The 2015 season saw the Virginia Tech Hokies once again among the elite programs in collegiate women’s soccer.

The Virginia Tech women’s soccer team maneuvered its way through a challenging Atlantic Coast Conference schedule for the 11th straight year, but like a sucker punch one never sees coming, the Hokies missed on the 2016 NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2007.

Under head coach Chugger Adair, Tech completed its 2016 campaign with an 11-5-3 record, capping the regular season with a 1-0 win over Wake Forest to finish eighth overall in the ACC standings. Senior Murielle Tiernan paced the team once again, with 10 goals and 20 points and tallied a team-high five game-winning goals, as the Hokies scored 20 times in 19 matches for a 1.58 per-game average.

Without a doubt, Tiernan will leave Tech as one of the most decorated players in Tech women’s soccer history. A three-time All-ACC first-team nominee, Tiernan completed her Hokie career with 49 goals and 112 points, both atop the all-time lists at Virginia Tech. She also leads the all-time lists in game-winning goals (23) and multiple-goal games (9) and is tied for seventh in assists (14). Tiernan helped build the program, as well as helped solidify its place in the ACC.

She also accumulated a large number of accolades alongside classmate Candace Cephers. The senior duo received All-ACC recognition, with Tiernan landing on the first team list and Cephers on the third-team ballot. Cephers and Tiernan also earned NSCAA all-region honors, landing on the NSCAA All-Southeast Region second- and third-team lists, respectively.

Additionally, rising sophomore goalkeeper Mandy McGlynn was called up by the United States U-18 National Team for a trio of friendlies held in Northern Ireland midway through the season. Since then, McGlynn has participated in numerous camps across the country. She completed her freshman campaign with 58 saves, logging six shutouts on the year and holding a 1.17 goals against average.

Timely scoring, good defense and strong goalkeeping led to the Virginia Tech men’s soccer team enjoying its best season in nearly a decade, as the Hokies went 13-5-4 overall, including 3-4-1 in the ACC, and advanced to the Elite Eight at the NCAA tournament. The Hokies finished No. 8 in the final National Soccer Coaches Association of America national poll.

Tech’s non-conference record played a large role in the Hokies making postseason play for the first time since 2007, as they went 7-0-1 against non-conference foes during the regular season. That led to the program being ranked, and it stayed in the polls for nine straight weeks, climbing to as high as No. 15, before its NCAA run.

Tech’s best win came in the NCAA tournament when it knocked off Indiana 2-1 in overtime in Bloomington, Indiana. Forrest White’s only goal of the season turned out to be the difference in the upset. Marcelo Acuna led the team with 11 goals and 25 points this past season en route to earning All-ACC and All-America honors. He became the program’s second All-American, joining Patrick Nyarko, who earned such honors in 2007.

Goalie Ben Lundgaard and defender Will Mejia also played key roles. Lundgaard had career highs across the board, including minutes played (2,025), saves (87), save percentage (.806), goals allowed average (.933), shutouts (8) and shots faced (258). Mejia was named to Top Drawer Soccer’s Best Freshman XI first team after starting all 22 games for the Hokies and contributing to a defense that finished with nine shutouts.

A combination of injuries and planned redshirt seasons led to shuffling within the Virginia Tech men’s cross country lineup. But Andrew Gaiser and Daniel Jaskowak grabbed leadership roles and ran consistently all season to pace the squad and lead it to a solid season.

The Hokies finished fourth at the ACC Championships, coming in fifth or better for the seventh time since the school joined the ACC. They also finished sixth out of 29 teams at the NCAA Southeast Regional.

Gaiser and Jaskowak, two redshirt juniors, led the way by finishing in the top 25 of every meet, and both earned All-ACC and All-Southeast Region honors for the first time. Diego Zarate nearly earned All-ACC honors, and Brent Musselman earned All-Southeast Region honors after running the best race of his career at the NCAA regional. Jack Joyce, Baron Kieffer and Daniel Rau – all relative unknowns before the season – ran well enough to help the Hokies finish sixth or better as a team in every meet.

Gaiser elected to graduate and move on with his future career plans, but the rest of the crew returns. Plus Neil Gourley (redshirt), Patrick Joseph (redshirt) and Peter Seufer (mono) also return. The Hokies could be poised for a big 2017 fall campaign.

