Several Tech runners record season best times
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - Virginia Tech competed well all weekend long against the best track & field teams in the nation at the Penn Relays, which was held at Franklin Field on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania.Tech ran in the men\'s 4x2, 4x4, 4x8 and distance medley relay races. In the 4x200-meter relay race, the Hokie team grabbed fifth place in heat two with 1:28.54. Tech\'s 4x400-meter relay team placed sixth out of eight teams in heat one with a season best time of 3:16.71. The 4x800-meter relay team finished in eighth place out of the 15 team-field in heat one with a time of 7:37.77. Tech\'s DMR team had a time of 10:09.85 for ninth place out of 14 competing teams in the second heat.
The Hokie women competed in the 4x4, 4x8, sprint medley and distance medley relay races. Tech placed sixth (3:48.48) in the 4x400-meter relay that included three top-15 teams in the nation. The Hokies clocked 3:58.62 to win their heat in the SMR. Meredith Brooks (So., Burke, Va.), Natalie Sherbak (Fr., Virginia Beach, Va.), Jessica Fanning (Fr., Charlottesville, Va.) and Heather Mullis (So., Virginia Beach, Va.) ran in the 4x800-meter relay for Tech with a time of 9:08.38 that put them 12th place overall. The DMR team of Fanning, Mullis, Brooks and Sherbak took 15th place with 12:02.08.
Several Hokies competed in individual events at the Penn Relays this weekend. Anthony Jenkins (Sr., Baltimore, Md.) had a 400-meter hurdle time of 56.18 for seventh place in heat five. David Atkiss (Sr., Hatfield, Pa.) finished 20th with a season and personal best 5,000 meter time of 14:22.89. Jason Fludd (Sr., Stafford, Va.) had a mark of 45\'0.25\" (13.72m) in the triple jump event to claim 11th place out of the 20 competitor-field. In the men\'s pole vault, Brian Mondschein (Jr., Hummelstown, Pa.) tied for second place with his jump of 16\'10.75\" (5.15m).
Jackie Nicholson (Sr., Clayton, N.J.) won heat four of the 400-meter hurdles in the third fastest time in school history (1:01.32). Keosha Sanders (Jr., Stafford, Va.) ran the 400-meters hurdles in 1:03.23 to take seventh place in heat three. Shamane Onwudiachi (Sr., Laurel, Md.) finish in fourth place in heat four of the 400-meter hurdles in 1:03.86.
Other Hokie action included distance runners competing in the 800, 1,500 and 5,000 meter races at the Lions\' Invitational hosted by The College of New Jersey in Ewing, N.J.
Kyle Guglielmo (Fr., Virginia Beach, Va.) was the first Hokie to cross the finish line in the men\'s 800 meter race. His time of 2:01.40 placed him 18th out of the 45 competitor-field while teammate Rider Clauss (Fr., Madison, Wis.) took 19th place with 2:01.74.
In the men\'s 1,500 meters, David Atkiss (Sr., Hatfield, Pa.) grabbed third place with a time of 3:57.77, Guglielmo was the fourth finisher with 4:00.37 and Clauss placed 19th (4:09.07).
Andrew Montgomery (Fr., Falls Church, Va.) had a 5,000 meter time of 15:09.48 to take third in the race. Dan Forgeng (Fr., Hatboro, Pa.) claimed the eighth place with 15:25.39 and Christian Barlow (So., Springfield, Pa.) was the 11th place finisher.
On the women\'s side, Samantha Ference (So., Clifton, Va.) placed seventh out of the 50 runner-field in the women\'s 800 meters with a personal season best time of 2:18.39 while teammate Kristin Hart (Fr., Herndon, Va.) ran the race in 2:23.12 for 17th place.
Hart finished in sixth place out of 51 competitors in the women\'s 1,500 meters with a time of 4:48.64. Ference came in 10th place with her 1,500 meter time of 4:54.93.
Virginia Tech next competes at the Georgia Tech Invitational on May 13-14. The Georgia Tech Invite is the Hokies final outdoor meet this year before the NCAA regional and national championships.