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.
Though the program did not have the success that they wanted at the conference level, Tech had arguably its best showing ever at the national level. Tech's men's team finished fourth at the NCAA Indoor Championships, and the women's squad came in 10th at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
Director of track and field and cross country Dave Cianelli took the time to answer some questions as the team gets ready for the upcoming season.
Q: What does it mean to finally have Rector Field House available for the upcoming season?
CIANELLI: "It's exciting. We've waited a long time to host a meet again. We're still doing some detail work, but the facility is ready to go. I know our athletes are excited to compete at home. I'm just anxious to get started. I think the facility is going to prove to be a great competition venue with the improvements that we've made and the ones we will continue to make throughout the season. I think the entire staff is really, really looking forward to this and I know the athletes are."
Q: How do you believe the season went at the conference and national levels last year?
CIANELLI: "We came up a little bit short in the conference meet, but we had great meets. I'm so proud how the kids competed at all four indoor and outdoor championships. We just came up a little short at the conference level, but then we arguably had our best year ever at the national meet, which was due to some really outstanding seniors that have graduated now."
Q: What has you most excited for upcoming season and what are you looking forward to?
CIANELLI: "For me, the most exciting thing is going to see how a lot of these new athletes that we have respond in competition. This weekend, for a majority of our team, it will be their first collegiate meet. I think as they progress they're going to find out that there is a big difference from what they experienced in high school compared to this level. It's a process and for me, it's just exciting to see that process play out and watch them learn, grow and become better competitors. I think that we have a lot of young talent, but it takes a lot more to be successful at this level. For me, the most exciting thing is seeing these new kids. There's just so many of them. Out of the 47 men we have, 27 of them are either freshman or transfers, that's well over 50 percent of our team. On the women's side we have 13 freshmen out of 35. I've never really experienced this much youth at one time, but it's fun. What we look forward to is seeing them grow and develop."
The 2019 season begins this Friday as the Hokies' track and field team host the Virginia Tech Invitational at Rector Field House.
Here is a look at each of the disciplines, as the Hokies start the 2019 track and field seasons:
MEN'S DISTANCE
TOP RETURNERS
Peter Seufer, Diego Zarate, Fitsum Seyoum, Jack Joyce
NEWCOMERS
Brian Baker, Matthias Cannon, Clint Gault, Matthew Harding, Ryan Hughes, Ben Nibbelink, Eldon Phillips
OVERVIEW
The Hokies suffered some heavy personnel losses following last season with the departures of Vincent Ciattei, Neil Gourley, Patrick Joseph and Daniel Jaskowak. Ciattei, Gourley and Joseph teamed with sprinter/hurdler Greg Chiles to win the national championship in the distance medley relay at last year's NCAA indoor meet. Ciattei, in particular, was fantastic all year, earning a silver medal in the mile at the NCAA indoor meet and a silver medal in the 1,500 at the NCAA outdoor meet.
Seufer figures to be the leader of this young group after winning bronze medals in the 3,000 and 5,000 at the ACC Indoor Championships last February and then dominating this fall in cross country. The redshirt junior won the ACC's individual title in cross country, finished second at the NCAA Southeast Regional, and then earned All-America honors at the NCAA Championships.
Zarate gives the Hokies plenty of experience as well. A senior, he is a four-time ACC medalist in the middle distances and earned a bid to the NCAA Championships during the outdoor season last June. Seyoum, a redshirt sophomore, won the bronze medal in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the ACC's outdoor meet in May and ran well this fall during the cross country season, while Joyce, a redshirt junior, scored in the 3,000 at last year's ACC indoor meet.
Matt Harding, a transfer from UNC Asheville, hopefully can bolster this group, having won the 800 at both Big South Championship meets as a freshman in 2016. Also, Tech will need some big performances from its true sophomores to continue its recent successes in distance running – a group that includes Thierry Siewe Yanga, Bashir Mosavel-Lo, Osman Humeida, Ben Fleming and Dave Whitfield. All gained experience last season at the ACC Championships (both indoor and outdoor), and the staff loves their potential.
