Thirty-four Hokies qualify for NCAA East Preliminary

Third straight season of 30-plus student-athletes qualifying

May 17, 2018

NCAA Release | East Men Qualifiers | East Women Qualifiers

INDIANAPOLIS – Thirty-four Hokies have qualified for the NCAA East Preliminary in Tampa, Florida on the campus of USF, announced by the NCAA on Thursday afternoon. It marks the third straight year Virginia Tech track and field has had more than 30 student-athletes qualify.

The meet will take place from May 24-26 at USF Track and Field Stadium and FloTrack will stream all three days.

The distance group is the biggest of Tech’s five disciplines, with 14 student-athletes making the trek to the Sunshine State.

On Monday, the women moved up four spots in the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA), coming in at No. 17 in the country. They are the highest-ranked team out of the ACC, with Miami three spots behind at No. 20.

Five of Tech’s gold medalists at the ACC Outdoor Track and Field Championships qualified in their respective events for the NCAA East Preliminary Round, including Rachel Pocratsky (800/1,500), Eszter Bajnok (long jump, triple jump), Peter Seufer (10,000), Emma Thor (hammer throw) and Vincent Ciattei (1,500).

The other region, NCAA West Preliminary, will be hosted by Sacramento State in Sacramento, California. The qualifiers out of these two regions will compete in the NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Championships held June 6-9 in Eugene, Oregon.

NCAA track and field fans can watch a live stream of the NCAA Division I East and/or West Preliminary Championships as FloTrack Pro subscribers. The subscription will include access to all FloTrack live broadcasts, video on-demand from all events, documentaries, technique videos and more. Coverage of the preliminary competitions will be available May 24 - 26 at www.FloTrack.com.

The complete list of participants is available on the following website.

For more information regarding the NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Championships, including how to purchase tickets, log on to NCAA.com/trackandfield.

Pole Vault (5)
Rachel Baxter
Lisa Gunnarsson
Torben Laidig
Joel Leon Benitez
Deakin Volz

Jumps (2)
Eszter Bajnok (Triple/Long Jump)
Stefanie Aeschlimann (Triple Jump)

Throws (4)
Lindsay Herra (Discus)
Emma Thor (Hammer)
Pavla Kuklova (Hammer)
Kajsa Wennberg (Hammer)

Distance (14)
Vincent Ciattei (800/1,500)
Diego Zarate (800/1,500)
Bashir Mosavel-Lo (800)
Owen Buck (800)
Fitsum Seyoum (3,000 steeple)
Peter Seufer (5,000/10,000)
Jack Joyce (5,000)
Rachel Pocratsky (800/1,500)
Laurie Barton (800)
Katie Kennedy (1,500)
Sara Freix (5,000/10,000)
Lauren Berman (5,000)
Kayla Richardson (10,000)
Sarah Edwards (3,000 steeple)

Sprints (9)
Greg Chiles (400 Hurdles)
Lawrence Harris (4x100)
Samuel Denmark (4x100)
Joseph Tay (4x100)
Michael Davenport (4x100)
Courtney Blanden (4x100/4x400)
Caitlan Tate (4x100/4x400)
Kennedy Dennis (4x100/4x400)
Arlicia Bush (4x100/4x400)

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