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BLACKSBURG, Va. – The Virginia Tech sprinters and field athletes provided plenty of fireworks in their first competitions of the season, as the Hokie track and field squads completed the first day of the Hokie Invitational on Friday at the Rector Field House in Blacksburg, Va.

Sophomore Keith Ricks made the biggest splash of the day, setting a school record en route to a victory in the men’s 60-meter dash. Ricks, who competed on the U.S. squad at the Junior Pan-American Championships in August, clocked the fastest time in prelims and used the momentum to run a time of 6.65 in the finals for first place in the race. The 6.65 time shattered the previous school record of 6.72, set by Andre Davis in 2000, and Ricks’ former personal-best time of 6.73. The time also provisionally qualified Ricks for the NCAA Championships in March, and is currently ranked second in the U.S. entering this weekend’s competition.

Seniors Queen Harrison and Kristi Castlin started the meet off strongly for the Hokies, finishing first and second, respectively, in the women’s 60-meter hurdles. Friday marked the first meet of the season for both hurdlers, and the two achieved NCAA automatic-qualifying times in the finals of the event. Harrison clocked an 8.04, while Castlin crossed the line in 8.11 in the race. Those are currently the two top times in the nation entering this weekend’s competition. On the men’s side, sophomore Keare Smith placed sixth in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.19.

In the women’s 60-meter dash, sophomore Ogechi Nwaneri placed third with a time of 7.44, while freshman Funmi Alabi impressed in her first collegiate meet, taking sixth and posting a time of 7.58, after running 7.45 in the prelims.

Rounding out the sprints action, sophomore Aunye Boone finished third in the women’s 300-meter dash with a time of 39.30. Freshman Yvonne Amegashie placed sixth in the event, timing in at 39.51.

Hokie football player David Wilson made quite a first impression on the track, much as he did on the field last fall. A prep national champion in the triple jump, Wilson captured the men’s triple jump crown on Friday with an NCAA provisional leap of 51-05, beating the second-place finisher by almost a foot. Sophomore Hasheem Halim came in fourth in the event, jumping 49-09.25.

The Tech throwers also made their 2010 debut on Friday. Sophomore Marcel Lomnicky tossed a career-best 69-08.25 in the weight throw in his second throw of the year and finished second overall. He was the top collegian in the event, as Garland Porter, competing unattached, won the competition. Freshman Alexander Ziegler earned sixth with a launch of 63-09.50. Lomnicky’s mark easily provisionally qualified the Nitra, Slovakia native for the national meet, while Ziegler just missed the standard of 63-11.

Events at the Hokie Invitational continue tomorrow, beginning with the women’s high jump at 9 a.m. Results will be available on hokiesports.com.

Women’s Results

60m Dash – 1, Lakya Brookins, South Carolina, 7.29, 2, Candyce McGrone, Florida State, 7.44, 3, Ogechi Nwaneri, Virginia Tech, 7.44, 4, Shayla Mahan, South Carolina, 7.49, 5, Gabrielle Glenn, South Carolina, 7.56, 6, Funmi Alabi, Virginia Tech, 7.58, 7, Ellen Wortham, Tennessee, 7.58

60m Hurdles – 1, Queen Harrison, Virginia Tech, 8.04, 2, Kristi Castlin, Virginia Tech, 8.11, 3, Landria Buckley, Howard, 8.51, 4, Sunita Brathwaite, Charlotte, 8.52, 5, Kiani Profit, Maryland, 8.52, 6, Ashley Bethune, Charlotte, 8.66, 7, Wanetta Kirby, Norfolk State, 8.71, 8, Ashanti Matthews, Norfolk State, 8.80

300m Dash – 1, Asia Washington, Unattached, 38.48, 2, Cierra McGee, George Mason, 38.94, 3, Aunye Boone, Virginia Tech, 39.30, 4, Kelsey McCorkle, South Carolina, 39.33, 5, Tiara Swindell, George Mason, 39.48, 6, Yvonne Amegashie, Virginia Tech, 39.51, 7, Dania Sanford, Norfolk State, 39.52, 8, Marie Fields, George Mason, 40.16

Men’s Results

60m Dash – 1, Keith Ricks, Virginia Tech, 6.65, 2, Evander Wells, Tennessee, 6.70, 3, Quinten Walker, Norfolk State, 6.82, 4, Kyle Stevenson, Tennessee, 6.82, 5, Sam Jordan, Charlotte, 6.86, 6, Anthony Ward, Charleston Southern, 6.91, 7, Dantwan Spreads, Charleston Southern, 6.91, 8, Sean Stuart, St. Augustine’s, 6.92, 9, Eric Harris, Georgia, 6.93, 10, Kelly Fisher, St. Augustine’s, 6.97

60m Hurdles – 1, Booker Nunley, South Carolina, 7.86, 2, Isaac McReynolds, Charlotte, 7.87, 3, Aramis Massenburg, Norfolk State, 7.94, 4, Adams Abdulrazaaq, Virginia, 8.00, 5, Jason Boyd, St. Augustine’s, 8.12, 6, Keare Smith, Virginia Tech, 8.19, 7, Travis Wilson, Norfolk State, 8.25

Weight Throw – 1, Garland Porter, Unattached, 73-11, 2, Marcel Lomnicky, Virginia Tech, 69-08.25, 3, John Freeman, Georgia, 67-08, 4, Mike Zajac, South Carolina, 66-07, 5, Timothy Morse, 64-10, 6, Alexander Ziegler, Virginia Tech, 63-09.50, 7, Branislav Danis, Georgia, 63-04.75, 8, Vincenzo Chiariello, Virginia, 61-02.25

Triple Jump – 1, David Wilson, Virginia Tech, 51-05, 2, Clarence Powell, Liberty, 50-06, 3, Aaron LaGarde, Georgia, 50-02, 4, Hasheem Halim, Virginia Tech, 49-09.25, 5, Marlon Woods, Florida State, 49-07, 6, Jamal Cumberbatch, St. Augustine’s, 49-04.50, 7, Lincoln Carr, South Carolina, 49-03.75, 8, Asaph Levy, Georgia, 49-00.25

For updates on Virginia Tech track & field, follow the Hokies on Twitter (@VT_Track).