at Wake Forest
TUESDAY, MARCH 21Winston-Salem, N.C.
4:00 p.m.
For the fifth straight year, the Virginia Tech wrestling team recorded a top-10 finish at the NCAA Wrestling Championships, coming in sixth with 63.5 points at the event held this past Thursday through Saturday in St. Louis, Missouri. Ty Walz (heavyweight) and Jared Haught (197 pounds) both came in fourth in their respective weight classes, while Joey Dance (125) was fifth and Solomon Chishko (149) ended up seventh. Sal Mastriani (157) recorded his highest finish ever, coming in eighth. All five earned All-America honors, with Walz concluding his career as a three-time All-American. The event marked the final one for Walz, Dance and Mastriani, as the trio combined for 288 wins.
Virginia Tech Athletics presents its weekly video wrap-up of Tech sports, filling you in on game action from recent events.
Virginia Tech wrestling All-Americans
Joey Dance 125 pounds • Senior • Finished fifth in his weight class • Now a two-time All-American
Solomon Chishko 149 pounds • Redshirt Sophomore • Finished sixth in his weight class • Now a two-time All-American
Sal Mastriani 157 pounds • Redshirt Senior • Finished eighth in his weight class • First-time All-American
Jared Haught 197 pounds • Redshirt Junior • Finished fourth in his weight class • Now a two-time All-American
Ty Walz heavyweight • Redshirt Senior • Finished fourth in his weight class • Now a three-time All-American
Virginia Tech women's swimming All-American
Reka Gyorgy 400 IM • Freshman • First All-American honor
Behind some torrid hitting, the Virginia Tech baseball team took the final two games of a three-game series against No. 1 Florida State to win the series held at English Field over this past weekend. After losing the first game Friday night, Tech won the final two games by scores of 13-12 and 17-0 to move to 13-9 overall, 3-3 in the ACC. In the first victory, Tom Stoeffel homered and drove in four runs, and he followed that performance by driving in two more in the second win. Nick Anderson and Kit Scheetz combined on a five-hit shutout, with Anderson going eight innings and striking out five. Tech, which registered 30 hits in the final two games, returns to action Tuesday with a non-conference game against William & Mary at English Field.
The Virginia Tech football team begins its 2017 spring football practice Tuesday evening, as the Hokies seek to building on their 10-win, Belk Bowl-winning 2016 season in the first year under head coach Justin Fuente. Tech returns 37 letterwinners and 14 starters from that squad, but goes into the spring searching for replacements at quarterback, receiver, free safety and along the offensive and defensive lines. For more on the Hokies, please click here. Tech concludes spring practice with the annual Maroon-Orange Spring Game, which will take place April 22 at Lane Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 2:30 p.m.
Virginia Tech football player Chris Cunningham played in 12 games as a redshirt freshman this past season, and he caught six passes – four for touchdowns. The Jacksonville, Florida native answered the following questions so fans can get to know him as more than just a talented student-athlete.
Q: What is your dream vacation?
CC: My dream vacation would be to go to Bora Bora.
Q: What’s your favorite place to eat?
CC: Zaxby’s.
Q: What is your favorite city that you've visited?
CC: Sydney, Australia.
Q: If you could play another sport, what would it be?
CC: Basketball or soccer.
Q: Why did you choose Virginia Tech?
CC: Because of the atmosphere and friendly environment. Plus football.
Q: If you could live anywhere, where would it be?
CC: Los Angeles.
Q: If you could trade places with someone for a day, who would it be?
CC: Coach Fuente.
Q: What are you listening to these days?
CC: Trap music.
Q: What is the talent you’d most like to have?
CC: Being able to sing.
Q: What is your favorite thing about being a Virginia Tech athlete?
CC: Running out of the tunnel and winning games for Hokie Nation.
The Virginia Tech women’s basketball team knocked off Rider and took care of business against Navy, both at Virginia Tech Carilion Court, to advance to the next round of play in the Women’s National Invitation Tournament. Against Rider, Regan Magarity tallied her 15th double-double of the season, recording 25 points and 12 rebounds and tying Uju Ugoka’s (2013-14) single-season record. Chanette Hicks added 21 points, five rebounds and two assists. Hicks led Tech with 18 points and dished out seven assists in the win over Navy. Samantha Hill chipped in 16 points and five boards, while Sidney Cook had a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds. Vanessa Panousis tallied 11 points and moved into eighth place on Tech’s career-scoring list. The Hokies, who are now 19-13 on the season, advanced to the next round, where they will take on Penn State on Thursday night in State College, Pennsylvania.
