Tech Completes First Outdoor Meet of the Season

Two Hokies qualify for the NCAA East Regional Championships this weekend

RALEIGH, N.C. - The Virginia Tech men\'s and women\'s track & field teams completed competition of the 2005 Adidas Raleigh Relays at the Paul Derr Track & Field Stadium today. One Hokie posted an NCAA regional qualifying mark while other Tech tracksters post good times and marks.

Ashleigh Keats (Fr., Salina, Kan.) became the second Hokie this season to qualify for the NCAA East Regional Championships. Keats threw the javelin in an NCAA regional qualifying distance of 144\'9\" (44.11m) for third place out of the 25 competitors in the event. Her mark also ranks second in Tech\'s all-time performance list.

Other Hokie women notable performances included, All-ACC runner Natalie Sherbak (Fr., Virginia Beach, Va.) finishing in 14th place out of the 34 runner-field in the 1,500 meters with a time of 4:38.81. Kristin Hart (Fr., Herndon, Va.) took 24th (4:51.78) place and Samantha Ference (So., Clifton, Va.) was 25th (4:52.49) in the 68 runner-field of the 1,500 meter unseeded race.

The women\'s 4x100-meter relay team recorded the fourth fastest time in school history, 47.64, for a fifth place showing in the event. It was third place finishes for Tech\'s women\'s 4x200, 4x400 and 4x800-meter relays. The 4x200-meter relay team clocked 1:40.50, the 4x400-meter relay team had a time of 3:47.81 and the Hokies ran the 4x800 in 9:14.28.

For the men, Mark Wieder (Fr., Harrisburg, Pa.) ran in the 800 meters in 1:56.13 for 21st place in the race.

Tech\'s men\'s 4x100-meter relay team finished in 20th place with 43.13, the 4x200-meter relay team had a time of 1:28.84 for eighth place, the 4x400-meter relay \"A\" team placed ninth out of 33 teams in a time of 3:17.75 and the 4x800-meter relay team took fourth place out of 24 competing teams with 7:38.45.

Idikoro Eradiri (So., Ashburn, Va.) had a distance of 47\'.75\" (14.34m) in the triple jump event for seventh place.

In the 1,500 meters unseeded race, Rider Clauss (Fr., Madison, Wis.) was the first Hokie to cross the finish line (4:02.31) for 15th place out of the 82 runner-field. Chris O\'Keefe (Fr., Vienna, Va.) took 36th place and Kyle Guglielmo (Fr., Virginia Beach, Va.) was 47th in the race.

Virginia Tech\'s next competition is Saturday, April 9 at the Charlotte Invitational.