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

Under head coach Chugger Adair, the Hokies made their eighth consecutive NCAA appearance and hosted the first round, defeating Cincinnati, 4-0, before falling in the second round to Ohio State, 1-0. Tech finished the season 15-4-2 overall and 6-3-1 in the powerful ACC. Tech finished fifth in the ACC standings and ranked 13th nationally in the NSCAA final poll. The Hokies were ranked as high as ninth nationally during the season.

Individually, Murielle Tiernan became the school’s all-time leader in goals and points. The junior forward was named an NSCAA third-team All-American and was selected first team All-ACC after leading the conference in game-winning goals. She was joined on the All-Southeast Region team by teammates Ashley Meier and Jordan Coburn.

Meier also accumulated a large number of accolades. She joined Tiernan on the All-ACC first team and she and Coburn were named to the District 3 CoSIDA All-Academic second team. Meier won both the ACC and the NCAA Post-Graduate Scholarship.

The Hokies recorded impressive numbers on both ends of the pitch. Tech scored 47 goals, while only allowing 23 goals. The vaunted Tech defense registered six shutouts on the season and outshot its opponents 330 to 209, including a 148-97 advantage in shots on goal.

Tiernan led the Hokies in goals with 14 and points with 31. Alani Johnson added nine goals and Coburn led the team with seven assists.

The Virginia Tech men’s soccer team finished the 2015 season with an overall record of 5-9-3. The young Hokies, who only graduated one senior, had their season highlighted by three results against ranked opponents, two of which were on the road. Tech beat then-No. 10 Xavier by a score of 3-1 in Cincinnati. The Hokies earned a draw at then No. 19 Louisville 1-1 in double overtime and also tied then-No. 7 Notre Dame 0-0 at home in double overtime.

Merlin Baus led Tech and finished the season with team-highs in goals and assists with five each. Goalkeeper Ben Lundgaard also led the ACC in saves with 60. Ricardo John was second on the team with eight total points off of three goals and two assists. Baus received All-State second team honors from VaSID while Ricardo John was named to the NSCAA All-South Region third team for the second straight season. Senior Daniel Lauretano was also named to the All-ACC academic men’s soccer team.

Returning a lot of talent for next year and with a great signing class, the Hokies should field a talented and competitive squad in the fall of 2016.

Thomas Curtin enjoyed one of the best cross country seasons in school history, winning three races, including the ACC title at the ACC championship meet held in Tallahassee in late October.

Curtin also won at the NCAA pre-national meet and the NCAA Southeast regional. Largely because of his efforts, the Hokies did not finish worse than sixth in any of their six meets this past fall.

The Tech men’s team received an at-large berth to the NCAA championships following the Southeast regional, marking just the sixth NCAA appearance in the program’s history and only the second in the past 29 years. The Hokies finished 27th as a team.

Curtin earned All-America honors after coming in 22nd at the NCAA meet. Both he and Stuart Robertson earned All-Southeast Region honors and freshman Peter Seufer was the ACC Freshman of the Year as the highest placing freshman at the league’s meet. He came in 34th.

A young Virginia Tech women’s cross country squad that featured just two seniors enjoyed a solid season, as the Hokies finished in the top 10 of five events this past fall.

The Hokies came in eighth at the ACC championship, thanks to five top-50 finishes in a field of 131 runners. Abigail Motley paced the Hokies, coming in 37th with a time of 21 minutes, 19.4 seconds. Tech also finished sixth out of 33 teams at the NCAA Southeast Regional.

Freshman Lauren Berman was arguably the most consistent performer for Tech this past season. One of 12 freshmen on the roster, she was the lone Hokie to record four top-50 finishes in the five meets in which she competed. Her best performance was a 10th-place finish at the Virginia Tech Alumni Invitational.

The Virginia Tech volleyball team got off to one of its best starts in recent years, highlighted by a 3-1 upset over No. 19 Michigan State to mark the Hokies’ highest ranked road win. Tech traded ACC wins until coming up short against powerhouses Miami and No. 15 Florida State. However, the Hokies topped off their 2015 campaign with four straight wins, including a pair of five-set victories to end with a 19-13 overall mark and 10-10 in conference.