WOMEN'S DISTANCE
TOP RETURNERS
Rachel Pocratsky, Lauren Berman, Ellie Brush, Sarah Edwards, Sara Freix, Shannon Quinn, Kayla Richardson, Cate Stone
NEWCOMERS
Olivia Duston, Allie Zolkiewicz
OVERVIEW
Tech lost steady Katie Kennedy off last season's squad after a year in which she scored at both ACC meets and led the women's distance medley relay team to a bronze-medal finish at the NCAA Indoor Championships. But the Hokies return a lot of talent and experience and will be led by senior All-American Rachel Pocratsky.
Pocratsky won three gold medals at ACC meets last season, sweeping the 800 at both and also winning the 1,500 at the outdoor meet. She earned All-America honors in the 800 at both NCAA Championships and goes into this season as a legitimate national title contender.
Edwards, a junior, could become as accomplished as Pocratsky. She earned All-America honors as a freshman in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and again last year as a member of that DMR team that finished third. She is a four-time ACC medalist, including a gold that she won in the steeplechase as a freshman.
Berman scored in the 5,000 at last year's ACC outdoor meet and ran well this fall in cross country, while Freix earned both All-ACC and All-Southeast Region honors in cross country this fall – by far the best fall of her career. These two could be on the ACC podium in any distance event.
The rest of the group could score points at each ACC Championships. If the Hokies want to win an ACC title this year – and they possess a lot of talent – then they need big performances from their distance runners.
DISTANCE COACH ERIC JOHANNIGMEIER'S TAKE
"The great thing in our program is that everyone is always stepping up and filling that void and hopefully build on what that last class did, so I think we have a lot of people that are hungry and ready to fill those leadership roles and fill those contribution roles … We have a good sophomore and freshman class that I think had good training this fall and raced more competitively than they ever had in cross country. They trained better than they ever had, so I'm looking for some of those guys to step up."
"Every year, we're trying to be in the hunt to win that ACC title, and if we're going to be in the hunt, the distance group is going to have to play a substantial role and contributing to the team's score. I think really continuing to build and have that success in the distance events and win that ACC team title is going to be the goal both indoors and outdoors … We should have really competitive teams, and I think the goal is looking at the team and what we can do as a team at the ACC Championships. If we have success at the ACC Championships, then that usually leads to success at the NCAA Championships."
MEN'S POLE VAULT
TOP RETURNERS
Deakin Volz, Joel Leon Benitez, Jaelyn Demory
NEWCOMER
Harrison Rice
OVERVIEW
The Hokies lost one of the best pole vaulters in program history with the graduation of Torben Laidig. The native of Germany earned All-America honors seven times in his career and twice finished as a national runner-up in the event, including this past June at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. He was a two-time ACC champion in the event and a five-time silver medalist.
But Tech should be strong in this discipline, as Volz, Benitez and Demory return. Volz, a senior, won the ACC title at the league's indoor meet last February and claimed bronze at NCAA Indoor Championships. He enters his senior season with four All-America honors to his name, including two from last year's campaign (indoor and outdoor).
Benitez enjoyed a nice freshman season. He won a bronze at his first ACC Indoor Championships and finished fourth at the league's outdoor meet before later earning All-America honors at the NCAA Outdoor Championships with an eighth-place finish. Demory, a redshirt sophomore, was sixth at the ACC Indoor Championships in February – in addition to competing in the heptathlon, where he came in seventh.
Pole vault coach Bob Phillips expects each of the trio to take the next steps in their development. If that happens, the Hokies could make up for the loss of Laidig – and be just as strong in the event this season.
WOMEN'S POLE VAULT
TOP RETURNERS
Rachel Baxter, Paige Ritter
NEWCOMERS
None
OVERVIEW
The Hokies suffered an unexpected loss when two-time All-American Lisa Gunnarsson decided to transfer after last season, but Tech returns an All-American in Rachel Baxter, who, like Gunnarsson, made a name for herself as a freshman.
Baxter finished second at the ACC Indoor Championships and third at the league's outdoor meet in her debut season. She qualified for the NCAA Championships in both seasons, coming in 11th at the NCAA Indoor Championships to earn second-team All-America honors. She was even better at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, coming in fourth to earn first-team All-America honors.
Baxter followed her freshman season with a strong summer in which she won the pole vault event at the U.S. Junior Outdoor Championships held in Bloomington, Indiana, and then came in 11th at the World U-20 Championships held in Tampere, Finland in July.
Ritter took a redshirt season in 2017-18. She vaulted well on the high school level in Pennsylvania before coming to Tech and hopefully can provide support as a redshirt freshman this season.
