Hammer-Throwin’ Hokies Shine at NCAA Outdoor Championships

The Virginia Tech track and field team departed for Sacramento, California last week to participate in the NCAA Outdoor Championships, and they did very well. Spyridon Jullien captured the fourth national championship of his career and led the men’s team to a very impressive finish.

Jullien won the national championship in the hammer throw on Friday afternoon with a winning distance of 72.29m. It is his second national championship in the hammer throw. He also has won two national championships in the weight throw, with all four national championships coming in the past two seasons.

Those four national championships are the only team or individual national championships that Virginia Tech has ever won. But with the performance of two Tech freshmen in the hammer throw, another one might not be far off.

Mohsen Anani finished in fourth place in the hammer throw with a distance of 68.35. Anani, who had previously won the ACC Championship in the hammer throw, was awarded All-American status for his performance. Another freshman, Matej Muza, also earned All-American honors. Muza finished sixth in the hammer throw with a distance of 66.03m.

Because three of the top six hammer throwers in the country are from Virginia Tech, associate head men’s track and field coach Greg Jack, who specializes in throws, was named the top throws coach in the country.

Senior pole vaulter Brian Mondschein also earned All-American status with a fourth place finish in his event. It was the third time in his career that Mondschein was named to the All-American team.

The Virginia Tech men’s team earned 23 points in the national championships and finished in a tie for 12th with Oregon. It was Virginia Tech’s highest finish in program history.

The women’s team was well-represented at the event as well. Junior Kristen Callan finished seventh in the hammer throw with a distance of 62.09m. The performance earned her All-American status. She improved upon her 10th place finish as a sophomore and looks to have a big senior season next year.

Tech senior Saskia Triesscheijn also earned All-American status with a fourth place finish in the heptathlon. She earned 5,753 points over the course of the two-day event. She won the javelin portion of the heptathlon. This was her third All-American award of her career.

Gunild Kreb also participated in the heptathlon and finished 19th. The women’s team earned seven points and finished 34th in the nation. The men’s and women’s track and field teams have finished off a banner year. The indoor and outdoor teams combined for 10 All-Americans, a school record.