BLACKSBURG, Va. (theACC.com) – To the surprise of almost no one, the 2019 Atlantic Coast Conference Indoor Championships weren’t decided until the closing events. The Virginia Tech and Florida State men and the Miami women met the challenge.

The host Hokies received a clutch first-place effort from junior Peter Seufer in the men’s 3,000 meters to slip past defending champion FSU in the overall team standings, but the Seminoles countered with a season-best gold medal time of 3:10.61 in the closing 4x400 relay to tie the Hokies at 117-all and earn a share of the ACC Men’s Championship.

Miami used a blazing meet record time of 3:32.75 in the 4x400 relay to move into a first-place tie with the defending champion FSU women at 91 points apiece. The Hurricanes then became outright champions when FSU was disqualified from the 4x400 field after placing third in the event with what would have been a season-best time. The ruling cost the Seminoles six points and dropped them back to 85 point and a second-place overall team finish.'

The men’s ACC indoor championship is the fifth for Virginia Tech and the second in three seasons under veteran head coach Dave Cianelli. The ACC men’s indoor championship is FSU’s 12th and the 10th under head coach Bob Braman.

“It was a great meet, and I really think we got the maximum from our guys,” Cianelli said. “Florida State has a tremendous team, as we all know. We are a young team and (pole vaulter) Deakin Volz is our only senior. So I am proud of what we were able to do. I’m not going to sit around thinking, ‘If we had just got another point here or another point there.’ I am not going to do that. I really think we did everything we could.”

Braman called it “an exciting finsih."

“You go from thinking you have it won, and then boom – here comes Virginia Tech in all the field events and the 3K, and then you start thinking you are going to lose,” Braman said. “And then our 4x4 (relay) comes through and you feel like you’ve won again. Virginia Tech is a hard place to win, and there are only a handful of times in my career I’ve been able to carry a trophy out of here. I’m glad to be carrying half of one out of here today.”

Kasaun James, whose anchor leg split of just more than 46 seconds keyed FSU’s meet-saving 4x400 relay effort, also took gold medals in the 60- and 200-meter dashes and earned men’s Championship Track MVP honors. Virginia Tech junior Isaiah Rogers picked up Men’s Field MVP after piling up 16 points in throwing events.

Miami, led by Hall of Fame coach Amy Deem, claimed the ACC women’s indoor title for the third time in four seasons and the fifth time overall.

“We knew this morning when we got up that it was going to be a battle, and it was,” Deem said. “We told our sprinters and our throwers that they were going to have to carry us, and they did.”

No one sprinted harder than the Hurricanes’ 4x400 that closed the race. The foursome of Symone Mason, Brittny Ellis, Kayla Johnson and Samantha Gonzalez’s meet record-setting time not only lifted Miami to victory, it topped last year’s previous meet record of 3:32.84, which Clemson set last year on its home track.

Michelle Atherley, who keyed the Hurricanes’ fast start with an ACC-record 4,498 points in the pentathlon on Thursday, was the Women’s Field MVP. FSU’s Ka’Tia Seymour earned Women’s Track MVP after winning gold medals in both the 60 and 200 meters.

The tie for first place in the ACC men’s indoor championship is the first in the 60-year history of the event. Florida State and Virginia Tech were followed by NC State (61), Clemson (51), Virginia (49) and Notre Dame (41) among the top six.
Virginia Tech’s women placed third in the overall team scoring behind Miami and FSU with 84 points. Louisville (63 points) took fourth place, followed by Duke (60), NC State (58) and NC State (58).

An event-by-event glance at Saturday’s closing action:

Men’s 3,000 meters
Just when Florida State had slipped into the men’s team lead for the first time, Seufer had the answer for host Virginia Tech. Seufer’s winning time of 7:59.60 gave the Hokies’ 10 huge team points and lifted them to first place in the team standings. Virginia Tech led second-place Florida State 113-107 with only the 4x400 relay remaining, leaving the Seminoles to salvage the tie with their late heroics in that event. Syracuse’s Illiass Aouani placed second at 8:00.99, and NC State freshman Ian Shanklin – Friday’s 5,000 meters champion – took third place at 8:03.15. With the wins by Seufer and Louisville’s Dorcas Wasike on the women’s side, both 2018 ACC cross country champions emerged as 3,000 meters winners at this year’s Indoor Championships.
 
