Hokie ClubDay 1 Results: Live // Men's // Women's
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - First-team All-Americans Thomas Curtin and Deakin Volz earned the Virginia Tech track & field team’s top marks on Friday at the NCAA Indoor Championships at the Birmingham CrossPlex, hosted by Samford University.
Curtin led the 5,000 meters for all but the final two laps of the event, placing second in 13:50.70 to Oregon’s Edward Cheserek.
“Tommy [Curtin] ran really tough,” head cross country and distance coach Ben Thomas said. “He pushed the pace from the gun, and other than Ed Cheserek from Oregon, the field let him go.”
The senior’s finish earned him his third indoor all-America honor and his second consecutive year in the 5,000 meters.
“Tommy has come a long, long way,” Thomas said. “From never winning an individual state title in high school to winning five ACC titles and five all-American performances at Virginia Tech. He's worked very hard for this and I'm so proud of him. I'm really looking forward to seeing what he can do outdoors.”
Curtin’s No. 2 mark is the highest finish for a Virginia Tech distance runner at the NCAA championship meet.
Volz led the pair of Hokie pole vaulters, placing third in his first NCAA Championships appearance. The freshman's 5.35-meter (17-6.5) clearance qualified him for a first-team all-America title.
Shannon Morton began competition for the Hokies at the NCAA Championships. The senior placed sixth in the first heat of the mile with a time of 4:38.60. Her 12th place overall finish earned Morton second-team all-America honors.
In the 800 meters, Hanna Green’s fourth place finish with a 2:04.54 mark in heat two qualified her for the final on Saturday afternoon. The junior ranks fifth of the 16 competitors from Friday’s prelims. Green will run in lane one on Saturday at 6:40 p.m.
After the first day of the NCAA Championships, the Hokies’ men’s team ranks fifth with 13.50 points.