Steve Phillips brings you updates throughout the 2018 #ACCOTF Championships from Miami’s Cobb Stadium in Coral Gables ...
The conclusion of the opening night of the 2018 Atlantic Coast Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championship literally wound up being one for the books.
In a dramatic finish to the women’s 10,000 meters, Louisville sophomore Dorcas Wasike pulled away from Notre Dame’s Anna Rohrer to take the gold medal in a meet record time of 32:46.72. Wasike ran the ball lap in just a shade over 1:05 to break the previous mark of 32:53.72 set by Duke’s Juliet Bottorff in 2014.
Rohrer, who holds the overall ACC women’s 10,000 record (31:58.99 set last year), took the silver medal on Thursday night with a time of 33:03.30. NC State’s Erica Kemp placed third with a time of 33:55.38.
The men’s 10,000 meters also saw a strong closing surge by defending champion Peter Seufer of Virginia Tech, who kicked into high gear on the final two laps to take the gold medal with a time of 29:58.61. Seufer placed ahead of the Syracuse tandem of Iliass Aouani (29:59.75) and Kevin James (30:05.59).
Syracuse finished opening day leading the men’s scoring with 23 team points. Louisville holds second with 19, followed by Notre Dame with 12.5 and Florida State with 11. NC State, Virginia and Virginia Tech are tied for fifth place with 10 points each.
The defending champion Virginia Tech women lead the team scoring through four events with 37 points. Louisville holds second place with 25, followed by host Miami (21), Duke (15.5) and Virginia (13) among the top five.
In addition to the finals in five men’s and women’s field events, Thursday’s slate also included the start of the men’s decathlon and women’s heptathlon, in addition to preliminaries in six running events.
Please see the link below for complete results of all of Thursday’s final and preliminary events:
theacc.co/otf18results
Day two of the three-day ACC Championship is set for Friday at Cobb Stadium, beginning with the conclusion of the men’s decathlon at 11 a.m. Other schedule highlights include finals in five field events, as well as the men’s and women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase. Also slated for Friday are the concluding events of women’s heptathlon, as well as preliminaries in a combined eight men’s and women’s running events.
ACC Network Extra will continue is live streaming with four hours of coverage on Friday and Saturday evenings. Sean Kenney returns to handle play-by-play, while former U.S. Olympic standout Dan O’Brien will serve as analyst. The pair will be joined by distance race analyst David Mitchell and Melanie Newman as sideline reporter. Rick Willenzik will produce the broadcasts.
Friday’s live coverage will air from 5:30-9:30 p.m., followed by Saturday’s finals from 5-9 p.m.
Links to each day’s livestream:
Friday
5:30 pm: http://www.espn.com/watch/_/id/3357486/acc-track--field-championships
Saturday
5 pm: http://www.espn.com/watch/_/id/3357490/acc-track--field-championships
Make sure to follow @ACCTrackField on Twitter throughout both days for news and updates.
A look back at other Thursday’s other action:
Women’s Pole Vault
The battle of two of the nation’s top-five pole vaulters could not have been closer, with Virginia’s fourth-ranked Bridget Guy and top-ranked Lisa Gunnarsson of Virginia Tech winding up deadlocked at 14-7.25 (4.45m). But Guy held the edge on progressions and claimed the gold medal, with Gunnarsson settling for the silver. The event still wound up being a good one for the Hokies, as Virginia Tech’s Rachel Baxter cleared a bronze mark of 14-3.25 (4.35m).
Women’s High Jump
Thursday had already been a good day for Miami sophomore Michelle Atherley, who holds the lead in the women’s heptathlon through four events. But Atherley closed the night in grand style by snaring the gold medal in the high jump with a personal best mark of 5-8.5 (1.74m). Atherley placed ahead of second-place teammate Celine Thompson (5-6.5/1.69m) and bronze medalists Emily Godwin of North Carolina and Eleonora Omoregie of Florida State.
Women’s Hammer Throw
The defending champion Virginia Tech women wasted little time flexing some collective muscle as Emma Thor and Pavla Kuklova took the top two spots in the women’s hammer throw. Thor prevailed with a toss of 210-1 (64.04m), while Kuklova threw a season’s best of 207-4 (63.20m). Louisville freshman Makenli Forrest was the bronze medal winner at 203-7 (62.06m).
?Men's High Jump
Louisville’s Damar Robinson claimed his second gold medal in three years, taking the gold medal with a mark of 7-4.25 (2.24m). Florida State’s Corion Knight took the silver at 2.21m (7-3), placing ahead on progressions ahead of Louisville’s Jerin Allen, who cleared the same height. Each of the top three finisher’s marks were personal bests.
Men’s Hammer Throw
Make it three in a row for Virginia's Hilmar Orn Jonsson, who joined a group of elite hammer throwers and took the first gold medal of this year’s ACC Outdoor Championship.
Jonsson delivered a winning throw of 234-11 (71.60m), topping his winning marks of each of the previous two seasons (234-0 in 2016 and 226-5 in 2017). Jonnson joined Virginia Tech’s Marcel Lomnickly (2009-11) and Tomas Kruzliak (2013-15) as the only ACC throwers to claim three consecutive gold medals in the men’s hammer.
Miami’s Kevin Arreaga took second place on Thursday with a throw of 226-0 (68.90m), and Notre Dame’s Logan Klusky took the bronze at 201-8 (61.46m).
Men’s Decathlon 400
Overall leader Joe Delgado of Louisville padded his scoring lead in the final event of Thursday’s competition, motoring to a first-place finish in the 400 meters with a time of 48.77. Duke’s Jacob Sobota took second place at 49.35, and Miami’s Andreas Christodoulou took third at 51.47.
