\"I feel great about this group of athletes and what they are prepared to do this weekend,\" stated fourth-year head coach Dave Cianelli. \"Our goal is for the men to finish in the top 20 as a team and to bring home as many All-American honors as possible. The top eight finishers in each event are scorers for their team and named All-American.\"
ACC men\'s weight throw champion Spyridon Jullien (Jr., Athens, Greece) is slated to throw the 35 lb. weight on Friday at noon. Jullien is the No. 1 men\'s weight throw athlete in the NCAA division I with his school, Rector Fieldhouse and personal record mark of 76\'3.50\" (23.25m). This season Jullien has throw over 70\' in all six competitions.
This is Jullien\'s third appearance at the NCAA indoor championships. He placed fourth last year earning All-American honors with his throw of 69\'8\" (21.23m) and finished 16th in 2003 with 64\'0.50\" (19.52m).
Jullien claims the highest Tech finish for the track & field program at the NCAA championships with his second place performance in the hammer throw at the 2004 outdoor championships.
Cory Martin (Auburn), the SEC weight throw champion, is the second ranked thrower with his mark of 71\'1.50\" (21.68m). Coby Cost (Kansas State), the Big 12 weight throw champion, ranks third with his mark of 70\'11.25\" (21.62m). Karim Chester (Northern Arizona), the Big Sky weight throw champion, is fourth with 69\'9.50\" (21.27m) and Jason Carruthers (Indiana State) is fifth with his mark of 69\'7.50\" (21.22m).
ACC men\'s pole vault champion Brian Mondschein (Jr., Hummelstown, Pa.) will compete in the event on Friday beginning at 5:35 p.m. Mondschein ranks ninth in the NCAA division I with his personal best jump of 17\'8.50\" (5.40m). Tommy Skipper (Oregon), 2004 NCAA indoor runner-up, is the top men\'s pole vault athlete with his mark of 18\'6.75\" (5.66m).
On Saturday, Saskia Triesscheijn (Jr., Berlin, Germany) will compete in the women\'s indoor pentathlon, which starts at 11:30 a.m. The five events of the pentathlon are the 60-meter hurdles, high jump, shot put, long jump and the 800 meters. Triesscheijn shattered the school seven-year pentathlon record with her first-place score of 4,058 points at Tech\'s Last Chance Invitational this past weekend. Triesscheijn ranks eighth in the NCAA performance list with her point total. Ashley Selig (Nebraska), the Big 12 champion, is the No. 1 athlete in the event with 4,269 points.
All-ACC member Tamara Burns (Jr., Elm Creek, Neb.) will throw the 20 lb. weight on Saturday at 2 p.m. Burns is the 12th ranked weight throw athlete in the NCAA division I with her school and personal record mark of 68\'7.25\" (20.91m). Burns finished third in the weight throw at this year\'s ACC championships. Candice Scott (Florida), the SEC women\'s weight throw champion, ranks first with her mark of 79\'5.25\" (24.21m).
Ryan Norwood (Sr., Cheyenne, Wyo.), a 2005 All-ACC member, is slated to compete in the men\'s shot put on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. Norwood is listed 13th in the nation with his new school record throw of 61\'5.75\" (18.74m). Norwood placed third at this year\'s ACC championships. Garrett Johnson (Florida State), the ACC men\'s shot put champion, is the No. 1 athlete in the NCAA division I with a throw of 66\'8.75\" (20.34m).
Mondschein, Triesscheijn, Burns and Norwood are all newcomers to the NCAA indoor championships.
Cianelli concluded, \"I am also proud that this is our largest group competing in the NCAA indoor championships under my term.\"
The highest individual finish from a Hokie male at the NCAA indoor championships was the third place finishes of Kenny Lewis in 1980 and Brian Hunter in 2000. Lewis came in third in the 60 yard hurdles while Hunter placed third in the pole vault. The highest individual finish from a Hokie on the women\'s side at the NCAA indoor championships was Kristin Price\'s fourth place finish in the 3,000 meters in 2001.