Women’s Mile
Virginia Tech’s Sarah Edwards gave the home crowd plenty to cheer about in the first scored event of Saturday’s session, taking the gold medal with a winning time of 4:41.56. Edwards, who led most of the race, held off silver medalist Morgan Ilse of North Carolina (4:43.05) and Johanna Shulz of Wake Forest (4:43.50).
 
Men’s Mile
Notre Dame sophomore Yared Nuguse clocked an under-four-minute mile as part of Notre Dame’s ACC record-setting DMR team last weekend, and he topped himself on Saturday with a gold medal time of 3:57.93 that set a new Rector Field House record and ranks among the current top three nationally. Virginia Tech’s Diego Zarate placed second at 4:03.54, and NC State’s Philip Hall followed at 4:04.89.
 
Women’s 60m Hurdles
In an event that showcased a number of the nation’s premier hurdlers, Miami’s Tiara McMinn posted a blazing time of 7.95 that ranks second nationally. McMinn, last year’s bronze medalist, bested Georgia Tech’s Jeanine Williams (8.09) and Florida State’s Cortney Jones (8.13).
 
Men’s 60m Hurdles
Florida State sophomore Trey Cunningham became the second student-athlete to set an ACC Championship record at this year’s event when clocked a gold medal time of 7.64 to place first in the men’s 60-meter hurdles for the second consecutive season. Cunningham, who also shares the ACC overall record (7.53 set earlier this season), broke the previous ACC Championship mark of 7.65 set by Syracuse’s Freddie Crittenden III in 2017. Clemson’s LaFranz Campbell (7.82) took the silver medal on Saturday, and Syracuse’s Matt Moore (7.83) the bronze. Cunningham joined Miami senior Michelle Atherley, who broke her own ACC Championship mark in the women’s pentathlon on Thursday.

Women’s Shot Put
NC State’s Lauren Evans found herself in a familiar spot after winning the women’s shot put with her throw of 16.45 meters (53-11.75). It marked Evans’ 16th podium finishes in 18 events this season, a remarkable run that includes 13 first-place finishes on the season. Clemson’s Janell Fullerton threw 16.35 meters to earn the silver medal, and Miami’s Selina Dantzler (15.90m) took the bronze.
 
Women’s 400 meters
Miami’s run of nationally-ranked time in women’s events continued as Ellis dashed to a winning time of 52.66 in the 400 meters. Ellis’ time currently ranks No. 6 in the country. Florida State freshman Karmiah Davis took second place at 53.02, and Duke senior India Lowe clocked in at 53.24 to earn the bronze.
 
Men’s 400 meters
Jacory Patterson opened Virginia Tech’s season by being named the NCAA Division I Male Athlete of the Week, and the Hokie freshman showed Saturday that he still remains in prime form. Patterson took the men’s 400 meters with a winning time of 46.04. Florida State’s DaeQwan Butler followed at 46.87, and Georgia Tech’s Ben Jean took the bronze in 47.22.
 
Women’s 60 meters
Seymour raced to the gold medal with a time of 7.23 as the Seminoles continued to climb up the women’s team scoring ladder. Virginia freshman Halle Hazzard placed second at 7.32, edging Miami’s Carolyn Brown (7.32m).
 
Men’s 60 meters
In an event loaded with six runners from Florida State, James kicked ahead in the final 10 meters to lead the field with a time of 6.61. He edged Miami’s Raheem Chambers, who ran a personal best and school-record 6.62. NC State’s Cravont Charleston – who ranks No. 2 nationally and edged James by the slimmest of margins in two regular-season races – took the bronze on Saturday with a time of 6.67. Florida State earned a total of 25 teams points in the race to move into second place in the standings with six events still remaining.
 
Women’s Triple Jump
After an absence of three years, Georgia Tech’s Bria Matthews is back atop the pecking order in the ACC women’s triple jump. Matthews too the gold with a mark of 13.21 meters (43-4.25), almost a half-foot longer than her distance in 2016, when she earned Championship Field MVP honors after winning both the long jump and triple jump. Virginia’s Kelly McKee (13.00m) and Virginia Tech’s Eszter Bajnok (12.95m) were the silver and bronze medalists.
 