The Virginia Tech women’s cross country season enjoyed one of its best seasons in quite some time, as the Hokies, behind standout Katie Kennedy, finished third at the ACC Championships – the program’s best finish since the school joined the ACC.

The finish was a testament to the group, as seniors Hanna Green and Shannon Morton dealt with nagging injuries, and Tessa Riley also dealt with injuries, limiting the team’s potential. But Kennedy emerged and enjoyed a fantastic fall. She earned All-Southeast Region and All-ACC honors for the first time in her career and finished no worse than 21st in any race this past fall.

Tech’s young lineup came in eighth out of 32 squads at the NCAA Southeast Regional, providing hope for the future. Kennedy, along with rising juniors Rachel Pocratsky and Lauren Berman and rising sophomores Laurie Barton, Kayla Richardson and Sara Freix, all return. They provide a strong nucleus for a team that should be picked to finish very high in the ACC race next fall.

The Virginia Tech volleyball team battled through a tough 2016 campaign to finish with a 13-18 overall record, including an 8-12 mark in ACC matches. Despite the up-and-down campaign, the Hokies finished on a high note, as they won five of their final seven matches. The Hokies also contributed to the athletics department’s victory over Virginia in the Commonwealth Clash, beating the Cavaliers twice this past season.

Individually, senior Lindsey Owens brought home first-team All-ACC honors and was named AVCA All-Region honorable mention. She ranked sixth in the conference with 3.50 kills per set and led the Hokies with 15 double-doubles and four 20-plus kill performances. Owens and fellow senior Amanda McKinzie joined the 1,000-kill, 1,000-dig club this season, becoming the sixth and seventh players in program history to accomplish the feat.

In addition, freshman Carol Raffety etched her name in the program’s record book after she turned in a team-high 481 digs, the most for a freshman in Tech history. The previous record of 478 held by Amanda Cloyd had stood since 2004.

Following the season, Chris Riley resigned his position as the head coach. On Jan. 12, 2017, Tech Director of Athletics Whit Babcock tabbed Jill Lytle Wilson to lead the program after a successful 10-year run as an assistant coach at LSU, where she helped the Tigers to six NCAA appearances and the 2009 SEC championship. Wilson became just the fifth head coach in the 40-year history of Tech’s volleyball program.

Behind a record-setting offense, traditionally strong defense and solid special teams, the Virginia Tech football team won 10 games, claimed an ACC Coastal Division title and won the Belk Bowl in dramatic fashion, rallying from a 24-0 deficit with 35 unanswered points. The Hokies closed out a terrific season by being ranked No. 16 nationally in most major polls.

Justin Fuente was named ACC Coach of the Year in his first season at the Hokies’ helm. He and his staff won all those games with a roster that featured just 12 seniors. Yet 13 Hokies earned All-ACC honors this past fall, led by defensive tackle Woody Baron, receiver Isaiah Ford, linebacker Andrew Motuapuaka and cornerback Greg Stroman.

Tech’s offense, under coordinator Brad Cornelsen, set 10 school single-season marks, including ones for total yards (6,223), passing yards (3,660), completions (279), touchdown passes (31) and points (490). On defense, the Hokies ranked in the top 20 in total defense for the 13th time in coordinator Bud Foster’s tenure.

Following the season, four Hokies were drafted by NFL teams in the 2017 NFL Draft – Chuck Clark (sixth round, Baltimore), Bucky Hodges (sixth round, Minnesota), Sam Rogers (sixth round, L.A. Rams) and Ford (seventh round, Miami).

The Virginia Tech women’s swimming and diving team enjoyed a strong 2016-17 campaign, as the Hokies finished in the top five at the ACC Championships, and they recorded a 31st-place finish at the NCAA Championships.

Freshman Reka Gyorgy made an immediate impact during the championship season when she took home the 400-yard individual medley title at the ACC meet and finished eighth in the same event at the NCAA meet, thus earning All-America honors. Her time of 4:04.97 at the conference meet broke the school record.

Along with Gyorgy, junior Klaudia Nazieblo’s silver medal in the 200 butterfly, senior Jessica Hespeler’s bronze in the 200 freestyle and silver in the 1650 freestyle, and sophomore Ashlynn Peters’ gold medal performance in the 3-meter springboard helped lift the Hokies to fourth place at the ACC Championships. It marked the program’s 13th straight top-five finish at the ACC meet since joining the league.

