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BLACKSBURG - As the track & field team begins to conclude the indoor competition, the Hokies highlighted the season with several All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors.

Tech competed at the 2016 ACC Indoor Track & Field Championships in Boston to close full team meets until next year. The Hokies qualified five for the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships next weekend, which will be last of the season before outdoors begin.

Despite unideal team results at the ACC meet, the Director of Track & Field and Cross Country is pleased where the team stands heading into the outdoor season.

“It reminds me of the same kind of meet we had the last time we were in Boston in 2012,” Cianelli said. “We felt we had a pretty legitimate shot to win the meet. We ended up second, but it was a distant second to Florida State. What I’m hoping for is the same thing. That same group came to outdoors and was able to regroup and win the outdoor title.”

The Hokies collected five first team All-ACC honors and 11 second team honors throughout the three-day meet.

ACC Champion Hanna Green, a junior from Latrobe, Pennsylvania, led the Hokies with a first place 2:04.15 finish after a qualifying for Saturday’s finals. Green was the lone first team all-conference member for the women’s team.

“On the women’s side, we’re still young and we’re thin,” Cianelli said. “We don’t have enough depth yet. With the recruiting classes the next two years, our women’s team is going to make really big gains at the conference level.”

On the men’s side four Hokies received first team All-ACC honors. Thomas Curtin narrowly missed a first place finish in the 5,000 meters with his 14:01.78 time. Pole vaulter Torben Laidig also placed second with a 5.22-meter (17-1.5) clearance. Brad Johnson met the same mark, placing third. Middle distance runner Neil Gourley rounds out the group of first team members with a 1:48.10 time in the 800 meters – the top time in Virginia Tech’s program records.

“This group, as long as we can get everyone back healthy and ready to go, we have an excellent chance at outdoors in May - that’s the motivation for the team,” Cianelli said.

Tech’s distance medley relay earned second team All-ACC honors on the first day of competition with the team of Jared Bane, Vincent Ciattei, Daniel Jaskowak and Gourley crossed the finish line third in 9:38.69. Both Curtin and Jaskowak earned their second all-conference honors with respective fifth and sixth place finishes in the 3,000 meters.

The Hokies’ fielders added three more second team all-conference honors in the weight throw and pole vault. Tomas Kruzliak placed fifth in the weight throw while pole vaulters Deakin Volz and James Steck earned fourth and fifth place results.

For the women’s team, Nora McKiver and Rachel Pocratsky earned their first All-ACC honors to wrap up the conference meet for the Hokies. McKiver and Pocratsky placed fourth in their respective events, earning second team honors. McKiver’s 23.84 time in the 200 meters now ranks third in program history while Pocratsky’s 2:06.45 finish in the 800 ranks fourth in the record books.

“I feel really good about what direction we’re going in. Even though I’m disappointed where the men finished, that’s natural and they were disappointed too. In a couple days, they’ll get over it and have to move on. They’ll use this for motivation to get ready for outdoors.”

The indoor season will draw to a close as the track & field team will send five Hokies to the 2016 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships next weekend in Birmingham, Alabama.

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