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300 Technology Drive Christiansburg, Virginia 24073 www.inorganicventures.com European distribution center located in Santander, Spain Two of our PhDs as well as eleven key members of our service, production, and business teams hold degrees from Virginia Tech. When you’ve got the right talent in place, there’s no limit to how far you can go. Makers of the world’s most accurate Certified Reference Materials Proud to support the Hokies’ teams. Because the Hokies are such a big part of ours.for those kids is that they give me consistent
effort in practice, consistent performances in
meets, and if they do that and pay attention to
the details, the other things will come.”
WOMEN’S
POLE VAULT
TOP RETURNERS
Hannah Meador, Olivia Privitera
NEWCOMERS
Rachel Baxter, Lisa Gunnarsson, Paige Ritter
OVERVIEW
The women’s group lacked the depth of its
male counterparts a year ago and saw Erica
Hjerpe depart after she twice earned All-ACC
honors in her career. Meador and Privitera,
though, return to lead a young group that
features 2017 European U20 Championships
gold medalist Gunnarsson. Meador has twice
earned All-ACC honors, and Privitera enjoyed
her best outdoor season this past spring when
she qualified for the NCAA East Preliminaries
with a career-best height of 13 feet, 5.25 inches.
She tied for 14th there, just missing the NCAA
Championships by two spots. Tech’s success
in this event, however, probably hinges on
the performances of Gunnarsson and Baxter,
a California native rated the No. 1 girls pole
vault prospect in the nation by Track & Field
News magazine.
POLE VAULT COACH
BOB PHILLIPS’
TAKE
“We were lucky to get two girls [Gunnarsson
and Baxter] that talented signed in the same
year. Their technical fundamentals are good,
whichhelps a lot, and their speed is good, which
is something that I haven’t always had in the
past. Right now, those two, Olivia [Privitera]
and Paige [Ritter], who won’t jump this year,
all four of them have really good speed, which
is really helpful. Practices are going well. They
all have set PRs [personal records] of one sort
or another in poles and grips and things like
that. The signs are good. We just have to stay
healthy and keep focused.”
MEN’S SPRINTS/
HURDLES
TOP RETURNERS
Greg Chiles, Michael Davenport, Brandon
Thomas, Darius Watkins
NEWCOMER
Keishaun Limehouse
OVERVIEW
The men’s sprinters and hurdlers enjoyed
a terrific 2017 season, as sprints and hurdles
coach Tim Vaught continues to rebuild in
these areas. Chiles, Davenport, Thomas and
Watkins combined for 14 All-ACC honors last
winter and spring. Chiles headlines the group
after setting the Tech indoor record in the 400
and earning All-America honors as a member
of the distance medley relay team that finished
second at the NCAA Indoor Championships.
He also set the school record and qualified
for the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the
400-meter hurdles. Davenport was the ACC
Men’s Track and Field Freshman of the Year
during the indoor season—the Hokies’ first
sprinter to be named as such—after finishing
fifth in the 200 at the league’s indoor meet.
Limehouse will be one to watch, as the Coastal
Carolina transfer excels in the 110-meter
hurdles. Overall, this group has depth and
talent, and it figures to be a key component of
any Tech repeat at the ACC Championships.
season preview
track & field
Greg Chiles