Amazing day for Hokies at Tech\'s Last Chance Invite

BLACKSBURG, Va. - Two Virginia Tech track & field athletes qualified for next weekend\'s NCAA indoor championships while other Hokies broke school records and posted personal bests at the Virginia Tech Last Chance Invitational today on a 200 meter banked track inside the Rector Fieldhouse.

Saskia Triesscheijn (Jr., Berlin, Germany) automatically qualified for the NCAA championships in the women\'s indoor pentathlon with a first-place score of 4,058 points. Gunild Kreb (Jr.-Tr., Winterbach, Germany) had an NCAA provisional qualifying score of 3,818 points for second place in the event.

There were several other notable performances from the Hokie women. Marie Giles (Sr., Hampton, Va.) won the 400 meters and broke Tech\'s six-year school record in a time of 55.26. The previous record of 55.36 was set by Brandi Smith in 1999.

Victoria Green (Jr, Chesapeake, Va.) ran the third fastest time in the 400 meters today (55.94) and placed third in the event.

Jackie Nicholson (Sr., Clayton, N.J.) was about a second off of the NCAA provisional qualifying time in the 200 meters. Her second-place time of 24.99 is a personal best and ranks third in Tech\'s all-time indoor performance list.

All-ACC runner Meredith Brooks (So., Burke, Va.) took fourth place in the 800 meters in a personal best time of 2:13.00, which ranks third in Tech\'s all-time indoor performance list.

Two-time All-ACC member Jessica Fanning (Fr., Charlottesville, Va.) placed third in the mile with a season best time of 4:52.83, which ranks third in Tech\'s all-time indoor performance list, while teammate Natalie Sherbak (Fr., Virginia Beach, Va.), also an All-ACC runner, finished in fifth place with 4:58.86.

All-ACC selection Erin Mahony (So., Virginia Beach, Va.) broke her own school record in the women\'s pole vault with a new personal best jump of 12\' (3.66m).

NCAA qualifiers Tamara Burns (Jr.-Tr., Elm Creek, Neb.) and Kristen Callan (So., Monroe, N.Y.) went 2-3 in the women\'s 20 lb. weight throw. Burns, an All-ACC athlete, threw 65\'10.24\" (20.07m) for second place and Callan had a mark of 62\'7.75\" (19.09m) for third place.

From Tech\'s No. 22 men\'s team, ACC champion Spyridon Jullien\'s (Jr., Athens, Greece) recorded his sixth NCAA automatic throw of the season in the 35 lb. weight throw. Jullien, the No. 1 men\'s weight throw athlete in the nation, won the event convincingly with his new school, Rector Fieldhouse and personal record of 76\'3.50\" (23.25m).

Brian Mondschein (Jr., Hummelstown, Pa.), the ACC men\'s pole vault champion, won the event today with his second NCAA provisional jump of the season and new personal best of 17\'8.50\" (5.40m). Mondschein\'s mark is tied for seventh in the NCAA division I and second in Tech\'s all-time indoor performance list. Teammates Daniel Gore (Jr., Leonardtown, Md.) and Adam Bingaman (So., New Berlinville, Pa.) tied for sixth in the pole vault by clearing 16\'3\" (4.95m). Gore set a personal best with his mark.

Sven Hahn (Jr.-Tr., Stutggart, Germany) threw his eighth NCAA provisional mark of the season (60\'6.75\"; 18.46m) and finished in second place in the event.

Matt Renninger (Jr., Barto, Pa.) had a 60 meter time of 7.05 in the finals for fifth place in the event. Jordan Price (Fr., Newport New, Va.) ran the third fastest time in Tech history in the 200 meters (21.99) for fourth place out of the 15 runner-field.

Alex Johnson (Jr., Phoenix, Ariz.) took eighth place with a season best time of 1:55.09 in the 800 meters. Billy Berlin (Fr., Midlothian, Va.) placed third in the mile race in a season best time of 4:13.32. Rider Clauss (Fr., Madison, Wis.) finished seventh in the 3,000 meters for Tech.

Jason Fludd (Sr., Stafford, Va.) took fifth place in the triple jump with his leap of 49\'10\" (15.19m).

The Hokies now have eight athletes qualify for the NCAA indoor championships at Arkansas next weekend, which is the most under head coach Dave Cianelli.