NEW ORLEANS – The Virginia Tech women’s track and field team was one of 171 institutions to receive the All-Academic Team award from the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCA). It marked the third-consecutive year that Tech has received the honor.
Also, six members of the team were named to the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Division I All-Academic Track & Field Team. Honorees included are Leigh Allin, Aunye Boone, Samantha Dow, Frances Dowd, Valentina Muzaric and Victoria von Eynatten. Boone, Dow and Dowd were selected to the team for the second-straight year.
Allin, a redshirt sophomore, recorded an outdoor personal best mark of 12-8.25 (3.87m) in the pole vault with a fourth-place finish at Clemson’s Tiger Qualifier to qualify for the NCAA East Preliminary Round, where she finished 21st with a mark of 12-5.5 (3.80m).
Boone, a senior, ran the third leg on the team-leading 4x100 meter relay (45.32) at the NCAA East Preliminary Round. At the ACC Championship the 4x100 meter squad captured third place (45.50), while the 4x400 meter team finished fourth (3:41.28).
Dow, a junior, qualified for the NCAA Championship in the steeplechase after recording a time of 10:03.37 at the NCAA East Prelims. She went on to finish 23rd at the NCAA Championship.
Dowd, a junior, ran the third leg on the school record setting 4x800 meter relay team at the Colonial Relays (8:47.76), while also finishing fourth in the 800 meters (2:09.33) at the meet. She is a two-time Capital One Academic All-District selection.
Muzaric, a freshman, earned second team All-America honors after placing 14th in the shot put at the NCAA Championship (53-3.5, 16.24m). She also garnered All-ACC honors with a third-place finish in the shot put at the ACC Championship (52-11, 16.13m).
Von Eynatten, a freshman, was the runner-up in the pole vault at the ACC Championship (13-1.5, 4.00m). At Clemson’s Tiger Qualifier, she notched a season-best clearance of 13-8.25 (4.17m) en route to winning the pole vault.
A total of 676 student-athletes representing 171 institutions composed this year’s group
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