Seven tickets to the NCAA Outdoor Championships punched on day three of the NCAA East Region preliminary rounds

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Seven Hokies earned spots in the top 12 in the east region to advance to the NCAA National Championships in Eugene, Ore. over June 11-14.

Julia Fixsen, Lyndsey Reed and Chiara Sistermann, three females from the pole vault squad, will advance, eaching having reached the 4.24m bar to qualify.  Fixsen will made her first return to Oregon since her 2023 Outdoor Pole Vault National Champion title while Reed returns to the national stage for the first time since 2021 and Sistermann appears for the second consecutive outdoor season.

Vlad Puchko, the program record holder in the discus and No. 9 thrower in the NCAA this season, punched his ticket to the big show with a 60.67m (199'0") and a runner-up finish in the east region.

Christian Jackson and Nick Plant pulled double-duty in the 800m for the distance squad, each landing qualifying marks for the NCAA National Championships.  Jackson topped the charts with his 1:45.31 to capture the East Region 800m Individual Champion title while Plant finished sixth in the region with a 1:45.90.

Declan Rymer punched his first career ticket to the NCAA Outdoor National Championships with his 8:41.11 result in the steeplechase, just .90s off of his personal-best set earlier this season.  The appearance was his fourth straight in the event at the East Regional and his strongest performance in the steeplechase by 24s.

RESULTS
*indicates personal-best