BLACKSBURG, Va. (theACC.com) – It didn’t take long for a bit of history to be made as the 2019 Atlantic Coast Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships got underway Thursday at Virginia Tech’s Rector Field House.
 
Miami senior Michelle Athereley swept all five events in the women’s pentathlon to finish with a gold medal score of 4,498 points that stands as the top overall mark in ACC history and currently ranks No. 1 nationally for the 2018-19 season.
 
Athereley, who capped her stellar day with a first-place time of 2:12.98 in the 800 meters, topped the previous ACC pentathlon record of 4,450 points, held by North Carolina’s Xenia Rahn since 2015. Atherley also bettered her own ACC Championship mark of 4,218, which she set during the 2017 meet at Notre Dame.
 
With two women’s events completed, Duke held the team lead at the end of Thursday’s opening session with 17 points. NC State followed with 15, while Miami and Virginia Tech stood tied for third place with 10 points each. Florida State (8) and Notre Dame (6) rounded out the early top six.
 
Notre Dame took the early lead on the men’s side, with the Fighting Irish gold medal DMR team picking up 10 early points. The Fighting Irish were followed by Virginia Tech (8), Duke (6), Georgia Tech (5), Virginia (4) and Pitt (3).
 
Women’s DMR
Virginia Tech brought home the gold medal in the women’s distance medley for the second consecutive year as Sarah Edwards, Arlicia Bush, Shannon Quinn and Rachel Pocratsky delivered a combined effort of 11:08.2. Florida State (11:13.05) took the silver medal, while Notre Dame (11:13.73) took third place.
 
Men’s DMR
The Notre Dame men didn’t duplicate last weekend’s league-record and NCAA-leading effort in the distance medley relay, but the Fighting Irish had enough to claim their first gold medal in the event since 2014. Yared Nuguse’s strong finish capped the race for the Fighting Irish, who registered a first-place time of 9:38.85. Vincent Zona, Edward Cheatham and Samuel Voelz joined in the winning team effort. Virginia Tech took second in 9:45.03, followed by Duke at 9:47.29.
 
Women’s Pentathlon 60 Meters
Atherley entered the Championships ranked No. 2 nationally in the pentathlon, and she wasted little time in living up to her billing. Atherley opened with a first-place time of 8.26 in the 60-meter dash. The Hurricane standout was followed by Duke sophomore Erin Marsh (8.40) and Syracuse junior Aviana Goode (8.68).
 
Women’s Pentathlon High Jump
Atherley continued her fast start by claiming the high jump with a winning leap of 1.76m. The Miami senior finished ahead of Duke’s Marsh and Syracuse’s Goode. Atherely leads the overall scoring with 1,998 points. Marsh is next with 1,930, and Goode stands third with 1,869.
 
Women’s Pentathlon Shot Put
Make it three events in a row for Miami’s Atherley, who took the shot put with a winning throw of 11.95 meters. Atherley outdistanced Louisville’s Addie Warner (11.31m) and Duke’s Marsh (11.06m). Atherley leads the overall scoring with 2,656 points through three events.
 
Women’s Pentathlon Long Jump
The Hurricanes’ Atherley continued to flash All-America form, winning the long jump by nearly a foot and a half ahead of her nearest competitor. Atherley’s jump of 6.23 meters led Duke’s Marsh (5.81) and Syracuse’s Goode (5.73) among the top three. Atherley took a score of 3,577 points into the 800 meters, and then closed with a flourish. She was followed in the final standings by Marsh, who registered personal bests in all five events and whose score of 4,132 ranks ninth in the nation. NC State’s Timara Chapman took the bronze medal with 3,813 points.
 
Men’s Heptathlon 60 Meters
Friday’s action also featured the running of the first four events in the men’s heptathlon, beginning with the 60-meter dash. The host Hokies grabbed the top two spots in that event with Jaclyn Demory placing first at 6.95 and Matthew Manilli second at 7.04. Louisville’s Dominic McClinton finished in third place with a time of 7.08.
 
Men’s Heptathlon Long Jump
Manilli and Demory swapped places in the second hepathlon event, with Manilli’s mark of 6.96 meters registering first in the long jump, followed by Demory at 6.79m. Miami senior Andrea Christodoulou followed at 6.76m. Manilli held first place in the overall standings with 1,672 points through two events, eight points ahead of Demory.
 
Men’s Heptathlon Shot Put
NC State’s Grant Rivers – a senior veteran of heptathlon competition – earned first place in the shot put with his throw of 12.45 meters. Miami’s Christodoulou followed with a toss of 11.90m, and Pitt’s Cobe Wiggins was third in the competition at 11.77m. Virginia Tech’s Demory led the overall scoring with 2,188 points, but a mere 93 points separates spots 1 through 7 after three events.
 
Men’s Heptathlon High Jump
NC State’s Rivers literally leapt to second place in the overall standings in the final pentathlon event of Thursday’s session, posting another first-place finish with his mark of 1.99 meters in the high jump. Rivers will enter Friday’s closing three-event session with 2,889 points, 20 behind Lousivlle’s McClinton. Virginia Tech’s Manilli follows with 2,852 points. Competition closes Friday with the 60m hurdles, pole vault and 1,000 meter run.
 
Full Day Set Friday
The running of the DMR races concluded Thursday’s opening session. Action resumes on Friday and will feature finals in both the men’s and women’s long jump and high jump, the men’s and women’s weight throw, the women’s pole vault and both the men’s and women’s 5,000 meters. The day will also be highlighted by the conclusion of the men’s heptathlon and men’s and women’s qualifying in six running events. Competition begins at 10 a.m. at Rector Field House, and there is no charge for admission.
 
ACC Network Extra will live again stream action the final two days, with former Olympic decathlon gold medalist Dan O’Brien serving as color analyst, reprising the role he first filled at the 2015 ACC Outdoor Championships. He will be joined by veteran ESPN play-by-play announcer Shawn Kenney, distance analyst David Mitchell and sideline reporter Hanna Yates. Coverage will air from 4 p.m. until the conclusion of the 5,000m finals on Friday, and on Saturday from 1 p.m. until the meet’s conclusion (approximately 5 p.m.)
 
Please go to the links below to follow the ACC Indoor Track and Field Championships on-line:

Results, Start Lists
https://theacc.co/itf19results

2019 ACC Indoor Championships Page
Theacc.com/itfchamp
 
2019 Indoor Championships Schedule of Events
https://theacc.co/ACCitfR1819
 
Links to each day’s livestream:
Friday, Feb 22 at 4 pm: https://theacc.co/itf19watch0222
Saturday, Feb 23 at 1 pm: https://theacc.co/itf19watch0223
 
ACC 2018-19 Performance Lists: https://theacc.co/ITFlistsACC