BLACKSBURG – After an exciting first day of competition at the Doc Hale Elite Meet and Camel City Invitational, the Virginia Tech track and field teams kept up the momentum, as two school records fell on the final day of competition at both meets.
Caitlan Tate, who broke the school record in 300-meter dash (37.15) earlier this season, used a phenomenal start to shave five-tenths of a second off her previous personal best (23.94) in leading wire-to-wire to win with a new school-record time of 23.39.
The 4x400 meter relay group of Arlicia Bush, Kennedy Dennis, Nykah Smith and Tate were running against the clock, but that didn't stop the quartet from running the event in 3 minutes, 36.24 to record the fastest time in Tech history. Bush, Dennis and Tate were all members of the quartet that broke the previous school record (3:36.83) set in 2018.
SPRINTS
In the 200, Dennis (24.30) and Smith (24.32) finished sixth and seventh, respectively, on the women's side, while Cole Beck ran 21.49 to take third and Michael Davenport finished fifth with his time of 21.86 on the men's side.
DISTANCE
Tyler Leeser set a new personal best and won the first event title of his career at the Doc Hale Elite meet with his time 4:13.28 in the men's mile. Competing in the mile at the Camel City Invite, Diego Zarate clocked a time of 4:01.09 to finish sixth, while Jack Joyce came in seventh with his time of 4:03.65. Sarah Edwards, running the mile at JDL on the women's side, finished fourth with a time of 4:36.99.
In the middle-distance events, Lindsey Butler jumped to seventh all-time in the record book, as she ran 2:07.78 to finish sixth in the 800 at the JDL Fast Track. Bashir Mosavel-Lo, who ran in the 800 on the men's side, also finished sixth with a time of 1:50.43.
Making her first attempt at the 3,000 on the season, Sara Freix shaved almost 10 seconds off her previous personal-best time of 9:21.72 to run the second-fastest time in the event, clocking a time of 9:11.85. Running in the men's 3,000, Peter Seufer also set a new personal best with his time of 7.53.72 en route to a second-place finish.
POLE VAULT
Rachel Baxter won her second consecutive pole vault competition and the third of the indoor season, as the Orange, California native leaped 4.47 meters (14 feet, 8 inches).
Representing the men's group, Harrison Rice used a vault of 5.22 meters (17 feet, 1.5 inches) to place sixth overall and third among collegiate vaulters.
THROWS
Tyson Jones top throw of 18.62 meters (61 feet, 1.25 inches) in the men's shot put was good enough for the sophomore to earn a third-place finish. Essence Henderson placed second in the women's shot, recording a mark of 15.59 meters (51 feet, 1.75 inches).
JUMPS
Chauncey Chambers, a sophomore from Springfield, Virginia, used a leap of 15.38 meters (50 feet, 5.5 inches) for a second-place finish in the triple jump.
UP NEXT
The Hokies split up for three meets, as they head to the Don Kirby Elite Invitational, Iowa State Classic, and Texas Tech Shootout. The Hokies will return home the following weekend, as they play host to the Virginia Tech Challenge on Feb. 21-22.
BLACKSBURG – The Virginia Tech track and field teams combined for five event titles on day one of the Virginia Tech "Doc Hale" Elite Meet and Camel City Invitational (Winston-Salem, North Carolina) on Friday night.
Lauren Berman ran the indoor 800 for the first time of her career and led the race wire-to-wire, as she posted a time of 2 minutes, 7.50 seconds. Her time was a personal best in the event and moved her to seventh all time in the record book. Hannah Ballowe finished second with her time of 2:11.51.
Matt Mitchell, a freshman multi-event athlete, shaved over a tenth of a second off his previous personal best (8.25) to win the 60-meter hurdles with his time of 8.12 seconds.
After finishing first overall in the preliminaries of the 60-meter dash with a time of 6.79, Cole Beck continued his momentum into the finals, as he won his second event title of the season, clocking a time of 6.77.
Jacory Patterson ran the 400-meter dash for the first time of the season and did not disappoint. The Columbia, South Carolina native was running against the clock and tallied a time of 46.41, which currently stands as the seventh-fastest time in the nation. Just behind Patterson, Patrick Forest and Miles Green finished side-by-side with times of 47.87.
Antonio Lopez Segura, who ran at the Camel City Invitational, competed in the 3,000 for the first time of his career and posted the seventh-fastest time in school history, as he won running 8:09.24. Lopez Segura was followed by the trio of Ben Nibbelink (8:11.99), Ben Fleming (8:12.73) and Fitsum Seyoum, who finished second, third and fourth, respectively.
SPRINTS
In the women's 60, Kennedy Dennis finished second with her time of 7.40. Kanajzae Brown took eighth with her time of 7.74.
In the 400 on the women's side, Arlicia Bush (54.50) placed second, Nykah Smith took fourth (55.55) and Ariana Rivera (56.92) finished sixth.
DISTANCE
Tyler Leeser posted a time of 1:53.38 to finish second in the 800 at the Elite Meet, while Thierry Siewe Yanga ran 1:54.62 to place seventh at the Camel City Invitational in the same event.
THROWS
Pavla Kuklova led the way in the women's weight throw. The senior threw 18.64 meters (61 feet, 2 inches) to earn a second-place finish. Emma Thor claimed third with her throw of 17.83 (58 feet, 6 inches), while Kajsa Wennberg placed fourth with a toss of 17.39 meters (57 feet, 0.75).
JUMPS
Keith Moore competed in the long jump for the first time of his career, leaping 7.14 meters (23 feet, 5.25 inches) to finish second.
UP NEXT
Both Tech squads return to the track Saturday, which marks the final day of the Virginia Tech "Doc Hale" Elite Meet and the Camel City Invitational. The Elite Meet starts at 11 a.m. with the women's pole vault, while the first Hokie sees action in the 3,000 at the Camel City Invitational at 2:05 p.m.Gallery: (2/7/2020) 2020 TRACK & FIELD DOC HALE ELITE MEET