Women’s 800 Meters
Make it two in a row for senior Rachel Pocratsky and six straight for Virginia Tech, which continues to dominate the ACC women’s indoor 800 meters. Pocratsky successfully defended her 2018 crown with a winning time of 2:03.43 that matched the Rector Field House record set by former teammate Hanna Green in 2017, Amanda Smith began Virginia Tech’s current 800 meter run with the gold medal in 2014. Green followed with three straight wins before passing the torch to Pocratsky prior to last season. Miami sophomore Kayla Johnson took second on Saturday with a time of 2:05.21, and Virginia Tech senior Shannon Quinn earned the bronze in 2:06.58.
 
Men’s 800 meters
Wake Forest senior Robert Heppenstall, who last claimed the men’s 800 in 2016, raced back into the winners’ circle Saturday with a time of 1:46.87 that set a Rector Field House facility record and fell just a fraction short of the ACC Championship record. Georgia Tech’s Avery Bartlett took second place with a time of 1:48.39, and Duke junior Matt Wisner third at 1:48.57.
 
Men’s Pole Vault
Virginia Tech’s Volz successfully defended his title in the men’s pole vault, posting a winning mark of 5.45 meters (17-10.5). It marked the third consecutive season and the 10th time in 13 years that the Hokies have claimed the men’s indoor vault. Virginia Tech sophomore Joel Benitez took the silver medal at 5.15 meters, edging Duke bronze medalist Esteban Suarez.

Women’s 200 Meters
The Florida State women’s charge continued as Seymour claimed the gold medal for the second straight year with a time of 23.54, and freshman teammate Karmiah Davis followed at 23.55. NC State’s Gabrielle Cunningham (23.67) took home the bronze. The Seminoles climbed into second place in the team standings with 79 total points, two behind Miami (81) and five ahead of Virginia Tech (74).
 
Men’s 200 Meters
Following the Seminole women, the FSU men used the 200 meters to make a big push toward the top. With four runners competing in the final heat, and five running in the eight-man field, James’ gold medal time of 20.56 and freshman Bryand Rincher’s silver medal showing at 21.07 led a flurry that brought the Seminoles (98 team points) to within one of Virginia Tech in the team scoring. A second freshman, Jhevaughn Matherson, chipped in a bronze medal time of 21.13 to help further close the gap.
 
Men’s Shot Put
Sophomore Daniel McArthur took home North Carolina’s lone gold medal with his throw of 19.60 meters (64-3.75). McArthur placed ahead of Virginia Tech junior Isaiah Rogers (18.19m) and Clemson junior Grant Voeks (18.11m) among podium finishers.
 
Men’s Triple Jump
Virginia’s Jordan Scott claimed his second triple jump championship in three years with a winning mark of 16.37 meters (53-8.5) – short of the ACC record 16.90 meters he set earlier this season but surpassing his mark of two years ago by nearly a foot. NC State freshman Jamar Davis (16.01m) took second place, and Florida State senior Armani Wallace (15.70m) was the bronze medalist.
 
Women’s 3,000 meters
Less than 24 hours after missing out on successfully defending her 5,000 meters championship by a fraction of a second, Louisville junior Dorcas Wasike rebounded to take the 3,000 meters on Saturday with a winning time of 9:24.05. Wasike overtook defending event champion and fellow All-American Elly Henes on the final lap. Henes took the silver medal at 9:24.05. But the real story of the event was a third-place finish by Florida State senior Militsa Mircheva, whose bronze medal effort of 9:24.94 pushed the Seminoles into first place with one event to go – four points up on Miami and nine up on Virginia Tech.
 
2019 ACC INDOOR TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS
FINALS
Rector Field House
Blacksburg, Va.
Feb. 23, 2019
 
MEN’S STANDINGS
(17 of 17 events completed)
t-1. Florida State 117
t-1. Virginia Tech 117
3. NC State 61
4. Clemson 51
5. Virginia 49
6. Notre Dame 41
7. Syracuse 33
8. Georgia Tech 32
9. Duke 30.5
10. Louisville 29
11. Miami 28
12. North Carolina 23
13. Pitt 22
14. Wake Forest 20.5
15. Boston College 6
 
WOMEN’S STANDINGS
(17 of 17 events completed)
1. Miami 91
2. Florida State 85
3. Virginia Tech 84
4. Louisville 63
5. Duke 60
6. NC State 58
7. Clemson 39
8. Notre Dame 33
9. Virginia 31
t-10. North Carolina 29
t-10. Syracuse 29
12. Wake Forest 23
13. Georgia Tech 20
14. Pitt 12
15. Boston College 4