EUGENE, Ore. – SATURDAY – A great week of national championship competition concluded on Saturday as the women of Tech track and field put on a show. Lindsey Butler, Lauren Berman, and Essence Henderson all earned All-American nods as the Hokies finished the 2021 NCAA Championships with seven total All-Americans.
"We had a good meet here," Director of Track and Field Dave Cianelli said. "The highlights were Alexios in the Hammer, Essence in the discus and Diego in the 1500m. Two school records and a lifetime best for Alexios. Lindsey Butler finishing as a first team All American in the 800m at her first outdoor NCAA meet was a very good effort. The level at this meet continues to get better and we have to do the same. We have a young team so I am already looking forward to next year."
Essence Henderson took to Hayward Field for the Hokies in the discus throw, where she put together the greatest performance in the event in Tech history. Breaking her own school record on her very first throw of the day, Henderson wasn't satisfied just yet. On her third attempt of the flight, Henderson unleashed a bomb that flew 189' 4" (57.72m), shattering the record she set just two throws prior. Henderson finished the event in seventh after entering the day seeded 31st and claimed first team All-American honors.
Prolific 800m runner Lindsey Butler delivered a stunning effort in the finals of the event, roaring into a 6th place finish with a time of 2:02.83 to become a first team All-American. With 200m to go, Butler accelerated at breakneck pace to make up the distance between 10th and 6th place in a herculean effort that secured her status as an All-American both indoors and outdoors in the 800m.
Lauren Berman took on a monumental 1500m field and finished in 11th place, going 4:16.37 amidst fierce and hardnosed racing. Berman's performance saw her claim second team All-American honors, a testament and deserved conclusion to a dedicated Virginia Tech career.
In the triple jump, Eszter Bajnok wrapped up her third appearance at the NCAA Outdoor Championships with a 12th place finish and a best leap of 43' 9.75" (13.35m). The graduate from Kethely, Hungary took home a second team All-America nod, adding to her first team honor from 2018.
The Hokies finished the national championship meet with seven total All-Americans and two honorable mentions, with Alexios Prodanas providing the highest finish for Tech at fifth place in the men's hammer throw. While the NCAA season has concluded, several Hokies eye their shot at national competition with the USATF Olympic Trials set to begin this upcoming Friday, June 18. Qualifiers for the national meet will be announced Tuesday morning.
Gallery: (6-10-2021) 2021 WOMEN'S NCAA OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Gallery: (6-10-2021) 2021 MEN'S NCAA OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS
EUGENE, Ore. – FRIDAY – On the final day of men's competition at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, Diego Alejandro Zarate and Chauncey Chambers showed out for the Hokies as the 2021 season came to a close for the men.
Zarate took to the track at historic Hayward Field in one of the most competitive 1500m finals the NCAA has ever seen. Proving he belongs among the best 1500m runners in the nation, Zarate finished seventh with a time of 3:40.12 to earn first team All-American honors. Managing a race with a tight pack from the gun, Zarate found pockets of space to control his tempo and finish strong. A culmination of years of dedicated work on the Tech track and field team, Zarate improved on his 10th place finish at the 2018 national championships with his first nod to the All-American first team.
Chauncey Chambers contested the triple jump for Tech, finishing in 21st with a leap of 51' 0" (15.54m) among an incredibly strong field. Chambers's mark earned him an All-American honorable mention, but his season will continue when he returns to Hayward Field in two weeks for the USATF Olympic Trials.
Saturday sees the conclusion of the women's outdoor track and field championships with four Hokies in the running for national honors. Action begins at 5:35 ET with Essence Henderson in the discus, at 6:20 ET with Eszter Bajnok in the triple jump, and then Lauren Berman and Lindsey Butler take the track in the 1500m and 800m finals.
EUGENE, Ore. – THURSDAY – Three Hokies took on the nation's best on the first day of women's competition at the 2021 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Lindsey Butler, Lauren Berman, and Rachel Baxter represented the Hokies as they took on the nation's best at Oregon's Hayward Field.
Butler, the fourth-place finisher in the NCAA indoor 800m, advanced to the finals of the outdoor installment of the event. Competing in the second of three semifinal heats, Butler turned on the jets and used a devastating kick across the last 30 meters of the final lap to surge into second in her heat and qualify for Saturday night's finals. The sophomore middle-distance specialist will aim for even more accolades to add to her already illustrious career when she takes her spot among the best 800m runners in the country.
