BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – During the first day of men's competition at the NCAA East Preliminary Rounds, Tech track & field punched one ticket to Eugene and advanced three athletes to Friday's rounds of events.
Opening up the day with an electric throw in the hammer, Khalil Bedoui launched 67.72m (222' 2") to confirm his place in the competition at Oregon's Hayward Field. The Doha, Qatar native's lifetime best saw him finish in 11th to qualify for the NCAA Championships and moves him into eighth all-time at Virginia Tech.
In the 400m, Kennedy Harrison advanced to Friday's quarterfinal heats with a gutsy race around Indiana's Billy Hayes Track. The junior punched in a time of 46.33 seconds to finish as the No. 13 athlete in the opening round and will run for a spot in Eugene on Friday.
Following a lengthy rain delay, Kahleje Tillmon and Cole Beck both punched in automatic qualifiers in the 200m to book their places in the quarterfinals on Friday. Tillmon clocked a strong 20.58 in the second heat as Beck followed in the third heat with a 20.67 as they finished as the No. 15 and No. 19 qualifiers in this evening's first round of competition.
While the men will return to action on Friday, tomorrow sees the first competitions for the Tech women. Sara Killinen and Rebecca Mammel will open the day in the hammer throw, while eight other Hokies are slated to compete as weather permits.Gallery: (5-25-2022) T&F: 2022 NCAA East Preliminary Rounds Day 1