POLE VAULT COACH BOB PHILLIPS' TAKE
"We've got a smaller group this year, so I'm hoping everyone stays healthy. So far, everyone has set a short-run PR [personal record] or multiple short-run PRs. I think we're in good shape. We just have to stay healthy and focused."
"My expectations for the three returning All-Americans has to do more with inputs than outputs. My expectation is that they give me 100 percent effort in workouts, that they buy into the technical changes that we're making, that they do the little things necessary to jump at an elite level in terms of getting sleep and rest, letting me know when they're hurting, proper diet – those sorts of things. If they take care of all those inputs, the output side will be good."
MEN'S JUMPS/MULTI-EVENTS
TOP RETURNERS
Jaelyn Demory, James Holt, Matthew Manilli
NEWCOMERS
Chauncey Chambers, Jayron Cheatham, John Manilli, Sean Murphy
OVERVIEW
The Hokies feature mostly youth and inexperience in this area, especially with the departure of Mackenzie Muldoon, who left as one of the better multi-events performers in school history. In fact, Muldoon's scores in the decathlon and the heptathlon rank among the top five all time at Tech.
The Hokies expect Matthew Manilli to step into that role and become someone with the ability to score in the multi-events at ACC Championships. Manilli's 4,939 points in the heptathlon at the ACC Indoor Championships rank sixth in program history. Manilli's younger brother, John, expects to be a multi-event performer for the Hokies as well as a freshman this season.
In the jumps Holt (long jump) provides leadership.
Tech's efforts to get more points in the jumps may hinge on Chambers and Cheatham, two freshmen. Chambers was a first-team All-Met choice by The Washington Post after winning district, region and state championships in the triple jump (Class 5A). The Springfield, Virginia product comes in with a personal-best mark of 48 feet, 9.75 inches. Cheatham, who went to Oscar Smith High, came in seventh in the long jump at the Class 6A state meet this past spring.
WOMEN'S JUMPS/MULTI-EVENTS
TOP RETURNERS
Stefanie Aeschlimann, Eszter Bajnok, Cecelia Marenick, Laurel Miller
NEWCOMERS
Maya Pighet, Erin Shaffrey
OVERVIEW
Last season represented a coming-out party for Bajnok, who established herself as one of the nation's best jumpers. She won three ACC gold medals, claiming the triple jump at both the indoor and outdoor meets, while also finishing first in the long jump at the outdoor meet. She truly shined at the outdoor meet, setting school records in both the long jump (6.17 meters; 20 feet, 3 inches) and triple jump (13.55 meters; 44 feet, 5.5 inches).
Bajnok came in fifth in the triple jump at the NCAA Outdoor Championships to earn her first All-America honor. All of this came in just her second year at Tech. The junior now holds all school records in the long jump and triple jump – both indoor and outdoor – and heads into this season looking like a national title contender.
Aeschlimann scored points in the triple jump at both ACC meets as a freshman last season. She certainly has the ability to be on the podium at both ACC Championships this season. Marenick took a redshirt season as a freshman this past year, and both she and Miller, a transfer from the College of Charleston (WV), should add depth.
Pighet and Shaffrey are two to watch. Pighet was a regional winner in the long jump while at Olympic High School in North Carolina, and Shaffrey was the top high jumper in the Baltimore area as a senior at Maryvale High in Maryland.
Overall, this group appears to be deep – and talented.
JUMPS/MULTI-EVENTS COACH PAUL ZALEWSKI'S TAKE
"Matt Manilli has done a phenomenal job in his training and attitude and what he's bringing to the table. I'm really, really excited to see what's in store for him this season. He's a whole new athlete. He's focused, and he knows what his goals are. It's the same story with Jaelyn. He's made some great technical changes, he's training well, staying healthy, and I'm looking for the two of them and the two freshmen to step up and make a difference at the conference meet."
"You couldn't ask for a better season than what Eszter did last year. It really was phenomenal what she was able to accomplish. I'm really excited to see what's in store, but the best thing about her was that, despite all the success, she came back, got back down to earth, re-focused and came in as hungry as I've ever seen her to get better. We talked over the summer and the beginning of the semester this fall about what the expectation is for the season and what we can accomplish – and there are some pretty lofty goals ahead for her this year, but nothing that she's not capable of."
