Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG, Va. – Freshman Victoria von Eynatten set the school record in the women’s pole vault in her first competition as a Hokie as the Virginia Tech men’s and women’s indoor track & field squads competed on the second and final day of the fifth annual Virginia Tech Elite Meet at Rector Field House Saturday.
“I thought it was an outstanding meet for us,” said Tech director of track & field and cross country Dave Cianelli. “Highlighting the weekend were our three school records from Keith Ricks (60 meters), Jeff Artis-Gray (60 meter hurdles) and Victoria von Eynatten (pole vault), and then certainly Marcel Lomnicky and Alexander Ziegler, who were outstanding in the weight throw, posting the top-2 marks in the NCAA entering the weekend. Collectively, I believe our team has really made progress in the last two weeks and we’re where we need to be as we are now three weeks out from the ACC Championships.”
Making their official debuts for Virginia Tech, von Eynatten and fellow freshman Martina Schultze had strong performances in the women’s pole vault. von Eynatten finished second overall with a clearance of 14 feet, two and a half inches (4.33m), jumping past former All-American Kelly Phillips’ school record of 14-1.25 (4.30m). Schultze also impressed, clearing 13-8.5 (4.18m), good for third all-time at Tech. Entering the weekend, both von Eynatten and Schultze would rank in the top-10 in the NCAA with their marks from Saturday’s competition.
In the men’s pole vault, redshirt senior All-American Joe Davis finished second overall with a mark of 16-8.75 (5.10m). Senior Mike Miller and redshirt freshman Matt Hoogland each tied for ninth at 15-3 (4.65m).
Senior All-American Hasheem Halim finished fourth with a jump of 52-3.75 (15.94m) in the men’s triple jump and junior Corey Fuller finished fifth in his Tech track debut at 50-8.75 (15.46m), the fifth best mark in school history.
Freshman Ciara Simms posted a season-best time of 24.41 to finish sixth in the invitational section of the women’s 200 meters, while senior Ogechi Nwaneri was seventh in 24.51. After resetting his own school record in the 60 meter dash yesterday, senior Keith Ricks finished third in the men’s 200 meter invitational section in 21.27, just .01 seconds off his personal best. Freshman Leah Nugent won heat one of the women’s 400 meter open section and finished second overall in 57.20.
The women’s 4x400-meter relay team of junior Yvonne Amegashie, Nugent, junior Natalie Woodford and senior Aunye Boone finished second in 3:44.48.
Freshman Luka Mustafic finished seventh in the men’s shot put in his first meet for Tech with a mark of 53-9.75 (16.40m).Competing unattached in the women’s shot put, newcomer Valentina Muzaric won the event with a throw of 53-8.5 (16.37m). Hunter Hall, competing unattached, won the men’s pole vault event with a clearance of 17-2.75 (5.25m).
Georgia’s Morgann Leleux set the meet record in the women’s pole vault with a mark of 14-4.5 (4.38m) and was named the outstanding women’s performer of the meet. Tech’s Marcel Lomnicky, who threw an NCAA leading and meet record mark in the weight throw yesterday of 75-7.5 (23.05m), was named the men’s performer of the meet.
Tech hits the road for the first time in 2012 next weekend, Feb. 10-11, as it travels to the SPIRE Division I Collegiate Invitational in Geneva, Ohio.