Hokie ClubJACKSONVILLE, Fla. - With five men and one woman advancing to NCAA Championships, the 13th-ranked Virginia Tech men’s track & field team made program history at the NCAA East Preliminary Rounds on Thursday at Hodges Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida.
A group of four Hokies pole vaulters qualified for the national meet in Eugene, Oregon - the largest group advancing from a single event in Tech history.
"I was extremely proud of the group as a whole,” Virginia Tech pole vault coach Bob Phillips said. “There were some hiccups in the middle of the meet but in every case they dug down and found a way to get through that height.”
ACC champion Chris Uhle was the first Hokie to clear 5.30 meters (17-4.5) and punch his ticket to Eugene. Indoor all-American Deakin Volz cleared the mark second while program record holder Torben Laidig qualified third. Brad Johnson rounds out the group of 12 pole vaulters advancing from the East Regional with his 5.25-meter (17-2.25) mark.
“It is the first time we have qualified four guys to the NCAA finals in the vault which is great,” Phillips said. “Now we have to prepare for that meet which will be even more challenging."
The Hokies tacked on two more qualifying marks in the women’s javelin and men’s hammer throw.
Tomas Kruzliak threw 65.71 meters (215-7) as the final qualifier in the men’s hammer.
Sabine Kopplin steadied the group of three javelin throwers with her 47.42-meter (155-7) mark on her first attempt to advance to the NCAA Championships.
On the track, three Hokies advanced from the first round to the quarterfinals in the 1,500 and 800 meters.
Neil Gourley was the final qualifier in heat four of the 1,500 meters. With his 3:45.20-finish, Gourley will run in heat one of the quarterfinal round on Saturday at 6:45 p.m.
In the 800 meters, Hanna Green cruised to a second place mark in heat one, securing her spot in Friday’s quarterfinal. Green will compete in heat one on Friday at 7 p.m.
Patrick Joseph was the final qualifier for the Hokies on day one. His first place finish in the premier heat earned him a spot in heat three of the quarterfinal round on Friday at 7:15 p.m.
Andrew Gaiser and Pavla Kuklova earned top-25 marks in the 10,000-meters and hammer throw, respectively.
Tech returns to Hodges Stadium on Friday at noon, beginning with the men’s javelin. The men’s discus and women’s pole vault round out the field events before the quarterfinals of the 800, 200-meter dash, and the 3,000-meter steeplechase on Friday evening.