Throughout the season, Lindsey Owens slugged 400 kills to eclipse 1,000 as a Hokie. Kennedy McGrath’s 483 kills this season place her ninth in Tech’s single-season record book. Ashley Battle inked her name in program history, yet again, to rank fifth in total blocks in a single season while also being 22 blocks away from breaking into the career top-10 rankings. The Hokies wrapped up the 2015 season with a back-and-forth 3-2 win over instate-rival Virginia on Senior Day. Tech graduated Kennedy Bryan and Kennedy McGrath while signing three to the 2016 roster.

The Virginia Tech football team won four of its final five games, including a thrilling 55-52 victory over Tulsa in the Independence Bowl, to register its 23rd consecutive winning season. Wins over rival Virginia in the regular-season finale and the Golden Hurricane in the bowl game enabled Tech to finish with a record of 7-6.

The win marked the final one for Frank Beamer, who decided in November to retire at the conclusion the season after 29 seasons as the Hokies’ head coach. He finished his career with 280 coaching victories, including 238 at Tech. The win also marked the 11th bowl win for Beamer, who won three of his final four bowl games.

Isaiah Ford and Travon McMillian headlined a young Tech squad. Ford set school single-season records for receptions (75), receiving yardage (1,164) and touchdown receptions (11), while McMillian became the first tailback in six years to rush for more than 1,000 yards in a season (1,043, seven touchdowns).

Chuck Clark led the defense with 107 tackles – the only Tech defender with more than 100 tackles on the season.

Following the regular season, six Hokies earned All-ACC honors: Ford, McMillian, tight end Bucky Hodges, defensive tackle Luther Maddy, defensive tackle Corey Marshall, and defensive end Dadi Nicolas. Kendall Fuller and Nicolas were both drafted by NFL teams in the 2016 NFL Draft.

The Virginia Tech women’s swimming and diving team finished the season with a top 25 performance at the 2016 NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships. The team was bolstered by an honorable mention All-America finish from the 400 medley relay team and got an All-America finish from Klaudia Nazieblo in the 200 fly. Weronika Paluszek was named an honorable mention All-American in the 200 breast.

The Hokies’ great showing at the NCAA championships came off a fifth-place finish at the ACC championships behind medal performances from Nazieblo and Paluszek. Nazieblo earned two silver medals, one in the 200 fly and one in the 400 IM. Paluszek earned two bronze medals, one in the 100 breast and one in the 200 breast.

The women’s team sent two divers to the 2016 NCAA championships and Ashlynn Peters was also named the ACC women’s diver of the week in October. The team had a 9-3 record in dual meets on the season and will return a plethora of talent next season. The team also excelled in the classroom earning the honor of being named CSCAA Scholar All-Americans.

Klaudia Nazieblo
All-American (200 Fly)
ACC Silver Medalist (200 IM and 200 Fly)

Weronika Paluszek
Honorable Mention All-American (100 Breast)
ACC Bronze Medalist (100 and 200 Breast)

Ashlynn Peters
ACC Women’s Diver of the Week on October 20

The Virginia Tech men’s swimming and diving program posted its second-highest finish in program history, coming in at 18th at the 2016 NCAA Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships. Brandon Fiala was also named the ACC Men’s Swimming and Diving Scholar Athlete of the Year. Fiala became the first Virginia Tech men’s swimmer to earn All-America honors three times in a meet and in a career.

Fiala tied the highest finish by a Tech swimmer coming in tied for fourth in the 100 breast. He was also an All-American in the 200 breast and the 200 IM. Robert Owen had two honorable mention All-America finishes in the 200 back and the 400 IM. The men’s diving team also sent four divers to compete at the NCAA championships. At the ACC championships, Fiala also became the first male swimmer to be named the ACC championships Most Valuable Men’s Swimmer after winning two gold medals and one silver. Robert Owen also won a gold medal in the 400 IM at the ACC championships and Mauro Castro-Silva earned a bronze in the platform event as well. The men’s divers outscored all other diving teams at the ACC championships bringing in 247 team points.

The team went undefeated on the year with an 11-0 record in dual meet competitions, earning two ACC weekly awards and the distinction of being CSCAA Scholar All-Americans.

