Hokies ready for NCAA Outdoor Championships

Four-day meet begins on Wednesday at 5 p.m. ET

June 5, 2018

Meet Notes | Prelim Info | Heat Sheet | Live Results

BLACKSBURG – Fourteen Hokies will be representing Virginia Tech’s track and field teams at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships on the campus of Oregon, starting on Wednesday in Eugene, Oregon.

The four-day meet begins on Wednesday at 5 p.m. ET with the men’s hammer throw at Hayward Field. This is the last time Oregon hosts NCAAs before it goes under renovations and picks back up hosting in 2021, following Texas playing hosts in 2019 and ’20 in Austin.

ESPN will once again broadcast the meet live on its family of networks, available on your TV, mobile device and tablet. All four days will be available to watch on ESPN3, including specific cameras for field events for the first time.

ESPN2 will do three-hour windows in the evening on Wednesday and Thursday and ESPN will put on two-and-a-half-hour windows on Friday and Saturday at night for the finals. For more on the broadcast, scroll to the bottom.

Tech is the highest-rated team from the ACC on the women’s side in the latest United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Outdoor Top 25 Rankings, coming in at No. 16. The ranking marks the highest Tech has been this year on the women’s side.

WEEKEND SCHEDULE
Wed. | NCAAs | 5 p.m. ET | Live Results | Live Stream
Thu. | NCAAs | 4:30 p.m. ET | Live Results | Live Stream
Fri. | NCAAs | 8 p.m. ET | Live Results | Live Stream
Sat. | NCAAs | 6 p.m. ET | Live Results | Live Stream

The last time out at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, Tech sent 21 student-athletes to Tracktown USA in 2017, including its relay team. Of the 21, 12 earned All-America status.

Hayward Field has been good to the Hokies, as they have seen three national champions walk away with a title, or two, in their respective events – Queen Harrison (2) in 2010, Tomas Kruzliak (1) in ‘13 and Irena Sediva (2) in ‘15 and ‘17.

Of the 14 Hokies, five are in distance events, five are in the pole vault, two are in throws, one is in jumps and one is in hurdles. Tech’s 14 student-athletes wearing the maroon and orange is the second most in the ACC, with Florida State owning 18.

Tech’s five pole vaulters are the most of any team at the national meet. Of the five, three are freshmen.

DISTANCE
Laurie Barton in the 800 meters, Vincent Ciattei, Rachel Pocratsky and Diego Zarate in the 1,500 and Sara Freix in the 10,000.

SPRINTS
Greg Chiles in the 400-meter hurdles.

POLE VAULT
Torben Laidig, Joel Leon Benitez, Deakin Volz, Rachel Baxter and Lisa Gunnarsson.

THROWS
Pavla Kuklova and Emma Thor in the hammer throw.

JUMPS
Eszter Bajnok in the triple jump.

TV SCHEDULE – All times in ET
Wednesday, June 6
7:30 p.m.-11:00 p.m. (ESPN2)
3:20 p.m.-11:00 p.m. (ESPN3)
Thursday, June 7
7:00 p.m.-10:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
12:50 p.m.-10:45 p.m. (ESPN3)
Friday, June 8
8:30 p.m.-11:00 p.m. (ESPN)
3:20 p.m.-10:30 p.m. (ESPN3)
Saturday, June 9
6:30 p.m.-9:00 p.m. (ESPN)
2:20 p.m.-8:15 p.m. (ESPN3)

For updates on Virginia Tech track & field, follow the Hokies on Twitter Follow @HokiesTFXC