"For Stefanie, 2018 was a decent season for her. It wasn't what she or I was expecting by the end of it. The great thing about her is that she's come back with a whole new fire. Her training is going amazing, and I'm really excited about the progress she's making. She's putting in the kind of to get where she wants to be and we want her to be."
MEN'S THROWERS
TOP RETURNER
Matthew Reinhart
NEWCOMERS
Tyson Jones, Isaiah Rogers
OVERVIEW
The Hokies lack numbers in terms of athletes in the throws events, but they certainly do not lack talent.
Reinhart, a junior, is the lone returner from last season's squad. The former Tech football player continues to get better in the javelin, as he has scored points in back-to-back ACC Outdoor Championships. In 2017, he finished fourth at the league meet, and this past May, he came in seventh with a personal-best mark of 63.63 meters (208 feet, 9 inches) – a mark that ranks seventh all time at Tech.
Tech throws coach Andrew Dubs expects to get points from both Jones and Rogers during both the indoor and outdoor seasons. Rogers enrolled for the spring semester after transferring from TCU, where he earned All-Big 12 honors in the shot put during both the indoor and outdoor seasons. The Smyrna, Georgia native also participates in the weight throw (top mark: 19.45 meters; 63 feet, 9.75 inches) and the hammer throw (top mark: 57.96 meters; 190 feet, 2 inches), thus providing versatility.
Jones, a freshman from Goodyear, Arizona, was one of the top recruits in the country. The 2018 Gatorade Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year in Arizona, Jones won the national title in the shot put at the New Balance Nationals Outdoors with a throw of 70 feet, 1.5 inches. Jones' top effort in the shot put is 71 feet, 8.75 inches, and that throw ranked No. 1 nationally. Either of those two marks would have been a school record at Tech.
WOMEN'S THROWERS
TOP RETURNERS
Pavla Kuklova, Emma Thor, Kajsa Wennberg
NEWCOMER
Enid Duut
OVERVIEW
Tech returns three quality throwers in Kuklova, Thor and Wennberg, but Kuklova plans to take a redshirt season during the outdoor season, thus leaving a void. The two-time All-American finished sixth in the hammer throw at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in June, and her personal-best throw (66.87 meters; 219 feet, 4 inches) ranks second all time at Tech.
Thor and Wennberg hopefully can make up the difference. Thor has proven herself, as the junior earned All-America honors in the hammer throw in each of her first two seasons at Tech, finishing eighth in 2017 and 10th this past June at the NCAA's outdoor meet. She also won the gold medal in the event at the ACC Outdoor Championships last May. Her top mark is 64.85 meters (212 feet, 9 inches), which ranks as the third-best mark in school history.
Though yet to qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Championships, Wennberg, also a junior, possesses the talent. She scored in the hammer throw at the ACC Outdoor Championships as a freshman, coming in eighth, and last year, finished ninth. Her best throw of 62.79 meters (206 feet) ranks as the sixth-best throw in program history.
Duut comes to Tech from Rotterdam, Netherlands and enrolled for the spring semester. She specializes mostly in the discus and shot put, and she finished seventh in the discus at the World Junior Championships with a throw of 48.59 meters (159 feet, 5 inches). Her personal best in the event is 53.02 meters (173 feet, 11 inches) and her best in the shot put is 14.16 meters (46 feet, 5.5 inches). Her best in the discus would be a school record.
THROWS COACH ANDREW DUBS' TAKE
"Matt Reinhart has had an excellent fall. He's had some minor injuries, which has forced us to focus on different aspects of training, which I think have been a blessing in disguise. I'm looking for a huge breakout year from him."
"I've known Isaiah for quite a while, so I think that will be a pretty smooth transition. Big expectations will be coming with him, and I know he's really, really looking forward to it."
"It's always exciting when you can bring in the No. 1 recruit in the country. Tyson is special. There was an adjustment period there in the beginning. Obviously, he was getting acclimated to the heavier implement, but he's starting to take to it well. His training has picked up in the last month or so, and just the things we're doing, we're starting to get a little more specific in some smaller, technical aspects. I'm excited and looking forward to the season. I think he's going to have that adjustment period that all freshmen, but I think when it's all said and done, his freshman season could be something special."
"I know last year we had a pretty solid NCAA Championships [on the women's side]. I know Emma would have liked to have thrown a little bit better, but there were some injuries in there. Pavla was outstanding. Overall, the group, as a whole, had a pretty successful season. I'm very excited for this coming season."
