DURHAM, N.C. — Cole Beck of Virginia Tech visited the podium three times on Saturday en route to winning the men's most valuable performer on the track at the 2022 ACC Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Morris Williams Stadium on the campus of Duke University. He became the first Hokie to win the award at the outdoor meet.
Beck's strong showing fueled the Hokies to a second-place finish in the team race on the men's side. He helped account for 26 of Tech's 93 points scored. The Blacksburg, Virginia native captured a gold (4x100 relay) and two silvers (100 and 200).
Florida State won the men's title with 149 points. Virginia finished third with 83 points, therefore the Hokies added another point to their side in the Commonwealth Clash presented by Smithfield.
On the women's side, Miami won the team title with 108 points, edging host Duke (100.5 points). UVA clipped Tech 54.25-54 to take seventh, leaving the Hokies in eighth.
The day started with a bang as the men's 4x100 relay tandem of Kahleje Tillmon, Torrence Walker, Kennedy Harrison and Beck ran the third-fastest time in the country at 38.69 to win the program's first-ever ACC title in the event. In addition to the national attention, the time was a school record, facility record and meet record.
Leigha Torino (4:18.09) and David Whitfield (3:45.75) recorded a pair of eighth-place showings in the 1,500.
Barbora Malikova and Tyreke Sapp both earned All-ACC second team honors by placing fourth and sixth, respectively, in the 400. Malikova clocked a 53.22 in the women's division, while Sapp was timed at 46.49 in the men's race.
In the women's 800, Grace Boone secured All-ACC second team recognition by crossing the line in fifth at 2:05.96. Seb Anthony also placed fifth in the men's race, stopping the watch at 1:48.21.
This set the scene for a 1-2 finish by the Hokies in the men's 200. Tillmon edged teammate Beck at the finish line for the ACC crown, posting a 20.41 to set a school record, facility record and PR. Beck's 20.47 is the third-fastest time in the 200 in program history.
Antonio Lopez Segura rounded out the scoring for Tech with his fifth-place finish in the men's 5,000. He crossed the line in 13:40.38 to earn All-ACC second team distinction.
In the field events, Essence Henderson took fourth in the women's discus to secure her second All-ACC honor of the outdoor championships. She unleashed a 53.50m (175' 6") mark on her fourth attempt of the event.
Aidan Clark clinched four points in the men's standings for the Hokies by placing fifth in the high jump. He cleared 2.12m (6' 11.5") on his fifth attempt to garner All-ACC second team honors.
Tech now turns its attention to the NCAA East Region Championships, May 26-28, in Bloomington, Ind.
Gallery: (5-14-2022) T&F: 2022 ACC Outdoor Championship Day 3