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RALEIGH, N.C. – Senior All-American Will Mulherin reset his own school record and won the 5000 meters as the Virginia Tech men’s and women’s distance crew competed on day one of the Raleigh Relays at Paul H. Derr Track on the campus of North Carolina State University Friday.

Mulherin, competing for Virginia Tech for the first time since the cross country season after redshirting the indoor season, won the 5000 meters in 13:49.95, bettering his own school record of 13:50.76, which he set at the 2010 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championship. Mulherin’s time was also a “B” (provisional) qualifying time for the U.S. Olympic Trials in June and entering the weekend, ranks as the top time in Division I for the young season.

Senior All-American Michael Hammond, who like Mulherin is coming off a redshirt indoor season, also began his outdoor season in strong form as he was fourth in the 5000 meters in a personal best 13:58.75. Only three men, Mulherin, Steve Taylor and Hammond have broke 14 minutes in the 5k at Tech. In addition, redshirt sophomore Leoule Degfae was runner-up in section two (14:25.95).

Senior Chris Walizer was third in a personal best 3:43.68 in a competitive final section of the men’s 1500 meters, which saw the top five finishers run under the previous Raleigh Relays meet record of 3:44.80. Walizer, who now ranks No. 5 at Tech in the event, just missed the Trials “B” standard of 3:43.00. Also in the 1500m, redshirt freshman Kevin Dowd was third in section two (3:48.23) and junior Tihut Degfae was third in the third section (3:51.65).

Redshirt junior Sammy Dow set a big personal best in section one of the women’s 5000 meters with an eighth place finish of 16:17.43, a time that ranks sixth in Tech history. Freshman Sarah Rapp ran well in her hometown, placing second in section two of the women’s 1500 meters (4:30.97).

In the 400 meters, junior All-American Frances Dowd (56.11) and redshirt freshman Martin Dally (49.22) each won their respective sections, with Dowd registering a personal best.

Along with the second day of the Raleigh Relays, the Hokies will be in action tomorrow at Georgia Tech’s Yellow Jacket Invitational (sprinters and jumpers) and the 85th annual Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays (pole vaulters).

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