Nazieblo and Hespeler went on to earn honorable mention All-America status at the NCAAs both as individuals and with Gyorgy and senior Fiona Donnelly in the 800 freestyle relay. Nazieblo earned honorable mention All-America honors in the 200 butterfly for the third time in her career, while Hespeler earned those same honors in the 200 freestyle.

Led by seniors Brandon Fiala and Robert Owen, the Virginia Tech men’s swimming and diving program recorded a top-five finish at the ACC Championships and a top-25 finish at the NCAA Championships, all of which made for a tremendously successful season under the direction of head coach Dr. Ned Skinner and his staff.

Fiala and Owen made their final seasons in Blacksburg memorable ones. Fiala won two ACC titles and earned All-America honors in both the 100 and 200 breaststroke. His 200-yard breaststroke time of 1:52.39 at the ACC meet broke the ACC, ACC Championship and program records. He departs with five All-America honors to his credit.

Owen became the first swimmer in program history and the sixth athlete in the history of the ACC to win gold in the 400 IM on three occasions. His time of 3:38.43 set a new ACC Championship record. He went on to reach the podium at the NCAAs in the same event, earning All-America status for the first time in his career.

The men’s team finished fourth at the ACC Championships and 22nd at the NCAA Championships. For the second consecutive season and for the fifth time in the past six seasons, the men’s team recorded a top-25 finish at the NCAA meet.

Mauro Castro-Silva
All-ACC Academic Team

Brandon Fiala
ACC Gold Medalist (100 Breaststroke)
ACC Gold Medalist (200 Breaststroke)
ACC Silver Medalist (200 IM)
All-ACC Academic Team
All-American (100 Breaststroke)
All-American (200 Breaststroke)
All-America Honorable Mention (200 IM)

Ian Ho
All-ACC Academic Team

Robert Owen
ACC Gold Medalist (400 IM)
All-American (400 IM)

Ben Schiesl
All-ACC Academic Team

The Virginia Tech wrestling team continued its dominance in the ACC and its ascension on the national stage in 2016-17.

Despite the departure of head coach Kevin Dresser after the regular season, the Hokies, under the direction of interim head coach Tony Robie, won the ACC tournament championship. Six individual champions (Joey Dance, Solomon Chishko, Zach Epperly, Zack Zavatsky, Jared Haught, Ty Walz) highlighted the team effort, as the Hokies won by a 29-point margin over second-place NC State. The Hokies also became the second team in eight years to win the ACC regular-season and tournament championships in the same year.

Robie, who ultimately was given the head coaching position on a permanent basis, coached five All-Americans and guided the Hokies to the program’s fifth straight top-10 finish at the NCAA Championships, as Tech came in sixth overall. Dance, Chishko, Haught, Walz and redshirt senior Sal Mastriani, who earned All-America honors for the first time, all reached the podium.

The Hokies finished the regular season with an 18-1 record, including a 5-0 mark in ACC dual-meet action, and peaked at No. 4 in the USA Today/NWCA Coaches Poll – the program’s highest regular season poll position since being slotted third in January of 2011.

Kenny Brooks’ first year at the helm of the Virginia Tech women’s basketball program turned out to be a successful one, as he and his staff guided the Hokies to a 20-win campaign and a postseason appearance. The Hokies finished with a 20-14 record and made it to the quarterfinals of the WNIT before falling to eventual champion Michigan. Tech’s 20-win season was the first for the program since 2005-06 and the WNIT wins marked the most postseason wins since 2002.

Highlights for the Hokies included wins over Tennessee for the second straight year, Nebraska in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge and Auburn in an overtime affair. Tech won its first 15 games to start the season and cracked the top-25 national polls for the first time in a decade. The Hokies reached as high as No. 15 in the polls this past season – their highest ranking since 1999.

On the individual side, the Hokies had several record-breaking performances. Vanessa Panousis became the all-time program leader in 3-pointers made, finishing her career with 269, while moving into seventh place on the all-time scoring list with 1,379 career points.

