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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Amanda Smith and Thomas Curtin earned the chance to compete in two weeks in Eugene, Oregon for the NCAA Championships by qualifying out of the East Region on the final day of the NCAA East Regional on Saturday evening hosted by the University of North Florida.

Smith took a fifth-place finish in the first qualifying heat posting a time of 4:14.01, earning an automatic qualifying spot. Smith used a powerful surge with 800 meters left to go in the race to put her in position to finish strongly, using a powerful kick to stay in contention in the end, ultimately solidifying her trip to Eugene with a quality performance overall.

Curtin earned an automatic qualifying bid in the men’s 5000-meter race after racing his way to a win. Curtin finished atop the list of qualifiers with an impressive time of 13:52.05. With one lap remaining and several competitors neck-and-neck, Curtin used a powerful surge to take the win and earn the right to compete for an NCAA Championship.

In all, nine Hokies earned qualifying spots to Eugene and will be able to compete for a coveted NCAA Championship in two weeks.

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