Brandon Fiala
All-American (100 Breast, 200 Breast and 200 IM)
ACC Championships Most Valuable Men’s Swimmer
ACC Gold Medalist (200 Breast and 200 IM)
ACC Silver Medalist (100 Breast)
All-ACC ACC Men’s Swimmer of the Week - January 19th

Robert Owen
Honorable Mention All-American (200 Back and 400 IM)
ACC Gold Medalist (400 IM)
All-ACC

Mauro Castro-Silva
ACC Bronze Medalist (Platform)
All-ACC

Logan Stevens
ACC Men’s Diver of the Week - January 19

The Virginia Tech wrestling team finished the 2015-16 season with a fourth-place finish at the NCAA championship, a program best, and earned a team trophy for the very first time. Spurred on by third place finishes from redshirt sophomore Zach Epperly and redshirt senior Nick Brascetta, six Hokies finished in the top six in their weight class. Joining Epperly and Brascetta, Solomon Chishko (6th place), Jared Haught (6th place), David McFadden (6th place), and Ty Walz (4th place), all earned All-America honors at the championship. Brascetta became the second three-time All-American in program history and ended his career with three ACC championships and qualified for nationals four times.

Tech’s fourth place finish is also the best finish among ACC teams, topping a fifth place finish by UNC in 1982. In addition to the multitude of honors bestowed on the Hokie grapplers, head coach Kevin Dresser was named the NWCA Coach of the Year, the first such honor in Virginia Tech wrestling history. Dresser and McFadden earned additional coach and freshman of the year honors from the league, while Chishko, Haught, McFadden and Zavatsky earned spots on the ACC All-Academic squad.

With his fourth ACC coach of the year honors, Dresser ties the record for most times winning the award in league history. The Hokies swept the yearly VaSID honors, with Brascetta, Joey Dance, Epperly, Haught, Walz and Zavatsky earning spots on the first team and Chishko joining the second team. Epperly won his first VaSID Wrestler of the Year honors, with McFadden taking home Freshman of the Year and Dresser winning his sixth straight Coach of the Year award. Tech won the ACC dual meet title for the second season in a row and finished runner up at this year’s conference tournament.

The Virginia Tech women’s basketball team wrapped up the season with an 18-14 record, posting its best finish since 2006-07. The Hokies earned a trip to the WNIT, making their first appearance in the postseason in almost a decade. Tech defeated Elon in the opening round, but fell at Ohio in the second. Earlier in the season, the Hokies posted a win over then-ranked No. 8 Tennessee, defeating the Lady Vols 57-43 in Knoxville and snapping Tennessee’s 44-game unbeaten streak at home. Tech also defeated rival UVA twice, marking the first time in program history the Hokies have swept the Cavaliers in a season.

Chanette Hicks set the freshman record and single-season record in steals (91) as well as the freshman assist record (134). Hannah Young set the senior season record for 3-pointers made (74). She finished her career fifth on the all-time 3-pointers list (139). Vanessa Panousis joined the Hokies 1,000-point club, becoming the 24th member and just the ninth to reach the milestone as a junior. In addition, she set the program record for 3-pointers made in ACC games. Sidney Cook came up big for the Hokies in league play, leading the team in scoring and second in rebounding.

In the offseason, the Hokies named Kenny Brooks as the new head coach. He joins Tech after 14 seasons of building a perennial power program at James Madison University, where he directed the Dukes to 11 consecutive postseason appearances, including six NCAA bids and five trips to the WNIT.

Under second-year head coach Buzz Williams, the Virginia Tech men’s basketball program recorded one of its most promising seasons in a decade, as the Hokies finished the 2015-16 season 20-15 overall and 10-8 in the ACC. Tech made the postseason for the first time in five years and advanced to the second round of the NIT.

Tech finished the regular season winning its final five games and extended that number to six games with a victory over Florida State in the first round of the 2016 ACC tournament. Tech won six consecutive games against conference competition for the first time since the 1964-65 season.

Also highlighted in the season were a pair of victories against top-10 competition -- a win over No. 7 Miami in the regular season finale and a win over archrival No. 4 Virginia in Cassell Coliseum in early January.

Transfers Zach LeDay and Seth Allen posted memorable first seasons with the Hokies. LeDay, an honorable-mention All-ACC performer, led the team in scoring and rebounding at 15.5 points and 7.9 rebounds. He recorded 29 games in double figures and 11 double-doubles. Allen, named to the ACC All-Tournament second team, averaged 14.7 points per game, also had 29 games in double figures and scored 51 total points in the two ACC tournament games.