Also, Chanette Hicks had 123 steals on the year, setting records for the sophomore class, single-season and moved into first place on the career versus ACC opponents list. Fellow sophomore Regan Magarity set the single-season rebound record with 316 and tallied a program-best seven consecutive double-doubles, finishing the year with 15 total for second-most in the ACC. Kendyl Brooks made her mark on the program early, setting the freshman class record for 3-pointers made with 62.

Tech set a single-game record to cap off the season in a road win over Boston College, dropping in 15 long-range shots. The team combined for 247 from behind the arc on the year, while recording 2,405 points to set season records in both categories. In addition, the Hokies recorded 29 double-doubles, marking the second-most in a season in program history.

The season marked the final one for the careers of Panousis, Cook, Samantha Hill and Tara Nahodil. The quartet led Tech to back-to-back .500-plus seasons for the first time since 2005-06 and 2006-07.

The 2016-17 Virginia Tech men’s basketball season saw numerous highlights, and most importantly, the Hokies return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in a decade.

This rapidly improving program, under the direction of head coach Buzz Williams, made noticeable strides during the non-conference season, as the team finished 11-1 outside of the powerful Atlantic Coast Conference. Tech’s big win came at Michigan in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge, and the Hokies also won games against New Mexico, Nebraska and Mississippi.

Tech opened the conference slate with a decisive win over then-No. 5 Duke at Virginia Tech Carilion Court on New Year’s Eve – a win that catapulted the Hokies into the national polls for the first time in seven years. During the ACC season, Tech also claimed home wins over then-No. 12 Virginia and then-No. 25 Miami, marking only the second time in school history that Tech had recorded at least three wins over nationally ranked teams in a single season.

The Hokies finished the season 22-11 overall and 10-8 in ACC play, marking the first time in seven years that Tech had recorded back-to-back 20-win seasons. The 10 ACC wins tied the school record for ACC victories.

Tech earned its first NCAA Tournament berth since 2007, traveling to Buffalo, New York as a No. 9 seed. The Hokies saw their season come to an end with a loss to Wisconsin in the first round.

Tech’s top two scorers, Zach LeDay and Seth Allen, both earned honorable mention All-ACC accolades this past season, and each player was named the ACC Sixth Man of the Year. LeDay won the honor from the coaches, and Allen won the honor from the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association.

The Hokies led the ACC in 3-point field goal percentage for the season. Individually, both Justin Bibbs and LeDay scored their 1,000th point at Virginia Tech during the season, and Ty Outlaw set a new school record, making eight 3-pointers in the win over Miami. Williams won his 200th career game in the home win over Boston College.

Buzz Williams
VaSID Coach of the Year

Zach LeDay
ACC Sixth Man of the Year (coaches)
All-ACC Honorable Mention
All-ACC Tournament (Second Team)
Scored 1,000th Career Point
VaSID All-State Second Team

Seth Allen
ACC Sixth Man of the Year (Media)
All-ACC Honorable Mention
VaSID All-State Second Team

Justin Bibbs
Scored 1,000th Career Point

Justin Robinson
All-ACC Academic Team

First-year head coach John Sung led a Tech women’s lacrosse resurgence, as the program enjoyed its best season in 18 years.

The Hokies finished the 2017 season with an 11-8 record – tying for the most wins by the program. Tech also won two ACC games for the first time since the school joined the league, and the Hokies snapped a 27-game conference losing streak in the process.

The Hokies jumped out to a 6-1 record and found themselves ranked in the Inside Lacrosse national poll for the first time since 2011. Tech rose to as high as No. 12 in the poll this past season – its highest ranking as a program. In all, Tech was ranked for nine consecutive weeks during one stretch of the season.

The season could have been even better, as Tech lost four games by one goal, including three in overtime. A couple of wins in those games and the Hokies possibly would have received an at-large berth to the NCAA Championships.

Still, the 2017 season was a memorable one, to say the least. In addition to winning 11 games, the Hokies set single-season school records for goals (253) and points (326).

Tristan McGinley
Tewaarton Award Watch List (program’s first ever)

Kristine Localzo
IWLCA All-Star Game

The 2016-17 season marked a rebuilding year for the Virginia Tech men’s tennis team, as head coach Jim Thompson went about replacing five of his top seven players who anchored the team during the previous four seasons. This year, a young Hokies team finished with a 10-13 overall record, including high-profile wins over then-No. 18 Georgia Tech and then-No. 50 Alabama. Tech fell to NC State in the first round of the ACC Championship to conclude the season.

