Inside HOKIE SPORTS | Vol. 9 No. 3 | January 2017

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TOP RETURNERS
Irena Sediva, Pavla Kuklova,
Eva Vivod
NEWCOMERS
Emma Thor,
Kajsa Wennberg
OVERVIEW
The Tech women’s teammay not be getting points from this group at
the ACC indoor meet, as this group, like with the men’s group, excels in
the outdoor events—the javelin throw and the hammer throw.
But the Hokies could finish first and second at the ACC outdoor meet
in both the hammer throw and the javelin. They realistically have that
type of talent.
Sediva anchors the group. The 2015 national champion in the javelin
suffered an injured heel during the ACC Championships last spring and
that prevented her from repeating as both the ACC champion and the
NCAA champion in the event. But the school record holder should be
the top contender for both titles this season.
Vivod is not quite at the level of Sediva, but not far off. She won
silver in the javelin at the ACC’s outdoor meet, and in 2014, earned
All-America honors.
Kuklova is a threat to win ACC gold in the hammer throw. She
finished second a year ago at the league’s outdoor meet, and while she
missed on qualifying for the NCAA Championships, she goes into this
season as a contender for All-America honors.
The two freshmen, Thor and Wennberg, are two talented hammer
throwers fromSweden. Thor ranked as one of the top 15 junior throwers
in the world following the 2015 season.
Provided they stay healthy and continue to progress, this group
alone could amass enough points to propel the Hokies into contender
status for the ACC title during the outdoor season.
THROWS COACH GREG JACK’S TAKE
“We are looking nice and loaded for the women’s team. We have a
nice little combination of experience and youth, and this is going to be
one pretty cool year. I am excited to see how it all plays out.”
RETURNERS
Mackenzie Muldoon,
Ryan Shepard,
Will Kendall, James Carver
NEWCOMER
James Holt
OVERVIEW
The Hokies are rebuilding in the jumps, as they lost both Manuel
Ziegler and David Prince off last season’s squad. So unproven guys will
be looking to add to a very good men’s team.
Muldoon appears to be the one best ready to help. Early in his
career, he competed mostly in the long and high jumps, but last year, he
finished seventh in the decathlon at the ACC Outdoor Championships.
Tech’s staff feels that he could be an upper-level decathlete this season.
Carver returns after a season in which he competed at the ACC
Indoor Championships last February, coming in 13th in the high jump.
Shepard and Kendall also compete in the high jump and will be looking
to help the Hokies in that event, though neither competed at an ACC
championship meet last season.
Freshman James Holt enters the picture this season as a competitor
in the long jump. He twice won medals in the long jump at the
Pennsylvania indoor state meet during his prep career.
JUMPS COACH PAUL ZALEWSKI’S TAKE
“I’m looking for Mackenzie Muldoon to do some things this year.
He had a great season last year, and he had a really good fall. He is way
ahead of where he was at this point last year. James Carver had a great
fall as well. He is coming off a solid freshman season, so I am looking
for him to step up. Again, he is another one that is well ahead of where
he was at this point last year.
“We had a great fall. The team has done really well. I am excited
about where we are at this point. Most of the kids that have come back
are already ahead of where they were at this point last year, so that is
exciting for me.”
WOMEN’S
THROWS
MEN’S
JUMPS
Continued on page 34