Senior wins the heptathlon while recording the top mark in the NCAA this year
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Virginia Tech senior Saskia Triesscheijn shattered nearly every record possible en route to claiming her first Atlantic Coast Conference title Saturday afternoon.
Triesscheijn established a personal best, school record, ACC record and the top point total in the NCAA this season with 5,833 points in the heptathlon. After leading the event after the first day of competition, Triesscheijn won two of the final three events on Saturday, securing the championship. She captured the javelin with a throw of 46.14m (151\'4\") and closed out the heptathlon with a win in the 800m, crossing the finish line in a time of 2:15.89. Her point total is good enough for an NCAA automatic qualifying mark.
Fellow senior Gunild Kreb finished just out of the top three, placing fourth. For the two-day event, Kreb tallied 5,214 points. Her point total is an NCAA provisional mark.
Two additional Hokies qualified for the NCAA East Region meet on Saturday. Sophomore Kristin Hart recorded a time of 10:38.22 in the 3,000m steeplechase for sixth place. In addition to qualifying for the regional meet, the time was good enough for a school record and was also a personal best. On the men\'s side, fellow sophomore Rider Cluass also qualified for the regional meet in the 3,000m steeplechase with a personal-best time of 9:06.16, finishing eighth.
Sophomore Ciera Ayangbile posted a fifth-place finish in the shot put after a personal-best heave of 14.83m (48\'8\"). The toss was a regional qualifying mark and was the third best in school history.
Fellow sophomore Stephen Huntzinger\'s effort of 16.86m (55\'3.75\") was good enough for sixth place. It was also another regional qualifying mark for him.
The duo of freshman Patrice Potts and sophomore Britni Spruill each qualified for the 100m and 200m finals, which will be held tomorrow. Potts\' time of 11.68 was the third-best performance in the 100m while Spruill\'s mark of 11.94 was the eighth best on the day. Spruill\'s time is a personal best and is also the third best in school history.
In the 200m, Potts set a personal-best time of 24.28. The time was the eighth fastest on the day and was the fourth best in school history. Spruill\'s time of 24.16 was the seventh-fastest time in the preliminary round.
Sophomore Jessica Fanning tallied the fourth-fastest time in the preliminary round in the 1,500m, qualifying for the finals. She finished with a time of 4:28.35. It is the fifth-best time in school history. Meredith Brooks placed sixth in the prelims, advancing to tomorrow\'s finals in the 800m. Brooks recorded a time of 2:10.08.
Senior sprinter Keosha Sanders advanced to the finals in the 400m hurdles after posting a time of 1:01.69. She was eighth in the prelims.
Billy Berlin, a sophomore, qualified for the finals in the 1,500m with a time of 3:54.60. He had the third-fastest time during prelims. Sophomore sprinter Jordan Price will make an appearance in the finals of the 400m. Price recorded a time of 47.97 in the event, which earned him the seventh seed.
Junior David Clowney narrowly missed making the finals in both events in which he ran. Clowney was ninth in the 200m with a time of 21.50. He was 10th in the 100m after crossing the line in 10.75.
The women\'s team stands in second place with 39 points. The Hokies trail Florida State by seven points heading into the final day of competition. The men\'s team is sixth with 32 points. Tech is half a point behind Georgia Tech for fifth. Clemson leads the way with 51 points.
The meet begins with the women\'s javelin at 10 a.m., and will conclude at 5 p.m., with an awards presentation.