April 3, 2010
Women's 4x400-meter relay squad runs top time in the nation
Hokies cap Florida and Colonial Relays on Saturday
  • Nebraska

GAINESVILLE, Fla. In the second day of action at the Florida Relays in Gainesville, Fla., on Saturday, the men’s field units continued their strong meet, while the women’s 4x400-meter relay squad put up the top time in the nation for the Virginia Tech track and field squads.

The men’s pole vault unit started the fireworks for Tech, as three Hokies placed in the top seven. Junior Jared Jodon set an outdoor career best, clearing 17-06.50, edging teammate senior Yavgeniy Olhovsky in a jump-off for second place in the event. Olhovsky also cleared 17-06.50 in the third-place effort. Finishing seventh, junior Hunter Hall vaulted 16-10.75. Jodon and Olhovsky’s mark ties for the fourth-best vault in the country.

After taking second last night in the men’s discus throw, senior Igor Misljenovic added another runner-up finish on Saturday in the shot put. The Zagreb, Croatia, native notched an outdoor career best in the event with a throw of 59-05.50.

Rounding out men’s field action on Saturday, sophomore Hasheem Halim and freshman David Wilson earned fourth and sixth, respectively, in the triple jump. Halim jumped 50-00.75, while Wilson leapt 50-00.

On Friday night, sophomore Marcel Lomnicky began the stellar meet for the men’s field squad, setting a school record en route to winning the men’s hammer throw. The Nitra, Slovakia native launched a mark of 245-06 to break two-time NCAA hammer throw champion Spyridon Jullien’s school standard.

On the women’s side on Saturday, the women’s 4x400-meter relay squad ran the second-best time in school history. Senior Queen Harrison, who already broke the school record in the 100-meter hurdles at the meet yesterday, freshman Yvonne Amegashie, senior Asia Washington and sophomore Aunye Boone combined for a time of 3:33.15. The Hokies placed third overall, but were the top collegiate team as two club teams finished ahead of them. Coming into the weekend, 3:33.15 ranks as the top time in the nation in the women’s 4x400-meter relay.

The 4x100-meter relay squad also performed well, securing a fifth-place showing in the race. The quartet of senior Kristi Castlin, freshman Funmi Alabi, Boone and sophomore Ogechi Nwaneri ran a 44.90 in the event.

The Hokie distance units competed at the Colonial Relays on the weekend. Tech captured a meet title in the men’s 4x800-meter relay, as the quartet of freshman Ryan Hagen, junior Nick McLaughlin, freshman Tihut Degfae and sophomore Michael Hammond timed in at 7:29.80 for the victory. Another Hokie foursome, junior Eddie Judge, sophomore Eric Hoepker, sophomore Ryan Witt and sophomore Kieran Lee clocked a 7:32.92 for fourth place in the same race. On the women’s side, sophomore Lauren Lemieux, freshman Erika Weidman, sophomore Lauren Pinkston and freshman Frances Dowd took fourth in the 4x800-meter relay with a time of 9:00.98.

Another relay title came for Tech via the men’s distance medley relay. Sophomore Chris Walizer, freshman Garrett Bradley, senior Jeff Miller and sophomore Will Mulherin ran 9:52.23 to win the race. The women’s distance medley relay squad, consisting of sophomore Sammy Dow, freshman Natalie Woodford, junior Jackie Merrick and junior Jesssica Trapeni, finished third 11:57.73.

Last night, Mulherin claimed victory in the men’s 1,500-meter run, clocking a personal-best 3:47.07 in the superb effort. Dow won the second heat of the women’s 1,500-meter run, and finished eighth overall with a time of 4:32.41

The Hokies will compete in Knoxville, Tenn., next weekend at the Sea Ray Relays on April 9-10. Results will be available on hokiesports.com.

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

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