DURHAM, N.C. — Virginia Tech had a solid opening day at the 2022 ACC Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Morris Williams Stadium on the campus of Duke University. Highlighted by three medals from the field events, the Hokies registered four podium finishes in total.
Julia Fixsen headlined Tech's medal winners with a silver in the women's pole vault. She cleared 4.29m (14' ¾") in her first ACC outdoor event. Louisville's Gabriela Leon won gold with a 4.50m (14' 9") mark. Rachel Baxter, the ACC indoor champion, took fourth with a 4.19m (13' 9") effort.
Opening the outdoor championships with a bang, Khalil Bedoui hurled a lifetime-best 65.27m (214' 1") mark in the men's hammer to capture bronze.
On the women's side, Tech scored 10 points behind strong performances by Sara Killinen and Rebecca Mammel in the hammer. Killinen launched a 64.79m (212' 6") throw to earn bronze, while Mammel placed fifth at 61.74m (202' 7").
With five events scored in the men's decathlon, Sean Murphy sits in second place with 3,980 points. The junior enters Friday's final five events 223 points behind Pitt's Felix Wolter.
Three Hokies advanced to the finals of the men's 200. Cole Beck and Kahleje Tillmon both won their respective heats, while Kennedy Harrison clinched the last spot in Saturday's 200m finals. Beck was the No. 1 qualifier from the prelims, clocking a 20.63 for a PR. Tillmon (20.82) and Harrison (20.95) placed fifth and eighth, respectively, in the prelims.
Leigha Torino turned in a PR in the women's 1,500, crossing the line in 4:17.82 to place third in the prelims. Ava Hassebrock snatched a spot in the finals as well, covering the distance in 4:24.69 to take 12th.
In the men's 1,500, David Whitfield advanced to the finals thanks to his 3:47.42 time in the prelims.
Putting an exclamation mark on the night, Antonio Lopez Segura overcame a downpour during the men's 10,000 to clinch the Hokies' third bronze medal on Thursday. The junior, racing in the event for the first time collegiately, Lopez Segura clocked a 28:53.34 to earn All-ACC first team honors. He posted the second-fastest time in program history and became the fastest Hokie in the event since 1985.
Friday's action gets underway with the remaining five events of the men's decathlon at 11 a.m.
Gallery: (5-12-2022) T&F: 2022 ACC Outdoor Championship Day 1