Delgado heads into Friday’s conclusion of the decathlon with 3,952 points. Miami’s Christodoulou follows with 3,758, and Louisville’s Eric Fox holds third with 3,641. Friday’s finale will include the 110 hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin throw and 1,500 meters.
Women’s Heptathlon 200
The Thursday session of the women’s heptathlon competition concluded with the running of the 200 meters, and Miami sophomore Michelle Atherley left herself in good position heading into Friday’s finale. Atherley padded her overall scoring lead with a first-place run of 23.93. Wake Forest’s Jordan Banks followed at 24.86, and Duke’s Erin Marsh ran an even 25.00 to place third.
Atherley sits in first with 3,633 points, followed by Louisville’s Holly Hankenson with 3,324 and Marsh holds third with 3,195. Competition resumes at noon on Friday and will conclude with the long jump, javelin throw and 800-meter run.
Men’s Decathlon High Jump
Louisville again took the top two spots in men’s decathlon event competition with Eric Fox and Joe Delgado leading the high jump at a mark of 6-5.5 (1.97m). NC State’s Grant Rivers took third place at 6-4.25 (1.94m).
Delgado still holds the overall scoring lead with 3,080 points. Miami’s Andreas Christodoulou follows with 3,010, and Fox is third with 2,925.
Women’s Heptathlon Shot Put
Louisville continued its strong collective showing in the multis, as the Cardinals’ Holly Hankenson led the way in the heptathlon shot put competition. The 2018 ACC indoor pentathlon champion set the pace with a throw of 41-11.25 (12,78m). Miami’s Michelle Atherley followed at 41-10 (12.75m), and Duke’s Jaida Lemmons registered 37-10.75 (11.55m).
Atherley continues to hold a significant lead in the overall scoring with 2,646 points. Hankenson moved into second place with 2,452, and Lemmons holds third with 2,330.
Women’s Heptathlon Long Jump
Louisville’s Linda Mutter led the way in the heptathlon long jump with a mark of 5-7 (1.70m). Miami’s Michelle Atherley and Boston College’s Jessica Creedon followed at 5-5.75 (1.67m).
Atherley maintains her overall lead in the team scoring with 1,935 points. Duke’s Erin Marsh holds second place with 1,764, followed by Louisville’s Holly Hankenson with 1,739.
Men’s Decathlon Shot Put
Louisville placed 1-2 in the third decathlon event of the day, as Eric Fox led the shot put, followed by Joe Delgado. Fox led with a throw of 44-8.25 (13.62m), and Delgado’s toss registered 44-4.75 (13.53m). Duke freshman Chris Friis was next at 43-0.25 (13.11m).
Delgado regained the overall scoring lead with 2,304 points. Miami’s Andreas Christodoulou holds second place with 2,261 points, and Duke’s Jacob Sobota is third with 2,250.
Heptathlon Opens With 110 Hurdles
Hometown favorite Michelle Atherley of Miami got off to a blazing start in the heptathlon, placing first in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 13.05. Atherley placed ahead of Duke’s Erin Marsh, who clocked in at 13.98. Louisville’s Holly Hankenson took third place at 14.16.
Men’s Decathlon Long Jump
Miami’s Andreas Christodoulou long-jumped his way into the lead of the decathlon during the second event of the day, posting a first-place distance of 23-7.25 (7.19m). Duke’s Jacob Sobota followed at 22-3.75 (6.80m), and Florida State’s Dante Newberg was next at 21-10.75 (6.67m).
Christodoulou now leads the overall scoring with 1,643 points. Sobota follows with 1,625, and Louisville’s Joe Delgado holds third place with 1,604.
ACC Outdoor Track and Field Championships Underway in Coral Gables
Mostly sunny skies and 81 degree temperatures greeted the men’s decathlon 100 meters entrants as the 2018 Atlantic Coast Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships opened Thursday morning at Miami’s Cobb Stadium in Coral Gables.
ACC indoor heptathlon winner Joe Delgado of Louisville led with a time of 10.96, followed by Duke freshman Jacob Sobota at 11:01 and Florida State junior Dante Newberg at 11.28. They emerged as the early leaders in the small field, which features only seven entrants this year.
The long jump, shot put, high jump and 400 meters competition remains on today’s decathlon docket, and the women’s heptathlon competition begins at noon.
Field events begin at 3 p.m. today with finals set in the men’s hammer, men’s high jump, women’s hammer, women’s pole vault and women’s high jump. Following preliminaries in several running events, competition is set to conclude this evening with the running of the men’s and women’s 10,000 meter races.
ACC Network Extra will again stream three hours of live action on the event’s first night (Thursday, May 10), followed by four hours of coverage on Friday and Saturday evenings. Sean Kenney returns to handle play-by-play, while former U.S. Olympic standout Dan O’Brien will serve as analyst. The pair will be joined by distance race analyst David Mitchell and Melanie Newman as sideline reporter. Rick Willenzik will produce the broadcasts.
ACC Network Extra will bring live action Thursday from 6-9 p.m. Friday’s live coverage will air from 5:30-9:30 p.m., followed by Saturday’s finals from 5-9 p.m.
Links to each day’s livestream:
Thursday
6 pm:
http://www.espn.com/watch/_/id/3357487/acc-track--field-championships
Friday
5:30 pm:
http://www.espn.com/watch/_/id/3357486/acc-track--field-championships
Saturday
5 pm:
http://www.espn.com/watch/_/id/3357490/acc-track--field-championships
Make sure to follow @ACCTrackField on Twitter throughout the Championship for news and updates.