arlicia Bush is another one. She's a junior and the oldest out of all of the women's group. She's working hard and developing those leadership skills as well. As of right now, for me to pinpoint somebody and say that's my leader is really too early to do that right now. I'm still just sitting back and watching how things go during the season. That's really when you can tell if your leader is going to rise up when they're competing under pressure in a meet situation. Just watching their actions and watching how they perform.
Q: What do you think this team could achieve in both the indoor and outdoor seasons?
VAUGHT: "I want to be totally honest with you. Every season I always look at the positives of everything. This year we have a young group, but a very, very talented group on both sides, men and women. I feel like if everyone believes what's going on and continues to work hard, I think the men's and women's team has the opportunity to win an ACC championship this year. I'm not that type of coach to just say that every year. I feel like the talent that we do have here, we have the ammunition to do what we have to do in a championship situation. With the athletes that we have, with them being young. Just having them understand that it can happen. Trust in the system and just keep pushing forward. I really feel that the men's and women's team can definitely be ACC champions this year, indoor and outdoor if everybody stays healthy, everybody stays focused and continues to work hard."