Lauren Berman fought through a strong 1500m heat to stamp her name in the finals of the event. With jostling and a tight pack throughout the three and three-quarter laps, Berman ran a deliberate and unbudging race. Her metronomic pace saw her hold off challenges from the runners behind her, and Berman moved onto the finals Saturday night to run for NCAA silverware.
Rachel Baxter finished out her 2021 NCAA season in the pole vault as well on Thursday. Unable to clear the opening height of the competition, Baxter bowed out of the event. The three-time indoor ACC champion and five-time All American sets her sights on the USATF Olympic Trials in a few weeks and will return to action for the Hokies in 2022.
The final day of men's competition begins Friday night for Diego Zarate and Chauncey Chambers. Zarate takes on the 1500m finals at 8:11 ET, while Chambers enters the triple jump at 8:20.
EUGENE, Ore. – WEDNESDAY – On the first day of men's competition at the 2021 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, the Hokies delivered gutsy performances and exceptional effort. Alexios Prodanas and Diego Alejandro Zarate highlighted the day at the final meet of the season.
To kick off the national championships for Virginia Tech, Prodanas produced a signature performance, complete with big throws and even bigger yells. The mild-mannered senior from Kilkis, Greece transformed in the hammer circle at Hayward Field, showing his passion for his sport by shouting as each throw left his hands and flew through the Oregonian air. His emotion was well-founded, as on two of Prodanas's throws he shattered his lifetime best, finishing with a top mark in the competition of 233' 2" (71.08m). That throw in the third round gave Prodanas fifth in the national meet, earning first team All-American honors for the ACC Champion who entered the meet seeded 12th.
"What an incredible performance by Alexios," Associate Head Coach Andrew Dubs said. "History was made today with this being the deepest hammer throw competition in collegiate history. For Alexios to stay focused and put himself right there in the mix, it was just outstanding. We had a plan, he executed it perfectly. With a meet and field of this caliber, you have to treat every throw like the sixth round. You have to be ready to throw far from the opening round, and that is exactly what he did. His focus and execution today are a credit to his dedication and work ethic throughout the year. Watching him on a daily basis, seeing what he puts into this, and how he goes above and beyond has been incredible. Make no mistake about it, he unquestionably earned every single bit of this. He bought in from day one, he worked his tail off, he is an incredible teammate, he is a leader, he is one of the nicest and most respectful individuals you will meet. To Alexios, it is a true pleasure and my honor to coach you. Today, I am just a really proud coach."
Zarate followed Prodanas's spectacular performance with one of his own. In a brutally fast 1500m semifinal, Zarate smashed his own school record by punching out a time of 3:38.85 to qualify for Friday night's finals. Through sharp rain and tough racing, Zarate did what he has done his entire Virginia Tech career and battled for the result he deserved. The grad student from Germantown, Md. makes his run for national glory in the 1500m finals Friday night at 8:11 ET.
Other Hokies saw their NCAA season come to a close on Wednesday, including Fitsum Seyoum, the ACC champion in the 3000m steeplechase. In a near downpour at Hayward Field, Seyoum came up just short in his semifinals, finishing 14th to earn second team All-America status. Seyoum's ACC Championship winning time saw him qualify for the USATF Olympic Trials, where he will make his return to Hayward in just two weeks.
Cole Beck wrapped up his historic season Wednesday night as well, finishing 12th in the 100m and just missing out on a berth in the finals. His performance gave him second team All-America honors, and the first men's 100m ACC champion in Virginia Tech history capped off his outstanding individual season as only the second Hokie to compete in the event at the NCAA Championships.
Beck joined Patrick Forrest, Cameron Rose, and Tyreke Sapp on the Hokies' 4x400m relay, where the ever entertaining and unrelentingly strong group finished 19th for All-American honorable mention nods. The four sprinters finished their season by leaving everything they had on Hayward Field's track, each of them ending 2021 as champions in the ACC and history makers at Virginia Tech.
Thursday will see the beginning of women's competition, as Rachel Baxter, Lauren Berman, and Lindsey Butler stake their place among the nation's best. Berman starts things off for the Hokies at 6:46 ET in the 1500m semifinals.