ROANOKE, Va. - The Virginia Tech track and field team posted quality finishes at the Roanoke-Virginia Tech Twilight Qualifier meet hosted by Roanoke College to close out the 2015 regular season.
The women’s 800 race produced a national top-15 finish as Amanda Smith took the win with an impressive time of 2:04.36 that ranks 14th nationally. Katarina Smiljanec (2:09.21) and Shannon Morton (2:09.75) took second and third, respectively. Katie Kennedy finished in fifth with a time of 2:13.16 while Marie Johnston, competing unattached, took sixth with a time of 2:13.29. Shalonda Mitchell (2:13.82) rounded out the Hokies in the top 10 with a seventh-place finish.
Paige Kvartunas won the women’s 1500-meter race with a time of 4:25.03. Sarah Rapp (4:36.45), Abigail Motley (4:38.22) and Madalyn Nuckols (4:38.28) finished in second, third and fourth places, respectively.
Tech won the women’s 4x400-meter relay with a time of 3:46.93. Smiljanec, Smith, Morton and Hanna Green each ran legs in the race.
Johnna Dominick claimed the win in the women’s high jump, hitting a height of 5’7.35” (1.72m).
Competing unattached in the women’s pole vault, Kristen Lee took the win with a mark of 12’7.5” (3.84m). Erinn Schaal and Emma King tied for third place overall with a mark of 12’0.75” (3.68m) while Olivia Privitera finished in seventh with a mark of 10’6” (3.20m).
The men’s 800 race produced several quality finishes from Tech runners. Patrick Joseph won with a time of 1:49.22 followed by Prince Owusu in second place with a time of 1:50.00. Neil Gourley was third with a time of 1:50.15 while Kevin DeWillie took a fourth-place finish with a time of 1:52.15. Griffin Carmichael (7th, 1:54.25) and Kevin Cianfarini (8th, 1:54.48) rounded out the Tech runners in the top 10.
Tech took the top six spots in the men’s 1500-meter race, paced by Thomas Curtin who finished in first with a time of 3:47.25. Daniel Jaskowak (3:48.96) and Andrew Gaiser (3:54.32) took second and third, respectively. Ashkan Mohammadi (3:55.36), Darren Barlow (3:57.42) and Brent Musselman (4:00.52) finished in fourth through sixth places, respectively.
The men’s 4x400-meter relay team won with a time of 3:16.95. Juan Campos, Mohammadi, Jaskowak and Barlow each ran legs for Tech.
Torben Laidig took the win in the men’s pole vault, competing unattached, hitting a height of 17’5.75” (5.33m). Four Hokies followed in second through fifth place. Brad Johnson finished in second (16’10”, 5.13m) followed by Jeffrey Linta in third (16’2”, 4.93m), Jared Allison in fourth (15’8.25”, 4.78m) and James Steck in fifth (15’2.25”, 4.63m).
Will Kendall took second in the men’s high jump by clearing a height of 5’11.5” (1.82m).
Andrew Eason took second in the steeplechase with a time of 9:57.44.
Tech will be back in action next weekend when the Hokies travel to Florida State for the 2015 ACC Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
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