Hokie ClubTAMPA, Fla. – On the final day of the NCAA East Preliminary Rounds, the Virginia Tech track and field teams added six more Hokies to its upcoming trip to nationals at the USF Track and Field Stadium on Saturday.
"It was an excellent weekend for us," director of track and field and cross country Dave Cianelli said. "We qualified a large group to Eugene and that was the goal obviously, getting as many as we could through this meet to the national championships.
"We got 14 individuals which ties our mark from last year, so I'm really happy about how people came through with competing well in some adverse conditions. We had a few people we anticipated to get through and did not, but that always happens in meets like this, and probably had a couple that got through that we didn't anticipate – it all balances out.
"But I'm really proud of how the kids competed and I think we got a strong group going to Eugene in two weeks."
Running in the pouring down rain, redshirt senior Vincent Ciattei and juniors Diego Zarate and Rachel Pocratsky overcame the conditions as all three punched their ticket to Tracktown USA in the 1,500-meter race. Ciattei crossed the finish line in 3 minutes, 46.50 seconds, Zarate posted the second-fastest time of his career in 3:43.94 and Pocratsky also tallied her second best with a time of 4:15.67.
"We really executed well in the 1,500s today," distance coach Ben Thomas mentioned. "There are so many things that can go wrong racing a 1,500 in a torrential downpour.
"Vincent and Rachel both did an excellent job of getting to the front of their races and staying out of trouble. I'm really excited to see what they can do in Eugene.
"Diego is really coming into his own as a racer, he's looking really strong. This will be his first NCAA Outdoor Championships. I think he's ready to go and get his first All-American performance."
Junior Pavla Kuklova and sophomore Emma Thor put together top-12 marks in the hammer throw, qualifying them for the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Kuklova tossed a mark of 62.60 meters (205 feet, 4 inches) and Thor threw a mark of 61.57 meters (202 feet, 0 inches). It will mark their second trip apiece to Eugene, Oregon.
The 4x100-meter relay team on the women's side clocked a season-best time of 44.62. The group of Caitlan Tate, Courtney Blanden, Arlicia Bush and Kennedy Dennisran the 11th-fastest time out of the 24 relays but missed the cut to NCAAs with not finishing in the top three of its heat or owning the next three best times.
The same four Hokies a few hours later went on to run a time of 3:37.57 in the 4x400 relay but did not advance with having the 16th-best time. The men's 4x100-meter relay team of Lawrence Harris, Samuel Denmark, Joseph Tay and Michael Davenport recorded the second-fastest time in program history (39.76) and finished 16thoverall, too.
"Coming into the meet, we were hoping to get our relays to nationals," sprints/hurdles coach Tim Vaught commented. "But we didn't get it done in a competitive field.
"Overall, we did very well. The 4x1s both put together season bests, so we left it there on the track. For the women, it was the first time those four ran together in the 4x1, a new dynamic, and to be the first one out shows they were right there.
"The men have worked hard all season and when I needed them to run their best, they did it – just a very competitive field. Our future on both sides is very bright with each returning three legs next year and the class coming in. We'll be ready to take that next step going into next season."
For the first time in her career, sophomore Eszter Bajnok will be making the trek to Oregon after registering a mark of 13.08 meters (42 feet, 11 inches) in the triple jump. Her jump was the sixth best out of 48 student-athletes.
"Well the conditions certainly weren't perfect, but I couldn't be more proud of Eszter for coming through with a clutch jump on her final attempt to punch her ticket to Eugene," jumps coach Paul Zalewski shared. "She was struggling on her first two attempts, dealing with the rain, and was on the outside looking in at 13th place going into her final attempt.
"But she focused, stayed aggressive and executed to get the job done. If she can do that in Eugene, it'll be a day to remember."
Next up for Tech will be the final outdoor meet of the season at Hayward Field in Eugene. The NCAA Outdoor Championships will take place on the campus of Oregon from June 6-9. In total, 14 Hokies will be flying across the country for NCAAs to bring the 2018 season to a close.
NCAA Qualifiers
Pole Vault
Deakin Volz
Joel Leon Benitez
Torben Laidig
Lisa Gunnarsson
Rachel Baxter
Distance
Sara Freix (10,000)
Rachel Pocratsky (1,500)
Vincent Ciattei (1,500)
Diego Zarate (1,500)
Laurie Barton (800)
Throws
Emma Thor (Hammer)
Pavla Kuklova (Hammer)
Sprints
Greg Chiles (400 Hurdles)
Jumps
Eszter Bajnok (Triple Jump)