Hokies collect 10 all-America awards

Tech came back to Blacksburg with eight first-team all-Americans and two second-team all-Americans

March 14, 2017

BLACKSBURG – Ten members of the Virginia Tech track and field teams collected All-America honors at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships over the weekend.

The top eight finishers in each event received first-team all-America honors, while individuals placing eighth through 16th were named second-team all-Americans. The Hokies came back to Blacksburg with eight first-team all-Americans and two second-team all-Americans.

Senior Drew Piazza transferred from the University of New Hampshire and was named a first-team all-American for the first time in his career. The Danvers, Massachusetts, native captured a silver medal in the 800-meter event, finishing the race in 1:47.62.

Redshirt junior Patrick Joseph also competed in the event, placing 16th overall. The Leesburg, Virginia, native completed the indoor season with second-team all-America honors for the second straight year.

Of note, the duo of Joseph and Piazza made their mark at this year’s Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Championships, placing first and second, respectively, in the 800. Piazza set the school record in the preliminary race, but Joseph broke it in the finals the next day with a time of 1:46.23 – also good enough for an ACC Championship meet record.

Junior Neil Gourley earned first-team All-America honors in the mile, placing fourth with a time of 4:06.26. A native of Glasgow, Scotland, Gourley was named a first-team all-American for the first time in his career. He received second-team recognition as a freshman and sophomore.

The distance medley relay team of redshirt juniors Daniel Jaskowak and Vincent Ciattei and juniors Greg Chiles and Kevin Cianfarini collected first-team all-America honors with a silver-medal finish in the event. The four-member crew ran together for the first time this season, crossing the finish line in 9 minutes, 33.35 seconds to place sixth on Tech’s all-time list. Of note, each DMR member was named a first-team all-American for the first time in their career.

In the men’s pole vault event, redshirt junior Torben Laidig was recognized as a first-team all-American for the third time in his career. The Schwabish Hall, Germany, native vaulted to a sixth-place finish with a height of 5.45 meters (17 ft., 10.5 in.) last weekend. Laidig also claimed gold at the ACC Championships, finishing with a meet-record vault of 5.55 meters (18 ft., 2.5 in.) – also a season-best mark. Of note, Laidig ended the indoor season with the second-best vault in the conference and the fifth-best vault in the nation.

Additionally, sophomore Deakin Volz earned his second all-America honor of his career, placing 10th with a vault of 5.45 meters (17 ft., 10.5 in.) last weekend. The Bloomington, Indiana, native also earned a silver medal at the ACC Championships, jumping a height of 5.50 meters (18 ft., .5 in.). Prior to his silver-medal finish at the conference meet, Volz reset the program and ACC record to 5.66 meters (18 ft., 6.75 in.) at the Virginia Tech Challenge on Feb. 18. The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Men’s Field Athlete of the Year ended the indoor season with the league’s top mark and the second-best vault in the nation.

On the women’s side, senior Hanna Green pushed her career total to five with this season’s award. The Latrobe, Pennsylvania, native earned first-team all-America honors for the fourth year in a row, placing second overall in the 800 meters. Green, a three-time ACC champion, crossed the line in 2 minutes, 2.13 seconds to reset own program record in the event for the second time this season.

The No. 7-ranked men’s squad earned a seventh-place finish at the NCAA Indoor Championships thanks to a strong effort from Tech’s middle distance runners. The Hokies finished with 23.5 points throughout the two-day event, marking their highest indoor finish in program history. The Tech women also shared a six-way tie for 27th place, as Green earned the Hokies eight points with her silver-medal finish.

The NCAA Indoor Championships were the final event of the 2017 indoor season before transitioning to the outdoor season on March 24-25 at the Weems Baskins Invitational in Columbia, South Carolina.

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