Kristine Loscalzo scored four goals and four other Hokies scored three to lead the Virginia Tech women’s lacrosse team to a 17-12 non-conference win over William & Mary this past Saturday. The win marked Tech’s fourth straight and moved the Hokies to 10-2 on the season. In the process, the Hokies notched their first 10-win season since 2011. Meagh Graham finished with 10 saves in the net, as the Hokies was delayed 80 minutes by thunderstorms and ultimately moved from Thompson Field to Tech’s Indoor Practice Facility. The Hokies wrap up non-conference play Friday with a road contest at Campbell. First draw is at 4 p.m.
Dave Cianelli, Virginia Tech’s director of track and field and cross country, was named the ACC Men’s Indoor Coach of the Year after the Tech men’s team won the ACC team title three weeks ago at the ACC Indoor Championships. The title marked the fourth indoor crown for the men’s program, and Cianelli received his 11th ACC Coach of the Year honor. Also, freshman Michael Davenport received the ACC Men’s Indoor Track and Field Freshman of the Year honor, becoming the first Tech sprinter to win the award and just the fourth ever. Davenport came in fifth in the 200-meter dash at the ACC meet, and he already owns the fourth-best 200 time in program history and the sixth-best 400 time. In addition, distance coach Ben Thomas was named the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association’s National Assistant Coach of the Year. Thomas’ runners scored 62 of the team’s 109 points in winning the ACC title and 21 of the team’s 23.5 points at the NCAA Indoor Championships, where the Hokies came in a program-best seventh.
Reka Gyorgy, a freshman from Ullo, Hungary, earned All-America honors in the 400-yard individual medley to headline the performances by the Virginia Tech women’s swimming and diving team at the NCAA Championships held in Indianapolis last week. Gyorgy came in eighth with a time of 4 minutes, 7.37 seconds, becoming the first Tech freshman swimmer to earn first-team All-America honors since Jessica Botzum in 2005. Jessica Hespeler and Klaudia Nazieblo earned honorable mention All-America honors in their respective events, with Hespeler coming in 13th in the 200 freestyle and Nazieblo finishing 16th in the 200 butterfly. Also, the 800 freestyle relay team of Hespeler, Fiona Donnelly, Nazieblo and Gyorgy earned honorable mention All-America honors with a 16th-place finish. The quartet set a school record with a time of 7:03.10. The meet concluded the season for the Tech women’s swimming and diving squad.
The great careers of Zach LeDay and Seth Allen came to an end this past Thursday, as the Virginia Tech basketball team lost 84-74 to Wisconsin in a first-round NCAA Tournament game played in Buffalo, New York. The Hokies finished the season with a 22-11 record. LeDay led Tech with 23 points in his final game, while Allen added 10 points and six assists. The Hokies trailed for much of the second half, closing to within 74-73 on LeDay’s two free throws with 2:25 remaining. The Badgers, though, ended the game with a 10-1 run. The NCAA appearance marked Tech’s first in a decade and the program’s ninth overall.
A 10-run second inning propelled Virginia Tech to a 13-4 victory over North Carolina in softball on Sunday afternoon, handing the Tar Heels their first conference loss and snapping UNC’s eight-game winning streak. Tech moved to 11-13 on the season, 3-6 in league action. Emma Strouth and Breanna Davenport each homered and drove in three runs, and freshman pitcher Carrie Eberle got her fifth win of the season in the circle. The Hokies return to action Tuesday with a non-conference doubleheader against East Tennessee State at Tech Softball Park.
Virginia Tech’s Amanda Hollandsworth tied for 13th in the individual competition at the 3M Augusta Invitational held last weekend in Augusta, Georgia. Hollandsworth shot 6-over-par in the three-round event, finishing 18 strokes behind medalist Jessica Haigwood of Augusta, and the Hokies finished 11th as a team. The performance marked Hollandsworth’s third top-15 finish of the season. Tech continues its season March 27-28 at the Henssler Intercollegiate held at Pinetree Country Club in Kennesaw, Georgia.
The Virginia Tech men’s tennis team won its first ACC match of the season when it knocked off NC State this past Friday in Raleigh, North Carolina. The Hokies split on the weekend and have a record of 6-7 overall, 1-2 in league play. Against the Wolfpack, the Hokies took the doubles points, and then they received singles wins from Mitch Harper, Jason Kros and Freddy Mesmer. Harper’s three-set win over Igor Saveljic (6-2, 2-6, 6-2) turned out to be the game winner. The Hokies continue ACC action today with a match against Wake Forest in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
A large contingent of loyal Virginia Tech wrestling fans was on hand at the NCAA Championships in St. Louis, and the Hokies gave them lots to cheer about. Senior Ty Walz, who earned his third All-America honor finishing fourth at heavyweight, thanked the crowd en route to Tech’s sixth place finish as a team. This marked the fifth consecutive season that the Hokies have finished in the the top ten in the nation.
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