Sophomore Justin Bibbs averaged 11.7 points per game and led the team with 76 three-point field goals. He was among the national leaders in three-point field goal percentage for most of the season.

Zach LeDay
All-ACC Honorable Mention (Coaches)
All-ACC Honorable Mention (ACSMA)
All-Tournament Emerald Coast Classic

Seth Allen
ACC All-Tournament Second Team

Kerry Blackshear Jr.
ACC Rookie of the Week - December 14

The Virginia Tech women’s lacrosse team finished the season with an overall record of 5-13 while facing one of the toughest schedules in the country. Of the 18 games the Hokies played, 10 were against teams that were ranked at the time and nine of those teams were selected for the 2016 NCAA Women’s Lacrosse Championships.

Senior Meghan Macera finished her career third in Tech history in draw controls, fourth in ground balls and fourth in caused turnovers. Her 39 caused turnovers this season were the second-most in program history in a single season. Macera also ranked in the top three in the ACC in ground balls per game and caused turnovers per game and was selected to the IWLCA All-Star game.

Offensively, Kristine Loscalzo had a team-high 31 goals, and three players -- Tristan McGinley, Tara Feehan and Colleen Ward -- tied for the team-high in assists with seven. Hannah Sieger started every game in goal and made 115 saves. The team, under the direction of head coach Megan Burker in 2016, graduated five seniors in Jessi Thon, Gracee Hendrix, Kelsey Allen, Sieger and Macera.

In 2017, the Hokies will be led by new head coach John Sung. Sung was the head coach at Winthrop University after starting the program and was named the Big South Coach of the Year the past two seasons, leading the team to Big South regular-season and tournament titles along with an NCAA tournament bid in each of those seasons. Sung currently chairs the NCAA Division I Lacrosse Committee and also serves on the U.S. Lacrosse Convention Education Committee.

Meghan Macera
IWLCA All-Star Game Selection

The Virginia Tech men’s tennis team wrapped up the 2016 season ranked 33rd in the ITA after tallying an 18-9 record while going 7-5 in the ACC. The Hokies advanced to the semifinals of the ACC championship for the first time in program history after defeating No. 21 FSU in the quarterfinals.

Tech also claimed wins during the season over then-ranked No. 65 Alabama, No. 58 Boise State, No. 40 NC State, No. 51 Notre Dame and No. 21 Kentucky. The win over the Wildcats came in the opening round of the NCAA championships where the Hokies made their 10th consecutive trip to the postseason. Tech fell to No. 5 Ohio State, 4-2, in Columbus in the second round.

Individually, Joao Monteiro had an incredible senior campaign that began with a trip to the semifinals of the ITA indoor national championships in the fall. He remained ranked in the top-25 throughout the spring, earning a spot in the NCAA singles championship as the 14-seed. At the national event, Monteiro advanced further than any Hokie in program history, making the Final Four with wins over the defending national champion, 8th-ranked Ryan Shane of UVA, as well as Illinois’ 4th-ranked Aleks Vukic. Monteiro became the third Tech player to earn All-America honors and the first since 1999. He finished ranked 9th in the ITA, marking the highest final rank of any Tech player in history.

In addition, Monteiro paired up with teammate Andreas Bjerrehus to represent the Hokies in the doubles national championships. The pair was also ranked in the top-25 throughout the spring and finished 23rd. Bjerrehus was 61st in singles while Edoardo Tessaro finished 82nd and Amerigo Contini was 114th.

Joao Monteiro
All-American
NCAA Singles Final Four
NCAA Qualifier: Singles & Doubles
All-ACC First Team (3x All-ACC)
ITA Atlantic Region Most Improved (Senior) Player

Andreas Bjerrehus
NCAA Qualifier: Doubles
All-ACC Second Team (4x All-ACC*)

Amerigo Contini
All-ACC Third Team (4x All-ACC*)

Edoardo Tessaro
All-ACC Third Team

*Only players in program history to earn All-ACC all four seasons.

