Virginia Tech Hokies shine at NCAA track and field championships

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark.—Virginia Tech’s Marcel Lomnicky placed first in the hammer throw with a toss measuring 253 feet, 6 inches at the NCAA track and field championships yesterday.

Fellow Hokie Dorotea Habazin finished fourth in the same event on the women’s side with a throw of 214-11.

Destinee Hooker, a junior at Texas, won the high jump at the NCAA track and field championships, her third outdoor national title in four years.

Hooker, who wants to compete in the 2012 London Olympics in both track and field and volleyball, won with a jump of 6 feet, 4¾ inches. Elizabeth Patterson of Arizona finished second. Patterson won the title last year, when Hooker was redshirting and focusing on volleyball.

She hasn’t seemed rusty this year after returning to the high jump. She won the NCAA indoor title in March, and she cleared the first five heights she attempted yesterday on the first try.

Northwest Arkansas was hit by bad weather that became severe around noon, with rain, high winds, lightning and tornado concerns. The meet was delayed until the middle of the afternoon, and when it resumed the shot put areas had turned into small lakes. Fortunately, that event ended Thursday.

Stevi Large of Akron won the women’s hammer throw with a toss of 223 feet, 4 inches, and Brianne Theisen of Oregon took the heptathlon with 6,086 points.

Oregon led the women’s team race with 21 points, and Arizona State was in second place with 14.

Oregon also led the men’s team race. The Oregon men are trying for a “Triple Crown” after winning team national titles in cross country and indoor track and field earlier this season.

The 100-meter finals were scheduled for last night. LSU’s Trindon Holliday, who also plays football for the Tigers, had the fastest semifinal time among the men. He was third in the 100 last year.

Alexandria Anderson of Texas was the fastest woman in the semifinals.