AUSTIN, Texas, RALEIGH, N.C., and COLUMBIA, S.C. – Across three meets in various parts of the country, the Hokies track and field squads wrapped up the first weekend of outdoor competition with impressive performances to open the season.
At the Texas Relays in Austin, Texas, Julia Fixsen competed amongst the best collegiate and professional pole vaulters in the nation in the women's elite competition. Fixsen finished as the third collegian in the event with a clearance of 4.45m (14' 7.25"), improving her previous outdoor PR by more than a foot. Fixsen now holds the fourth best outdoor pole vault in Virginia Tech history, the third best vault in the nation this year, and the second best in the ACC.
Joining Fixsen in the competition was Volunteer Assistant Coach Bridget Williams. Williams, who finished in third at the USATF Indoor Championships earlier in 2022, cleared 4.70m (15' 5") in Texas to win the competition. That clearance moves Williams into a tie for the world lead outdoors this year.
In Raleigh, the Hokies continued strong starts to the throws and sprints seasons. In the women's hammer throw competition, Rebecca Mammel competed in her first hammer throw competition as a Hokie, opening her spring campaign with a throw of 60.26m (197' 8") to finish in fifth. Khalil Bedoui made his outdoor debut for Tech, throwing 62.09m (203' 8") in the hammer throw to finish sixth. The relay team of Kennedy Harrison, Kahleje Tillmon, Torrence Walker, and Cole Beck posted a strong opening time of 40.21 in the 4x100m relay to finish second as the Raleigh Relays came to a close.
Down in Columbia at the Weems Baskin Invitational, Hailey Huston Myles followed up her long jump win on Friday with second place in the triple jump. The transfer from Campbell leaped 12.50m (41' 0.25") for her best mark of the competition, now ranked fourth outdoors in the Hokies' record book. In the men's high jump invite, Aidan Clark took third place in his first outdoor competition of the season, as the sophomore cleared 2.07m (6' 9.5").
Next up for the Hokies are two more standout meets next weekend, as the sprinters and throwers travel to Gainesville, Fla. for the Pepsi Florida Relays. The pole vaulters, jumpers, and multis groups will travel to Greenville, N.C. and compete in the Bill Carson Invitational at East Carolina. Both meets are slated to run from Thursday, March 31 to Saturday, April 2, weather permitting.