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Track & Field

Barta, Laidig set new Tech program records

The Virginia Tech track and field team set two program records at the Florida and Texas Relays to highlight Saturday’s results. Marek Barta posted a 60.51-meter (198-6) discus throw in Gainesville, Florida while Torben Laidig cleared the 5.60-meter (18-4.5) height in the pole vault in Austin, Texas. Both the men’s and women’s distance medley relays earned top finishes at the Colonial Relays.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Marek Barta led the Hokies on Saturday morning, setting a new Virginia Tech record in the discus at the Florida Relays.

Barta reset the school record on his third throw, landing at 60.51 meters (198-6) to place fourth.

Jordan Roach also set a new personal best with his 56.02-meter (183-9) throw to place seventh.

AUSTIN, Texas – Torben Laidig highlighted the group of Virginia Tech’s pole vaulters at the Texas Relays, setting a new program record at the Texas Relays.

Laidig’s 5.60-meter (18-4.5) clearance earned him a third place standing while resetting Tech’s all-time record from 2006.

In fifth place, Deakin Volz cleared the 5.35-meter (17-6.5) mark to rank ninth all-time. Chris Uhle rounded out the group with a seventh place mark with is 5.20-meter (17-0.75) height.

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – Virginia Tech’s distance group continued their success into the final day of competition highlighted by two first place finishes in the distance medley relay.

The women’s team of Tessa Riley, Shalonda Mitchell, Katie Kennedy, and Hanna Green clocked in first of 18 relays with a time of 11:43.64. On the men’s side, Diego Zarate, Christopher Short, Vincent Ciattei, and Peter Seufer followed suit with another top result in 9:53.00. Tech’s B relay of Andrew Goldman, Alex Maguire, Barron Kieffer, and Collin Hahn came in fifth in the same event with a time of 10:10.52.

The women’s 4x800 meters relay of Alyssa Shupe, Shannon Quinn, Lauren Berman, and Rachel Pocratsky matched that finish with a 9:10.79 time on Saturday.

Pocratsky also highlighted the Hokies’ 1500-meter run with her 4:29.71-finish to lead the group of four in the event. On the men’s side, Suefer did the same with his 3:50.58 time to top six Hokies in the run.

Both Julie Wiemerslage and Amanda Swaak set new personal records in the 5,000 meters with 17:24.28 and 17:45.17 respective finishes. Brent Musselman led the men’s team with his 14:45.22 time in the 5k.

Ryan Shepard topped the pair of Hokies competing in the high jump with his 1.95-meter (6-4.25) clearance to place second. James Carver took fourth, reaching the 1.89-meter (6-2.25) mark.

HIGH POINT, N.C. – Jeffery Linta led the Hokies’ pole vaulters at High Point’s VertKlasse Meeting on Saturday afternoon.

Linta cleared the 4.92-meter (16-1.75) mark to take third while earning the top collegiate finish in the group A pole vault.

On the women’s side, Erinn Shaal took fifth with Hanna Meador and Emma King placed sixth and seventh, respectively. The trio of pole vaulters cleared the 3.66-meter (12-0) height on Saturday.

The Hokies will compete at the at the Liberty Invitational, Georgia’s Spec Town Relays, and the Tennessee Relays next weekend on Friday and Saturday.