Gunnarsson, Limehouse lead Hokies at Clemson, Indiana

Hokies post 11 top-eight finishes

January 19, 2018

Clemson Invitational Results | Gladstein Invitational Results

Freshman Lisa Gunnarsson won her second consecutive pole vault event in as many weeks, and the Virginia Tech track and field teams combined for 11 top-eight finishes at the Clemson Invitational and Gladstein Invitational on the campuses of Clemson and Indiana on Friday.

The Hokies split up and sent the pole vault and jumps/multi-events groups to Bloomington, Indiana, inside Harry Gladstein Fieldhouse, and the sprints/hurdles squad to Clemson, South Carolina, at the Clemson Indoor Track & Field Complex.

At the Clemson Invitational, the sprints were led by Keishaun Limehouse and Greg Chiles, as the two placed in the top eight of their respective events. Limehouse placed eighth in the finals of both of the 60-meter dash (6.80 seconds preliminaries) – the fifth-fastest time in school history – and 60-meter hurdles (7.97 preliminaries) in a stacked field, while Chiles tallied a seventh-place finish with a time of 47.73 seconds in the 400 meters.

On the women’s side, freshman Kennedy Dennis set a personal record in the 60, clocking a time of 7.44 to finish seventh. The time is the best so far of any Hokie this season in the event for the women and sits No. 6 all time in Tech’s record book. Fellow freshman Caitlan Tate was right behind her, crossing the finish line in 7.47, setting a new PR for herself, too.

“Good start to our second meet,” sprints coach Tim Vaught said. “We had seven personal best marks today. Kennedy Dennis had a big day by running a personal best in the prelim and even faster in the finals – she was the only freshman in the 60-meter dash to make the finals. Greg Chiles had a solid opener today with a 47.73, which was a better opener than he had last year. Keishaun had a solid day, making the finals in 60 hurdles and 60-meter dash.”

At the Gladstein Invitational, Gunnarsson again was top notch amongst her competitors, vaulting a height of 4.35 meters (14 feet, 3.25 inches) to earn first place. Teammate Rachel Baxter placed second for her second time in a row, recording a mark of 4.10 meters (13 ft., 5.25 in.). Redshirt senior Olivia Privitera took fourth, getting over the bar at 3.85 meters (12 ft., 7.50 in.).

Junior Deakin Volz, who was back in his hometown, and freshman Joel Leon Benitez again posted top-five finishes, as Volz jumped a height of 5.41 meters (17 ft., 9 in.) to take second and Leon Benitez placed fourth on a vault of 5.26 meters (17 ft., 3 in.). Redshirt freshman Jaelyn Demory had the best mark of his career, going over a bar of 4.71 meters (15 ft., 5.5 in.) to place ninth.

The multi-events group of freshman Matthew Manilli and senior Mackenzie Muldoon competed in the sprints at the Gladstein Invitational, and put together top-eight performances. Manilli ran the first 400 meters of his college career and tallied a fourth-place finish with a time of 49.35. Muldoon placed seventh in the 60 hurdles, registering a time of 8.53.

The Hokies will be back at it tomorrow as the disciplines will be joined by the distance group, which is competing for the first time in 2018. The squad will be at the Keydet Invitational on the campus of VMI.

WEEKEND SCHEDULE
Sat. | Gladstein Invitational | 10:15 a.m. ET | Live Results
Sat. | Clemson Invitational | 11 a.m. ET | Live Results
Sat. | Keydet Invitational | 10 a.m. ET | Live Results

PERSONAL BESTS

60 meters
Keishaun Limehouse 6.80
Joseph Tay
Kennedy Dennis 7.44
Caitlan Tate 7.47

400 meters
Jared Bane
Jack Strollo
Matthew Manilli 49.35

60-meter hurdles
Alex Davenport

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