"All three of the hammer women have had a great, great fall. We've made some changes from last year, but I think they've picked up on it well. The three of them and myself are on the same page now that we've had a full year together."
MEN'S SPRINTS/HURDLES
RETURNERS
Joseph Tay, Michael Davenport
NEWCOMERS
Cole Beck, Hans Gallagher, Miles Green, Tahjere Lewis, Donovan Louis, Jacory Patterson, Noah Ramsey, Derek Tay
OVERVIEW
The men's sprints/hurdles group includes just two returning athletes – Michael Davenport and Joseph Tay. That duo needs to step forward and replace the production lost by the departure of Greg Chiles, who was a member of the Hokies' distance medley relay team that won the national championship during the indoor season last March.
Davenport, a junior, runs mostly in the 100- and 200-meter events, and the 2016 ACC Men's Track and Field Freshman of the Year ran the anchor leg on the 4x100-meter relay team that came in third at the ACC Outdoor Championships last May. Tay also ran on that relay team, and both he and Davenport will be expected to contribute points at both ACC Championships this season.
Speaking of expectations, they are large for Beck, the Blacksburg native who dominated Virginia track and field during his high school career. His personal best in the 100 – 10.37 seconds – currently ranks as the sixth-fastest 100 time ever run by a high school athlete in Virginia. A nine-time state champion, Beck should be fun to watch.
The rest of the freshmen/newcomers bring impressive credentials as well. Patterson's time in the 200 ranked as the fastest in South Carolina last year, while Green was a four-time All-American at Saint Joseph's Prep in Philadelphia, specializing in the 400 and 400-meter hurdles.
Chiles carried this group last year. Hopefully, this year's bunch makes up for his departure – and then some.
WOMEN SPRINTS/HURDLES
RETURNERS
Arlicia Bush, Kennedy Dennis, Caitlan Tate
NEWCOMERS
Kanajzae Brown, Kayla Copeland, Kaylah Duke, Imagine Patterson, Maya Pighet, Zanelle Richie, Nykah Smith
OVERVIEW
The Hokies lost school record holder Courtney Blanden (200 and 400), but Bush, Dennis and Tate – three talented athletes – lead the way heading into this season.
Bush, a junior, holds the fourth-fastest outdoor time in the 400 (53.29) and the fourth-fastest indoor time in the 500 (1:14.09) in school history. She ran a leg of the Hokies' distance medley relay team that won a gold medal at the ACC Indoor Championships, and she's been on multiple relay teams that rank among the fastest in program history.
Dennis and Tate enjoyed impressive freshman campaigns last season. Tate and Dennis hold 60 times that rank fifth and sixth, respectively, at Tech, while their 200 indoor times are among the fastest as well. Dennis ran 11.56 in the 100 during the outdoor season – a time that is the third-fastest in program history – and Tate's 11.66 time ranks as the seventh-fastest.
The newcomers will be expected to contribute immediately. Keep an eye on Patterson, a four-time All-American and the 2018 Gatorade Track Athlete of the Year in South Carolina who is the state record holder in the 400-meter hurdles. Also, Brown transferred from High Point and was a Big South champion in the 60.
If Bush, Dennis and Tate take the next step in their developments and the newcomers contribute, this could be the Hokies' best sprints/hurdles group in recent memory.
SPRINTS/HURDLES COACH TIM VAUGHT'S TAKE
"We've got a lot of young guys and a lot of young women as well. Great talent. Every day at practice, there is a different young one who might do something to catch my attention. Throughout this whole semester, I've seen a lot of talent on this team."
"Jacory Patterson is one that's constantly stepping up and doing some outstanding things at practice. Cole Beck is another one doing a great job. Miles Green has shown leadership skills. Just across the board, the freshman group of guys are doing a great job of believing in the program, believing the system and working hard. I think they see that we've recruited them for a reason."
"On the women's side, we've got Imagine Patterson who's come in and she was the Gatorade runner of the year for South Carolina last year. She has a lot of potential, but she is a freshman and there's a learning curve that comes with it. Nykah Smith is another one from Atlanta that's stepping up and understanding the program and working hard and doing what she's got to do to make the program better. We've got Kennedy Dennis from last year, and she's just a sophomore, and Caitlan Tate. Both are back and looking strong. Kennedy is looking amazing right now. I think the men and women should have a strong, strong season."