Virginia Tech Women Win Hokie Open at Home
The Virginia Tech women's cross country team claimed first place with 15 points at the Hokie Open in Blacksburg.
Updated on Nov. 7, 2026 in Running
The Virginia Tech women's cross country team won the Hokie Open at home, finishing first with 15 points. The men's team placed in the top eight of the meet.
Why it matters
The result gives the women's team a strong showing heading into the NCAA Southeast Regionals, where several runners posted personal bests. The performance highlights depth across the scoring group.
Holgado won the 4.4K in 14:54.1, a personal best, while Elakari (15:10.7), Coe (15:19.9), and Alexander (15:21.9) also posted personal bests. Full scoring totals for other competing teams were not included in the source data.
The players
Virginia Tech Cross Country
The Virginia Tech cross country program is the collegiate team representing Virginia Tech in NCAA distance running competition.
Sophia Holgado
Sophia Holgado is a Virginia Tech distance runner who won the women's 4.4K race at the Hokie Open.
Ethan Thorne
Ethan Thorne is a Virginia Tech distance runner who won the men's 6K race at the Hokie Open.
The details
Sophia Holgado led the women's team to victory with her 4.4K win, and Kenza Elakari, Elizabeth Coe, Sofi Alexander, and Lydia Mikhin provided the remaining scoring finishes. On the men's side, Ethan Thorne won the 6K in 17:59.1, with Will Fadden second and William Winter fourth, and Cole Boone finished eighth in his first career race.
Timeline
Hokie Open was held November 6, 2026, in Blacksburg.
NCAA Southeast Regionals take place at 11 a.m. ET in Spartanburg, S.C.
Season Trajectory
The Hokie Open is an early-season meet that sets competitive positioning ahead of the NCAA Southeast Regionals, where qualification to the national championship is decided. A strong team showing with multiple personal bests strengthens the program's standing in that regional field.
Fans tracking collegiate distance rankings can use the women's team's 15-point scoring total and personal-best finishes to gauge regional readiness. The Southeast Regionals are the next checkpoint for qualifying runners to the national championship.
The takeaway
Strong early-season results and multiple personal bests suggest the Virginia Tech distance group is peaking at the right time for regional qualifying. Readers following collegiate running can watch the Southeast Regionals for qualifying outcomes.
What happens next
The Virginia Tech teams will compete at the NCAA Southeast Regionals in Spartanburg, S.C., at 11 a.m. ET.
Further reading
Explore more Running coverage for context on collegiate distance competition.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Virginia Tech Athletics.
