Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG – The Virginia Tech men's and women's track and field teams return to Blacksburg to host the Doc Hale Virginia Tech Meet this weekend. The two-day meet will begin with field events at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Saturday's events will begin at 11:00 a.m. with the women's seeded pole vault.
The women's pole vault team was recently ranked first in the country by the U.S.Track and Field & Cross Country Coaches Association #EventSquad rankings. Tech currently has three women ranked within the top ten. Junior Julia Fixsen is tied for first with Sydney Horn from High Point at 14'7.25 (4.45m). Fixsen and Horn will be competing in the seeded pole vault event on Saturday. Freshman Kenna Stimmel cleared a personal-best height of 14'4.5" (4.38m) at the Lenny Lyles Invitational on Jan. 27th breaking the facility record with Virginia Tech alum Rachel Baxter. Stimmel is ranked sixth in the nation followed by Journey Gurley tied for ninth with a mark of 14'2.5" (4.33m).
On the men's side, Jacob Rice, Harrison Rice, Joseph Badalamenti are ranked within the top ten in the ACC. Jacob leads the Hokies ranked second in the conference after clearing a height of 17'0.75" (5.20m) in the season-opener. Harrison sits in third with a mark of 17'0" (5.18m) followed by Badalamenti in 10th at 16'2" (4.93m). The men's pole vault squad is ranked ninth in DI according to the USTFCCCA #EventSquad rankings.
While members of the distance squad will be competing in the 800m and 3000m events in Blacksburg, Tech will also be sending eight runners to the JDL Camel City Invitational in Winston-Salem, N.C. on Saturday.
Antonio Lopez Segura is schedule to make his indoor season debut competing in the men's 3000m elite race on Saturday at 2:17 p.m. Lopez Segura placed sixth at the 2022 NCAA Indoor Championships clocking in a time of 8:00.70. He is looking to make is third straight national appearance in the 3000m event. Lopez Segura will joined by teammate Declan Rymer.
Competing for Tech in the women's 800m elite will be Lindsey Butler, Hannah Ballowe, and Star Price. Butler is the 2022 NCAA and ACC 800m indoor champion. She won the indoor national championships clocking in a time of 2:01.37. So far this season, Butler has ran a personal-best time of 2:42.32 in the 1000m and 9:27.05 in the 3000m.
The women's team opened the season ranked eighth in the first installment of rankings by the USTFCCCA.