BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Tech track & field blitzed to a red-hot start at the 2022 NCAA Indoor Championships, earning a national championship and nine All-American honors across the first day of competition at the Birmingham CrossPlex.
Rachel Baxter closed out her legendary indoor career with her greatest accomplishment yet, winning the NCAA pole vault title with a new ACC record of 4.62m (15' 1.75"). As she has done all season long, Baxter was perfect her entire series, clearing every height of the competition until she was the last vaulter remaining. With the bar then raised to its final height of 4.62m, the Orange, Calif. native cleared on her third attempt to break the ACC record she set at this year's ACC Championships.
Baxter becomes the first pole vault national champion in Virginia Tech history and brings the program's number of NCAA winners to 18. Her title also marks the first in Assistant Coach Bob Phillips storied career. Phillips has guided the Hokies' pole vaulters to 53 All-American honors and 38 ACC titles, more than any other school in the conference, and now has a national title to show for his incredibly successful 37 years as the coach of Tech's pole vault group.
Joining Baxter on the pole vault podium in Birmingham was Julia Fixsen, who earned bronze in the competition with her clearance of 4.46m (14' 7.5"). Fixsen's meteoric rise and instant impact as a Hokie has been invaluable since she joined Tech from Georgia, as the junior improves eight spots on her 11th-place finish from 2021 and earns first team All-American honors. With a Hokies one-three result in the pole vault, Tech's women's team picks up 16 points in the event for a huge boost in the team standings.
Earlier in the day, three Hokies posted strong results in the women's and men's weight throws. Rebecca Mammel finished seventh in the women's competition, earning first team All-America and two team points with her heave of 22.73m (74' 7"). The 2022 ACC champion picks up her second straight All-American honor in the weight throw, finishing eighth in 2021 with Michigan State. Sara Killinen and Alexios Prodanas both earned second team All-American honors in the event, with Killinen finishing 15th and Prodanas 16th to claim national awards.
Taking on the first four events of the heptathlon, Jake Spotswood competed among the nation's best athletes during Friday's half of the multi event. After completing the 60m, long jump, shot put, and high jump, Spotswood holds 3,070 points and sits in 15th place. The Fairhope, Ala. native resumes his two-day competition tomorrow morning at 11:30 ET with the 60m hurdles before he contests his strongest event, the pole vault.
Closing out the night for the Hokies was the distance medley relay squad of Hannah Ballowe, Star Price, Grace Boone, and Leigha Torino. In a loaded field of dominant DMR squads, the Hokies stood their ground and finished 10th as all four women earn second team All-American honors.