Individually, senior Jai Corbett and freshman Henrik Korsgaard received at-large bids to represent the Hokies at the NCAA Men’s Doubles Championship, becoming just the fifth doubles tandem in program history to represent the Hokies at the NCAA Doubles Championship. The duo lost in the opening round to a tandem from Texas Tech and wrapped up the season with a 7-5 record.

The Hokies’ best win came on April 15 when they stunned the then-No. 18 Yellow Jackets 4-3 at the Burrows-Burleson Tennis Center. Jason Kros won 1-6, 7-5, 7-5 at the No. 6 spot, setting off a wild celebration.

Corbett, the team’s lone senior, provided another big highlight this past season when he knocked off Christian Sigsgaard of Texas in a match on Feb. 2. Sigsgaard was ranked No. 6 nationally at the time. Freddy Mesmer, Mitch Harper and Kros had breakout years. Mesmer put up a 12-3 record in spring duals, while Kros went 13-9. Harper posted a 14-9 tally competing primarily at the No. 2 and No. 3 spots for Tech all spring. Tech freshmen Korsgaard and Alexandre Ribeiro had solid rookie campaigns in an always tough ACC, going 8-10 and 9-12, respectively.

Tech returns five of its top six players and figures to rebound in a big way in 2017-18.

N/A (spring awards haven’t been announced yet)

The Virginia Tech women’s tennis team completed its 2017 season with an 11-13 overall record, falling to Boston College 4-3 in the first round of the Atlantic Coast Conference Championship. The Hokies dropped a total of six matches by one point this season, which led 14-year head coach Terry Ann Zawacki-Woods to believe that the squad has much to look forward to in 2018.

However, the highlight of the season came when the Hokies recorded a 4-3 upset over then-No. 25 N.C. State on April 15. Tech lost the doubles point, but won four matches in singles play to claim the come-from-behind victory over the Wolfpack in Blacksburg. Junior Caroline Daxhelet scored the game winner with a three-set victory on court No. 4. Tech also took down Clemson for the first time in 16 years, beating the Tigers 4-2 at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Kickoff Weekend on Jan. 28 in Nashville, Tennessee.

Individually, Francesca Fusinato was named the ITA Senior Player of the Year for the Atlantic Region, marking the first senior in program history to receive the award. She also earned All-ACC third-team honors, boasting a 16-8 mark in singles play, as well as a 10-11 record in doubles action. She topped a total of seven ranked opponents, including three inside the top 50, and finished the regular season winning six of her last nine ACC matches at the No. 1 singles slot.

Additionally, Natalie Novotna received ITA Player to Watch honors for the Atlantic Region, as well as All-ACC third-team recognition as a freshman. Novotna settled into the No. 2 singles spot midway through the season, finishing with a team-best 18-5 mark. She topped a total of three ranked opponents and finished the regular season winning six of her last eight matches in ACC play.

Looking ahead, only two seniors depart, Fusinato and Sansistha Nandakumar, and five juniors return, with the goal of returning to the NCAA Tournament.

Francesca Fusinato
All-ACC Third Team
ITA Senior Player of the Year (Atlantic Region)

Natalie Novotna
All-ACC Third Team
ITA Player to Watch (Atlantic Region)

The Virginia Tech men’s golf team posted yet another solid season during the 2016-17 academic year. Highlighted by a victory in the second event of the season, Tech once again finished above .500 and advanced two golfers to the NCAA regionals.

Following a second-place finish at the season-opening Joe Feaganes Marshall Invitational in Charleston, West Virginia, the Hokies made their annual visit to Richmond and earned the victory at the Janney Invitational at the Country Club of Virginia. The Hokies notched an impressive 10-stroke win over runner-up JMU. Three Hokies finished in the top 10, led by senior Joey Lane, who earned his first collegiate victory. The State Amateur champion defeated Ryan Cole of JMU in a playoff to earn medalist honors.

During the season, Tech finished in the top five on four occasions and in the top 10 of events in nine of the 11 tournaments in which the Hokies competed. Individually, Tech had golfers finish in the top five of a tournament six times, plus three more top-10 finishes.

