Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG, Va. – Freshman pole vaulter Victoria von Eynatten became the third Hokie to automatically qualify for the 2012 NCAA Indoor Championship as the Virginia Tech men’s and women’s indoor track & field squads competed on the second and final day of Virginia Tech Challenge at Rector Field House Saturday. Sophomore Frances Dowd (1000 meters), redshirt senior Ryan Witt (1000 meters) and sophomore Madalyn Nuckols (mile) also earned victories.
“This was a good tune up meet for the ACC Indoor Championships next week,” said Tech director of track & field and cross country Dave Cianelli. “I feel like we’re healthy and prepared to compete next week in Boston.”
von Eynatten won the pole vault with a season-best height of 14 feet, four inches (4.37m). Her mark also reset her own school record, set earlier this season, and ranks tied for third in NCAA Division I entering the weekend. She joins All-American men’s weight throwers Marcel Lomnicky and Alexander Ziegler as the Hokies who have qualified for the NCAA Indoor Championship to be held on March 9-10 in Nampa, Idaho.
In addition, freshman Martina Schultze finished third in the pole vault with a season best clearance of 13-10.5 (4.23m) and redshirt sophomore Leigh Allin had a personal best vault of 12-8 (3.86m) to place eighth. Schultze’s 4.23m mark ranks No. 10 in Division I entering the weekend.
Tech swept the top-three places in the women’s 1000 meters as Dowd won the event in a time of 2:48.58. Sophomore Paige Kvartunas (2:50.52) was second and junior Sammy Dow third (2:50.67). Dowd, Kvartunas and Dow now rank fourth, fifth and sixth on the all-time Tech performance list in the event. In addition, freshman Amanda Smith (2:53.80) was sixth overall and now ranks No. 8 at Tech in the 1k.
The Hokie men went 1-2 in the 1000 meters as Witt won in 2:23.70 and junior Ryan Hagen was second in 2:24.70. Witt now ranks No. 3 in the event at Tech and Hagen moves to No. 5.
Nuckols won the women’s mile in a personal best 5:02.49 and freshman Sarah Rapp was sixth in 5:15.72. A pack of Hokies took places three through eight in the men’s mile. Senior Chris Walizer was third (4:08.47) and was followed by junior Jared Berman (4:09.43), redshirt freshman Kevin Dowd (4:09.63), redshirt freshman Grant Pollock (4:09.90), redshirt senior Eddie Judge (4:10.33) and freshman Darren Barlow (4:10.35). Dowd and Pollock posted season-bests.
Redshirt senior Joe Davis and teammate Hunter Hall, competing unattached, went to a jump off to determine the winner in the men’s pole vault at 17-4.25 (5.29m). Hall cleared the jump off height of 5.29m, while Davis missed, giving Hall the win. Davis recorded a best height of 17-2.25 (5.24m) to place second and freshman Chris Uhle was fifth with a season best vault of 16-8.25 (5.09m).
Freshman Luka Mustafic placed second in the men’s shot put with a season best throw of 56-6.75 (17.24m) and freshman Valentina Muzaric, competing unattached, was runner-up in the women’s shot put (53-3.75, 16.25m).
In the women’s 3000 meters, sophomores Taylor Crosson (10:08.77) and Stephanie Cario (10:23.34) each ran personal bests in the event and place eighth and ninth, respectively. Freshman Katarina Smiljanec was runner-up in the women’s 600 meters in a season-best 1:35.06 and sophomore Shaowei Tu was fifth in the men’s 600 meters (1:20.97).
The Hokies will compete in the ACC Indoor Championship next week (Feb. 23-25) at the Reggie Lewis Track Center in Boston, Mass. The Tech men are the defending ACC indoor champions.