Twenty-one Hokies take the road to Eugene

All four days of the national championship will be broadcast on ESPN, ESPNU, ESPN2 and ESPN3

June 6, 2017

EUGENE, Or. – Twenty-one members of the Virginia Tech track and field teams travel to Eugene, Oregon, to compete at the 2017 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships held Wednesday through Saturday at the University of Oregon’s Hayward Field.

Virginia Tech had 20 female student-athletes and 16 male student-athletes qualify for the 2017 NCAA East Preliminary Rounds in Lexington, Kentucky, from May 25-27. The Hokies then advanced a group of 21 – the largest in program history – to the NCAA Championships. The 13th-ranked women’s team qualified 13 for the national meet, while eight student-athletes represent Tech’s men’s team.

The men’s events kick off the first day of the four-day competition, with the team winner awarded on Friday and the women’s team winner on Saturday. All four days of the national championship will be broadcast on ESPN, ESPNU, ESPN2 and ESPN3. Wednesday’s televised action will start at 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN3, followed by a 7:30 p.m. ET air time on ESPNU and an 8:30 p.m. ET start time on ESPN2. For more information on where to watch, click HERE. For a full schedule of events, click HERE.

The top 12 East Preliminary qualifiers as well as the top 12 West Preliminary qualifiers in each event earned themselves a spot at the NCAA Championships. Read on, as we break down each competitor heading into tomorrow’s competition.

Irena Sediva: The 2015 national champion returns to Eugene for her final time, as she hopes to capture her second NCAA title in the javelin throw. A senior from the Pribram, Czech Republic, Sediva threw a season best at the 2017 Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Outdoor Championships, winning a gold medal with a mark of 58.68 meters (192 ft., 6 in.) – a new championship meet record. She currently holds the No. 1 throw in the nation and is seeking her second NCAA title in three years. She also holds the school record in the event with her 59.89-meter mark (196 ft., 6 in.) set at the 2015 NCAA Championships.

Eva Vivod: A senior from Maribor, Slovenia, Vivod is making her final appearance in Eugene following her silver-medal performance at the ACC Championships. She garnered first-team All-ACC honors for the third time in her career, throwing a distance of 52.14 meters (171 ft., 1 in.) in the event. Of note, her 52.14-meter mark is listed as the eighth-best throw in the East region and the 17th-best mark in the nation. The 2017 season will mark Vivod’s second trip to the national meet, as she earned an 11th-place finish in 2014.

Pavla Kuklova: The ACC Championships’ silver medalist makes her second appearance at the NCAA Championships in the hammer throw event. A sophomore from Opava, Czech Republic, Kuklova notched a career-best mark of 63.16 meters (207 ft., 23 in.) at the conference meet, earning herself a top-10 regional mark as well as the 18th-best throw in the nation.

Emma Thor: The ACC bronze medalist in the hammer throw is one of four freshmen competing for the Hokie women in Eugene. Thor, a native of Knivsta, Sweden, garnered first-team All-ACC honors for the first time in her career following her third-place finish at the ACC Championships with a mark of 62.94 meters (206 ft., 6 in). She also tossed a personal-best mark of 64.69 meters (212 ft., 3 in.) at the Florida Relays, qualifying for the NCAA East Preliminary Rounds. Her qualifying mark is currently tied for sixth in the region and 10th in the nation with Ole Miss’ Janeah Stewart.

Hanna Green: The six-time ACC champion makes her fourth NCAA appearance outdoors, as she looks to capture her first ever NCAA title in the 800-meter event. Green, the reigning United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Women’s Track Athlete of the Year for the Southeast region, claimed gold in both the 800- and 1,500-meter races at the ACC Championships, setting a new championship meet record in the 800. Of note, the Latrobe, Pennsylvania, native owns the fastest time in the East Region and the second-fastest time in the country behind Oregon’s Raevyn Rogers with a time of 2:01.28 set at the league championships. She also is the school record holder for both the indoor and outdoor 800 meters. The senior set the outdoor record of 2:01.17 at the 2015 NCAA Championships, where she placed third in the event.

Sarah Edwards: The freshman from Bellingham, Massachusetts, will make her first NCAA appearance following an incredible outdoor season in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. Edwards ran the second-fastest time in the event at the NCAA East Preliminary Rounds, qualifying for the national meet with a school-record time of 9 minutes, 52.89 seconds and breaking the five-year-old record by nearly 11 seconds (10:03.37). The first-team All-ACC honoree also placed first in the event at the ACC Championships, finishing with a time of 10:05.58 for the win. Of note, Edwards will run the steeplechase in Eugene for just the fourth time in career.

Courtney Blanden: The junior from Weddington, North Carolina, will serve as a member of the 4x400-meter relay squad in Eugene this week. The four-member crew earned a top-12 finish in the event at the NCAA East Preliminary Rounds with a time of 3 minutes, 36.57 seconds, advancing to the NCAA Outdoor Championships for the first time in program history. Blanden also was a part of the 4x400 relay team at the ACC Championships, placing second with a time of 3:32.57 – the second-fastest time in the event in school history. She also was a member of the 4x400 team that advanced to the Championship of America Invitational at the Penn Relays for the first time in program history. Looking ahead, the Hokies look to bring home four All-America honors in the event, writing their names in the history books once again this season.

Nora McKiver: The junior from High Point, North Carolina, will serve as a member of the 4x400-meter relay squad in Eugene this week. The four-member crew earned a top-12 finish in the event at the NCAA East Preliminary Rounds with a time of 3 minutes, 36.57 seconds, advancing to the NCAA Outdoor Championships for the first time in program history. Although McKiver was not a part of the qualifying relay team, she was a member of the 4x400 relay team at the ACC Championships, placing second with a time of 3:32.57 – the second-fastest time in the event in school history. She also was a part of the 4x400 team that advanced to the Championship of America Invitational at the Penn Relays for the first time in program history.