The Hokies did not advance to the NCAA regionals as a team, but once again, sent individuals to the national tournament. Mark Lawrence Jr., a sophomore from Richmond, Virginia, and Sarit Suwannarut, a freshman from Bangkok, Thailand, each were selected to compete as individuals at the NCAA West Lafayette Regional in West Lafayette, Indiana. Lawrence tied for 12th overall and missed advancing by three strokes. Suwannarut finished in a tie for 31st place.

Lawrence, the team’s leader in scoring average, was named to the GCAA PING All-East Region team. Suwannarut finished second in scoring average in his first season at Tech. The team won the NCAA Public Recognition Award for the ninth consecutive year, signifying an APR that ranks in the top 10 in all of collegiate men’s golf.

Mark Lawrence Jr.
NCAA Regional Individual Selection
All-East Region selection (GCAA)

Sarit Suwannarut
NCAA Regional Individual Selection

The Virginia Tech women’s golf team saw considerable improvement during the 2016-17 season – the program’s second year of competition. The on-course improvement has been steady, and the off-course accolades continue to be strong.

The Hokies recorded their best finish in a tournament at the Starmount Fall Classic held this past fall in Greensboro, North Carolina. The Hokies tied for second in the event and two golfers earned top-10 finishes. Elizabeth Bose finished third, and Jessica Spicer tied for eighth.

Overall, Tech finished in the top 10 in six of the 11 events. Individually, Tech had 12 top-20 finishes for the academic year, including two top-five and four top-10 finishes. Bose paced the Hokies this season, leading the team in scoring average (75.1) and final round average (74.3). As a team, the Hokies improved one spot at the ACC Championship from the previous season, finishing 11th overall.

Off the course, Whitney Stevenson became the first graduate of the program, finishing her career at Tech with an outstanding academic record. Bose took the academic challenge even a step further, as she won the 2017 Skelton Award for Academic Excellence in Athletics, the top academic honor awarded by the Virginia Tech Athletics Department. Later in the spring, Bose was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District 3 at-large team and will be placed on the national Academic All-American at-large ballot. Winners for that honor will be announced later in the summer.

An injury-riddled 2017 season saw the Virginia Tech softball team compile a 19-34 record and a 5-19 mark in ACC play.

By the end of the campaign, the Hokies had four starters out with season-ending injuries and three other full-timers who had been battling through various ailments. Three of the four starters – Chelsea Whitcomb, Aysha Richardson and Mikaela Aiken – all pitched, forcing a young and inexperienced staff to go out and throw a majority of the innings.

Despite the bumps and bruises, head coach Scot Thomas’ team boasted one of the top offenses in the ACC. The Hokies ranked second in the league with a .460 slugging percentage and tied for third with 54 home runs. Junior Breanna Davenport, Tech’s most lethal bat who turned in a career year, was named second-team All-ACC and second-team All-Mid-Atlantic Region by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association.

She hit .333 and ranked second on the team with 10 doubles, eight home runs and 29 RBI.

Freshman pitcher Carrie Eberle was named to the ACC All-Freshman Team after she finished 10th in the ACC in both appearances with 38 and innings pitched with 153.1. She also tossed 10 complete games in 20 starts, with two shutouts and two saves.

The Hokies lost just three seniors off this past season’s squad – Richardson, Vanessa Gonzalez and Elizabeth Birle. An ever-improving young nucleus and a talented recruiting class should result in a turnaround season next spring for the Hokies.

Breanna Davenport
All-ACC Second Team
NFCA All-Mid-Atlantic Region Second Team

Carrie Eberle
All-ACC Freshman Team

The Virginia Tech baseball team started the 2017 season hot, posting an 8-1 record and earning a ranking of 19th by the third week of the season, but they struggled down the stretch and finished with a 23-32 overall mark, including a 9-21 record in the ACC.

The Hokies did win five games against ranked opponents, which included single wins against Virginia (No. 12), North Carolina (3) and Old Dominion (25). However, the highlight of the season was the team’s weekend series win over then-No. 1 Florida State that included erasing an eight-run deficit on Saturday to even the series at 1 and a 17-0 win in the series clincher on Sunday over the eventual ACC tournament champion Seminoles.

