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BLACKSBURG, Va. – Junior All-American Alexander Ziegler became the first Hokie to qualify for the 2012 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championship, as he qualified in the weight throw, while senior All-American Hasheem Halim (triple jump) and junior Jonathan McCants (300 meters) both set school records as the Virginia Tech men’s and women’s indoor track & field squads competed on day one of the Hokie Invitational at Rector Field House Friday.

Ziegler won the weight throw with a mark of 72 feet, five inches (22.07m), while Halim had a winning effort in the triple jump of 52-8.75 (16.07m) and McCants won the 300-meter dash in 34.05 seconds. In all, Tech had six individuals earn wins.

The Tech men went 1-2 in the weight throw as Ziegler and junior All-American Denis Mahmic dominated the field as both men were the only competitors in the 18-man field to throw past 20 meters. Ziegler’s winning throw of 22.07m on his final throw bettered the NCAA automatic qualifying standard of 21.50m and Mahmic was second with a personal best toss of 65-8.75 (20.03m). Halim’s mark in the triple jump on his second attempt bettered his own school record set in 2010 by one centimeter. McCants beat Matt Renninger’s record from 2006 of 34.84.

The Hokies swept the 60-meter dashes as sophomore Darrell Wesh won the men’s race in a personal best time of 6.73 and senior Ogechi Nwaneri won the women’s event in 7.40. Wesh’s time moves him into third all-time on the Tech performance list. In addition, freshman Ciara Simms was third and moved into sixth all-time at Tech in a personal best 7.50 while sophomore Ebony Scott set a PR of 7.57 in the prelims. Scott was fifth in the final in 7.61.

Tech also fared well in the 60-meter hurdles. Sophomore Kristen Brown won the women’s race in a time of 8.45 after posting the best time in the prelims of 8.42. Freshman Leah Nugent finished seventh in the final in 8.84. For the men, junior Jeff Artis-Gray was second in the 60-meter hurdles in a personal-best time of 7.88, which moved him into second place all-time at Tech.

Junior Natalie Woodford finished second overall in the 600 meters in a personal best time of 1:33.01. She was followed by sophomore Frances Dowd, in fourth, who also set a PR at 1:33.59, and freshman Amanda Smith in seventh (1:35.55). Sophomore Paige Kvartunas won heat two of the 3,000-meter run in an indoor personal best time of 10:05.47, good for eighth place overall.

Redshirt freshman Lyndsey Saunders was fourth in the unseeded section of the pole vault with a personal best clearance of 11-5.75 (3.50m) and redshirt senior Ryan Witt was fifth in the mile in 4:15.26. Junior Jameice DeCoster was eighth in the 300 meters (40.02) and freshman Walter Mitchell posted a fifth-place showing in the 300 meters (35.33).

David Verburg of George Mason set the first Rector Field House record of 2012 in the 600 meters with a time of 1:18.06.

Tech returns to action tomorrow for day two of the Hokie Invitational. Field events start at 11 a.m. with the women’s high jump and women’s seeded pole vault. Running events start at 12 noon with the women’s 5000 meters.

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