This Black History Month, Virginia Tech track and field honors those that have paved the path for Black athletes in our sport and at our university. As the month of February comes to a close, we reflect back on the impact of two former athletes and two of our current athletes and ACC champions, Bashir Mosavel-Lo and Dave Whitfield, featured recently in the HokieSports LOVE Project.
Dave Whitfield and Bashir Mosavel-Lo
Leading up to this weekend's conference championship meet, these two senior members of the track and field squad took time out of their demanding schedules to sit down with HokieSports and participate in the LOVE Project. Shown by their successful ACC championship performances in the DMR (Whitfield) and the 800m (Mosavel-Lo), these two members of our team are not only phenomenal athletes, but also intelligent and motivated individuals, who spoke on their experiences as Black men, student athletes, and the importance of discourse and voting to combat racial bias in our society. Watch their poignant feature below.
Kristi Castlin '10
Castlin is the first track and field athlete from Virginia Tech to medal in the Olympics, and the first individual Olympic medalist in Virginia Tech history. A native of Atlanta Ga., Castlin began running track at the age of fourteen and found immediate success in the 100m hurdles. At Virginia Tech, Castlin continued her impressive form in the event, winning the ACC title in 100m hurdles in 2007 and 2008, as well as setting the number two time in Tech history at 12.81 seconds. Castlin graduated as a Hokie with her name in the top ten all-time of seven events at Tech, as well as taking four ACC individual championships.
Harrison began her career as a Hokie in 2006 and almost immediately found success. She qualified for the 2008 Beijing Olympics the summer before her sophomore year, making her the youngest member of the USA Track and Field team and the first track and field athlete from Virginia Tech to compete in the Olympics.
Following her appearance in the 400m hurdles in Beijing, Harrison cemented her status as one of the greatest athletes in Tech history. With two incredibly successful years as a junior and senior, Harrison finished her career as a Hokie with countless achievements, notable ones including:
- 2010 Bowerman Award winner
- 2009 and 2010 ACC Women's Track Performer of the year
- Three-time national champion
- 60m hurdles (2009 NCAA Indoor Championships)
- 100m hurdles (2010 NCAA Outdoor Championships)
- 400m hurdles (2010 NCAA Outdoor Championships)
- First woman to win 100m hurdles and 400m hurdles at the same NCAA championship meet
- 2008 Beijing Olympics 400m hurdles semifinalist
- Three school records still standing
- 60m hurdles (7.94)
- 100m hurdles (12.46)
- 400m hurdles (54.55)
- Six-time All American and five-time individual ACC champion
Having staked her claim as one of the best athletes ever at Virginia Tech, Harrison has left her mark on the track and field program not only in the record books but as an example of hard work, commitment, and dedication.
Keith Ricks '12
Ricks is not only one of the most successful short sprinters in Hokies' history, but he also helped build the foundation of what is now a perennial powerhouse men's sprint squad at Virginia Tech.
One of the first top sprinters recruited to Virginia Tech, Ricks arrived in Blacksburg in 2009 determined to help the team earn its first ACC championship. In his senior year, Ricks and the Hokies earned the first ACC title for the men's team in school history with a triumph in the outdoor season, before the team Ricks helped build through his performances won the indoor title the next season.
Still holding several records at Virginia Tech, the sprinter has left a mark with his numerous achievements, including:
- Two-time All American
- 200m outdoor school record holder (20.45 seconds)
- No. 2 all-time in the indoor 60m and outdoor 100m
- A member of four of the top ten 4x100m relays in Tech history
Keith Ricks's accomplishments and the confidence he showed in the Virginia Tech track and field program helped build the foundation for the team to continue to grow and excel, eventually becoming the conference standard it is today.
Thanks to these athletes, Jerry Gaines, Queen Harrison, and every other Black member of the track and field team in the past and in the present, Virginia Tech track and field has experienced not only great success, but also the powerful and important message that Black Lives Matter.