BLACKSBURG – Virginia Tech track and field hosts its second meet of the year this weekend, as 11 schools join the Hokies in Rector Field House for the Hokie Invitational.
Action begins with the heptathlon and pentathlon Friday morning at 10:30, before open events kick off at 4:00 p.m. Competition resumes Saturday at 9:00 a.m. in the unseeded men's pole vault. The two-day meet will not be broadcast, however, live results will be provided by Flash Results.
Admission and parking are both free for spectators. For those attending, please read Virginia Tech Athletics' new vaccination announcement and comply with all COVID-19 related policies.
The Hokies will be joined by 11 other programs this weekend, including seven ACC schools (Louisville, Virginia, Duke, Clemson, Wake Forest, NC State, North Carolina), Tennessee, UNC Charlotte, UCF, and Georgetown.
Both men's and women's squads for the Hokies featured heavily in the USTFCCCA national and regional polls last season, and Tech returns 22 All-ACC athletes and 11 All-Americans for this season. The first USTFCCCA rankings of the season are expected to be released on Jan. 24.
Tech Director of Track and Field Dave Cianelli, the reigning ACC Indoor Coach of the Year on the men's side, enters his 21st season in Blacksburg.
MEET INFORMATION
Fri. | Hokie Invite | 10:30 a.m. ET | Live Results | Event Schedule | Heat Sheets
Sat. | Hokie Invite | 9:00 a.m. ET | Live Results | Event Schedule | Heat Sheets
ATHLETES TO WATCH
ACC Women's Field Performer of the Week Rebecca Mammel returns to competition following her award-winning performance in the weight throw at the Virginia Tech Invitational. Mammel delivered a throw of 22.15m (72' 8") to win the event, a mark that now ranks No. 2 nationally.
Rachel Baxter kicked off her quest for a fourth-straight ACC indoor pole vault title well this past weekend, clearing 4.34m (14' 2.75") in her opening competition. Baxter's result ranks fourth in the nation so far this season and first in the ACC, and she'll look to improve her mark this weekend.
At the Virginia Tech Invitational Cole Beck took the win in the 60m dash with a time of 6.67 seconds, which ranks second in the ACC and ninth in the NCAA this year. The 2021 ACC Outdoor 100m champion enters the event again this weekend and will look to continue his strong start to the season.
Freshman Barbora Malíková begins her collegiate career this weekend in the 600m for the Hokies. The Czech national champion and U20 record holder in the 400m joins the Hokies having represented her nation in the Tokyo Olympics this summer, and Hokie fans could be in for a thrill watching the international athlete compete.
LAST TIME OUT
At the Virginia Tech Invitational, the Hokies impressed with nine event wins across the men's and women's competitions. Five Tech athletes rank in the top ten of their respective events nationally following the first meet of 2022.
