Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG, Va. (Jan. 12, 2017) – The Virginia Tech track and field team opens its 2017 season at the Virginia Tech Invitational on Friday, Jan. 13, inside Rector Field House, in Blacksburg.
2017 Season Preview
The two-day invitational is set to begin at 5 p.m. on Friday, while Saturday’s field events start at 11 a.m., followed by running events at 1 p.m. Admission is free for all fans and parking is available in the lots surrounding Rector Field House. Fans can follow @VT_Track on Twitter for updates and additional information.
“Many of these athletes have been training since the fall semester and this will be the first time for them to put on a VT uniform and compete,” 16-year head coach Dave Cianelli said. “We all want to know what our starting point is.”
The Hokies will play host to three Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) schools in Miami, Virginia and Wake Forest along with nine other well-known programs in Radford, UNC Charlotte, Elon, High Point, Army, UNC Greensboro, NC A&T, Richmond and Concord.
This is the first of four home meets that Virginia Tech will play host to this season.
“It is always nice to compete at home,” Cianelli said. “The athletes are used to the environment and that helps them when they are preparing to compete. These early meets are indicators of where each athlete is in relation to their training.
“The indoor season is very short, so it is important to know how an athlete is developing early, so the coaches can make adjustments if needed as the athletes get ready for the ACC and NCAA Championships.”
The men checked in at No. 16 in the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) preseason poll, as the 2016 season saw the Hokie men place fifth at the ACC Indoor Championships and 15th at the NCAA Indoor Championships. The women’s squad finished in 12th at the 2016 ACC Indoor Championships, followed by a 25th-place finish at NCAAs.
Tech features several standouts on both the men’s and women’s teams heading into the 2017 season. Of note, this year’s squad returns two first-team indoor All-Americans from last season in senior Hanna Green and rising sophomore Deakin Volz.
Looking ahead, the Hokies will play host to their second meet of the season in the Hokie Invitational from Jan. 19-21, at Rector Field House.