Hokie Club
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The Virginia Tech track and field team had a strong opening day at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships at the Randal Tyson Center in Fayetteville, Arkansas, with the men’s Distance Medley Relay (DMR) earning First Team All-American honors, George Couttie securing a spot in the mile final and Nate Paris sitting second nationally after Day 1 of the heptathlon.
The men’s DMR squad of Dylan DeCambre (1200m – 2:55.09), Nabil Tezkratt (400m – 45.63, PB), Christian Jackson (800m – 1:44.60, PB) and Nick Plant (1600m – 3:56.38) delivered a standout performance on the national stage, finishing third with a time of 9:21.69. Their effort earned First Team All-American honors and marked the Hokies’ first honors of the weekend.
The race came down to the wire, with just 0.27 seconds separating second-place Arkansas (9:21.42) and the Hokies, while Northern Arizona claimed the national title in 9:19.95.
Couttie will return to the track Saturday after running 3:56.12 in the mile semifinal to finish third and advance to the final. He will compete in the mile final at 5:20 p.m. ET, followed by the 3,000 meters at 7:25 p.m. ET.
Paris delivered a stellar opening day in the heptathlon, finishing Day 1 in second place with 3,416 points. His highlights included a personal best of 6.78 in the 60 meters, a season-best 7.51 meters in the long jump and matching his personal best with a 2.06-meter clearance in the high jump. He will conclude the heptathlon Saturday beginning at 12:00 p.m. ET.
Up Next
The final day of the NCAA Indoor Championships is set for March 14 at the Randal Tyson Center in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Paris will finish the heptathlon, Couttie will compete in the mile and 3,000 meters and Chiara Sistermann will represent the Hokies in the women’s pole vault (5:00 p.m. ET). The meet will be streamed live on ESPN+.