Ama-Selina Tchume: The junior from Raleigh, North Carolina, will serve as a member of the 4x400-meter relay squad in Eugene this week. The four-member crew earned a top-12 finish in the event at the NCAA East Preliminary Rounds with a time of 3 minutes, 36.57 seconds, advancing to the NCAA Outdoor Championships for the first time in program history. Tchume also was a part of the 4x400 relay team at the ACC Championships, placing second with a time of 3:32.57 – the second-fastest time in the event in school history. She also was a member of the 4x400 team that advanced to the Championship of America Invitational at the Penn Relays for the first time in program history.

Arlicia Bush: The freshman from Columbia, South Carolina, will serve as a member of the 4x400-meter relay squad in Eugene this week. The four-member crew earned a top-12 finish in the event at the NCAA East Preliminary Rounds with a time of 3 minutes, 36.57 seconds, advancing to the NCAA Outdoor Championships for the first time in program history. Bush also was a part of the 4x400 relay team at the ACC Championships, placing second with a time of 3:32.57 – the second-fastest time in the event in school history. She also was a member of the 4x400 team that advanced to the Championship of America Invitational at the Penn Relays for the first time in program history.

Of note, junior Jada Gundran, sophomore Rachel Pocratsky and freshman Laurie Barton will serve as alternates for the women’s 4x400-meter relay event.

Greg Chiles: Hailing from Chesapeake, Virginia, Chiles reset his own program record in the 400-meter hurdles three times this season. He most recently recorded a 50.39-finish in the event at the NCAA East Preliminary Rounds, advancing to the NCAA Championships for the first time in his career. The junior also received second-team All-ACC recognition following his fourth-place finish in the 400 hurdles at the ACC Championships. In addition, he was a member of the school record setting 4x400-meter relay team at the conference meet, placing third with a time of 3:06.40 to collect second-team all-league honors in the event.

Drew Piazza: Piazza, an outdoor school record holder and ACC champion in the 800 meters, is making his first appearance at the NCAA Championships. The senior from Danvers, Massachusetts, reset the program record in the event with a time of 1:46.02 at the Virginia Challenge and then went on to claim gold at the ACC Championships with a time of 1 minute, 46.76 seconds. Piazza owns the fourth-fastest time in the East Region and the seventh-fastest time in the nation. He also was a member of the school record setting 4x400-meter relay team at the conference meet, placing third with a time of 3:06.40 to collect second-team all-league honors in the event.

Patrick Joseph: The senior qualified for his second NCAA Championship event with his 1:48.32-finish in the 800 meters at the NCAA East Preliminary Rounds. However, his qualifying mark was definitely not his fastest time of the 2017 season. The Leesburg, Virginia, native notched a lifetime-best time of 1:46.47 at the Virginia Challenge – good enough for second in the event on Tech’s all-time list. He currently owns the sixth-fastest time in the East region and the ninth-fastest time in the nation. At the ACC Championships, he collected a silver medal in the 800 behind teammate Piazza with a time of 1:46.82. He also was a member of the winning 4x800-meter relay team in the Championship of America Invitational, earning Tech its first ever Penn Relays Championship with a school-record time of 7:13.75.

Neil Gourley: The Glasgow, Scotland, native captured his first gold medal in the 1,500-meter event at the ACC Championships, crossing the line in 3 minutes, 46.05 seconds for the win. The senior then went on to qualify for his second NCAA Championship appearance by winning his heat in the quarterfinal round of the NCAA East Prelims. However, the senior’s fastest time of the season was set at the Virginia Challenge (3:42.82) earlier this year – a team-best mark. He also was a member of the winning 4x800-meter relay team in the Championship of America Invitational, earning Tech its first ever Penn Relays Championship with a school-record time of 7:13.75.

Vincent Ciattei: The junior from Baltimore, Maryland, will make his first NCAA Championship appearance, as he recorded the third-fastest time (3:46.85) in the 1,500-meter quarterfinals at the NCAA East Preliminary Rounds. Ciattei also earned a silver-medal finish at the ACC Championships, finishing the event in 3 minutes, 46.26 seconds. He also was a member of the winning 4x800-meter relay team in the Championship of America Invitational, earning Tech its first ever Penn Relays Championship with a school-record time of 7:13.75.

Peter Seufer: The sophomore makes the trip to Eugene for the first time in his career this week, as he competes in the 5,000-meter race. He owns a personal-best time of 13:53.92 set at the Virginia Challenge earlier this season and then went on to collect second-team All-ACC honors with his fourth-place finish at the ACC Championships. The Lynchburg, Virginia, native also ran the 10,000 for the first time in his career at the league meet, claiming gold in the event with a time of 29:21.49. Of note, Tech has won gold in the 10,000 meters for two straight years, as former standout Tommy Curtin won the event in 2016.

Brad Johnson: A senior from Virginia Beach, Johnson is the lone pole vaulter competing at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. He is making his third straight appearance in Eugene after earning a bronze-medal finish at the ACC Championships with a jump of 5.17 meters (16 ft., 11.5 in.). Johnson also tied his career best at the Duke Invitational this season, vaulting a height of 5.31 meters (17 ft., 5in.) for fourth. Of note, he is tied for the 12th-best jump in the East region.

Marek Barta: The ACC Outdoor Championships’ discus silver medalist makes his third appearance at the NCAA Championships this week. The junior from Havirov, Czech Republic, competed in the event three times this season, throwing a season-best mark of 60.10 meters (197 ft., 2 in.) at the league meet.

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