Individual highlights of the season included Sam Fragale starting the year off by hitting a home run in his first three at-bats and going 5-for-5 with seven RBI in the season-opening win at USC Upstate. Rahiem Cooper did Fragale one better by hitting three home runs in Tech’s 24-10 win at Nevada on Feb. 26, including two grand slams – the first Tech player ever to hit two in a single game.

The home run barrage continued for most of the season for the Hokies, as the team battled back and forth with fellow ACC member Wake Forest for the nation’s lead in the category. Tech held the lead up until its bye week in early May and finished the regular season third in the country.

The 84 total home runs were the most in a single season at the school since the 1988 squad set the school record with 140, and the 84 were the seventh-most ever in a single season at Tech.

Also, the team saw 10 Hokies on its roster hit at least five home runs during the 2017 season, marking the first time in school history for such an accomplishment. The previous high was nine set in 1982. Fragale led the squad with 15, followed by Cooper’s 12. Ryan Tufts and Mac Caples hit nine each, while Tom Stoffel and Joe Freiday, Jr., had eight, and Jack Owens, Nick Anderson, JD Mundy and Matt Dauby all launched five.

On the mound, Anderson tied Connor Coward for the team lead with five wins, while Andrew McDonald led the team with 71 strikeouts. Kit Scheetz was the ERA leader among those who qualified (3.86), and Stoffel provided solid innings in limited action.

Senior Hanna Green headlined the Virginia Tech women’s indoor track and field team this past winter, as she led Tech to an eighth-place finish in the team race at the Atlantic Coast Conference Indoor Championships. The Latrobe, Pennsylvania native continued her dominance in the 800 for the third consecutive year, winning the team’s lone gold medal at the conference meet. Her time of 2 minutes, 2.28 seconds marked a career best for her and also was a school and ACC Championships indoor meet record. She broke her own previous school record of 2:03.18, which she set last year at the NCAA indoor meet.

Teammates Courtney Blanden and Rachel Pocratsky also earned spots on the podium. Blanden took home a bronze medal in the 200, running the event in a school-record time of 23.60 seconds. Pocratsky came in third in the 800, recording a personal-best time of 2:04.60. Also, Tech freshman Eszter Bajnok came in fourth in the triple jump. Bajnok tied a school record with a top jump of 12.60 meters (41 ft., 4.25 in.), equaling the mark set by April Byrd in 2000.

Green then went on to represent the Hokie women at the 2017 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships, taking the silver medal in the 800 to earn first-team All-America honors for the third year in a row. She posted a time of 2:02.13 to reset her own program record in the event for the second time this season. Academically, she was tabbed as the ACC Indoor Track and Field Scholar Athlete of the Year for the first time in her career. Green achieved a 4.0 grade-point average for the fourth consecutive semester, while earning dean’s list honors as an interior design major.

Of note, at least one Hokie set a personal best in every meet this season, with the Tech women breaking a total of five program records: 200 (Blanden), 600 (Green), 800 (Green), 1,000 (Pocratsky) and the 4x400-meter relay team (Blanden, Green, Ama-Selina Tchume and Arlicia Bush).

Looking ahead, the Hokies will continue to build on their momentum from the 2017 campaign with a young squad returning to the roster next season.

Hanna Green
All-ACC First Team (800; Champion)
All-America First Team (800)
ACC Performer of the Week (Feb. 21)

Eszter Bajnok
All-ACC Second Team (Triple Jump)

Courtney Blanden
All-ACC First Team (200)
All-ACC Second Team (400)

Rachel Pocratsky
All-ACC First Team (800)

The Virginia Tech men’s indoor track and field team set the conference standard for success during the 2017 indoor season, bringing home the program’s fourth Atlantic Coast Conference title behind gold-medal performances from Vincent Ciattei, Torben Laidig, Patrick Joseph and the distance medley relay team. Led by Dave Cianelli, an 11-time ACC Coach of the Year, the Hokies scored 109 points, outlasting in-state rival Virginia by 11 points at the league’s indoor meet held at Notre Dame’s Loftus Sports Center on Feb. 23-25. The Hokies used an all-around team effort throughout the three-day affair, with 14 athletes earning All-ACC recognition.

Ciattei, a redshirt junior, stunned everyone when he won the mile, beating 2016 NCAA champion Henry Wynne of Virginia by 22-hundredths of a second with a time of 4 minutes, 1.04 seconds. Laidig won the pole vault with a meet-record vault of 5.55 meters (18 ft., 2.5 in.) and also was one of four vaulters to score points for the Hokies. Joseph and teammate Drew Piazza went 1-2 in the 800-meter race. Piazza had set the school record in the preliminary race the previous day, but Joseph broke it with a time of 1:46.23 – a time that also marked an ACC Championship meet record. The other gold medal came from the distance medley relay team of Daniel Jaskowak, Brandon Thomas, Kevin Cianfarini and Neil Gourley, who won the event in a time of 9:31.05. Other podium finishes for the Hokies included Jaskowak (silver; 3,000), Diego Zarate (bronze; mile) and Greg Chiles (bronze; 200).

Ranked as high as No. 7 by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Association (USTFCCCA), the Hokies then finished seventh at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships thanks to a strong effort from Tech’s middle distance runners. The Hokies racked up 23.5 points throughout the three-day event, with distance coach Ben Thomas’ athletes tallying 21 of those points. The seventh-place finish marked the Hokies’ highest finish at the NCAA Indoor Championships in program history.

While at the NCAA Championships, Piazza took home a silver medal in the 800-meter run, and the distance medley relay team of Jaskowak, Ciattei, Chiles and Cianfarini also came in second. Highlighted by Piazza’s and the DMR team’s efforts, Tech came back to Blacksburg with seven first-team All-Americans and two second-team All-Americans to cap yet another successful season in indoor track.

The Virginia Tech women’s outdoor track and field team enjoyed an outstanding spring, as the Hokies won the ACC championship and recorded a top-15 finish at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships held in Eugene, Oregon.

As she did during the indoor season, Hanna Green led the way. The senior won both the 800- and 1,500-meter races at the ACC meet and Irena Sediva (javelin) and Sarah Edwards (3,000-meter steeplechase) added gold medals as well, all of which kept Tech in contention. In the last event of the meet, the Hokies’ 4x400-meter relay team (Courtney Blanden, Ama-Selina Tchume, Nora McKiver, Arlicia Bush) finished second, enabling the Hokies to overtake Florida State and win the team title.

Tech carried that success to Eugene, where the Hokies, behind Sediva and Green, came in 11th – the program’s second-best outdoor finish and its best outdoor finish since 2010. Sediva won the second national title of her career, using a strong throw late in the competition to win the javelin crown. Green came in second in the 800, which marked the third runner-up finish of her career.

Sediva, Green and Emma Thor all were first-team All-Americans. Thor wound up eighth in the women’s hammer throw.

Pavla Kuklova and Edwards both were second-team All-Americans. Kuklova set a personal best in finishing ninth in the hammer throw, while Edwards came in 10th in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.

The Hokies lose Sediva and Green to graduation – huge losses to the program – but return a lot of young talent, many of whom have the ability to continue the upward trajectory of Tech’s women’s program.

The Virginia Tech men’s outdoor track and field team built upon its strong indoor season by claiming the ACC title at the ACC Outdoor Track and Field Championships and seeing seven of its athletes earn All-America honors at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

The Hokies won the ACC title in thrilling fashion, as their 4x400-meter relay team (Greg Chiles, Brandon Thomas, Drew Piazza and Michael Davenport) finished third – three spots ahead of rival Virginia. As a result, Tech edged Virginia for the team title by a single point and became the first ACC team since 2014 to win the league’s indoor and outdoor crowns in the same year.

Piazza (800), Neil Gourley (1,500) and Peter Seufer (10,000) all won gold medals in their respective events. Gourley, Vincent Ciattei and Diego Zarate swept the 1,500 for Tech, while Piazza and Patrick Joseph went 1-2 in the 800.

At the NCAA Championships, Gourley, Piazza and thrower Marek Barta combined to score nine points, as the Hokies finished in 32nd place. Gourley came in fourth in the 1,500-meter run, while Piazza was sixth in the 800 and Barta seventh in the discus. All three earned first-team All-America honors.

Also, Joseph (800), Ciattei (1,500), Seufer (5,000) and Brad Johnson (pole vault) earned second-team All-America honors. Ciattei qualified for the final in the 1,500 and came in ninth, and Seufer came in ninth. Johnson finished tied for 16th.

Tech sees Piazza depart, as he graduated, but the rest of the team returns intact – giving hope to more title runs next season.