The Virginia Tech women’s tennis team finished the season ranked 38th in the ITA with a 14-11 overall record while going 7-7 in the ACC. The Hokies made their second-consecutive NCAA tournament appearance this season, marking the first time in program history the Hokies have made the postseason in back-to-back years. Tech recorded wins over then-No. 6 Duke and then-No. 16 Georgia Tech at home in Blacksburg. In addition, the Hokies claimed victories over then-ranked foes No. 74 Marshall, No. 29 Rice, No. 71 Boston College, No. 60 Florida State and No. 43 NC State.

Tech junior Francesca Fusinato made headlines with her victory over the nation’s top-ranked player in Clemson’s Julia Eidukonyte. Fusinato finished ranked 62nd in the ITA singles rankings with an 11-10 record at the No. 1 in duals. Elena Cerezo-Codina tallied an 11-6 mark at the two while Caroline Daxhelet led Tech in wins this season with a 17-5 record. Raluca Mita recorded a mark of 15-7 and Kelly Williford went 13-11. The Hokies will have the majority of their lineup returning next season with Mita and Williford graduating.

Francesca Fusinato
All-ACC Second Team

Elena Cerezo-Codina
All-ACC Third Team

The Virginia Tech men’s golf team experienced an atypical down season on the course during the 2015-16 academic year, but continued its stellar work in the classroom and the community. Head coach Jay Hardwick continues to keep his team focused on all aspects of a well-rounded collegiate life.

The Hokies earned the Public Recognition Award, given annually by the NCAA for teams in the top 10 percent of the Academic Progress Rate (APR). Tech has a perfect mark in the APR for each of the last seven years. The Hokies’ men’s golf team posted a cumulative GPA of 3.28.

On the course, Tech sent at least one player or the team to the NCAA regionals for the 10th consecutive season, as junior Joey Lane was selected for the NCAA Franklin Regional, where he finished tied for 55th individually.

Lane posted a solid junior season, highlighted by a seventh-place finish at the 2016 ACC Men’s Golf Championship. Lane led the Hokies in scoring with a 72.23 and led the team in final round scoring, at 72.55. Lane had seven top-20 finishes, including three finishes between 10th and 19th and a pair of fourth-place finishes.

Senior Maclain Huge had a top-10 finish at the Bank of Tennessee Intercollegiate, finishing seventh individually. His top highlight came during the summer, when he won the 2015 VSGA State Amateur.

2016 Men’s Golf Team
NCAA Public Recognition Award (seventh straight)

Joey Lane
NCAA Men’s Golf Regional Appearance

ACC All-Academic to come

With a fist-pump and a smile, redshirt freshman Amanda Hollandsworth celebrated driving the first ball in Virginia Tech women’s golf history into play September 20, 2015, and the Hokies began the program’s first competition at the Lady Paladin Invitational in Greenville, S.C.

Tech finished its inaugural season with three top-10 team finishes, including a program-best fifth place at the Cardinal Cup. Freshman Elizabeth Bose and redshirt freshman Amanda Hollandsworth combined for five top-20 individual finishes, including season bests of ninth and seventh place, respectively. Hollandsworth led the Hokies in nearly every statistical category, including low round (69), rounds played to par (7), average (75.27), and joined Bose atop the leaderboard playing in all 10 events this season.

The women’s golf team wrapped up its first season of competition with a 12th-place finish at the ACC championships. The Hokies were led by Hollandsworth, who finished in a tie for 33rd, while Bose and Anne Taylor Hough both recorded eagles on the final day of competition.

The Virginia Tech softball team captured its 16th winning season under head coach Scot Thomas during the 2016 campaign, highlighted by a 2-1 upset over No. 6 James Madison – the highest ranked opponent defeated at home.

The Hokies got off to a rough start, opening the season 1-8 before bouncing back to win 14 of 17 during the heart of the season. The Hokies went on a five-game winning streak before taking on Notre Dame in the ACC championship. Tech’s ace Maggie Tyler shined throughout the season, receiving the ACC pitcher of the week nod three times. Tyler tossed a no-hitter against Boston College in March in addition to 10 shutouts – fourth most nationally.

Both sides of Tech’s battery shined as Lauren Duff received the Hokies’ first ever ACC freshman of the year honor. The Hokies’ wrapped up the season with a 29-28 mark, 13-11 in conference play. With seven starters returning for the 2017 season, Tech is well-positioned for a successful campaign.

Lauren Duff
ACC Freshman of the Year
All-ACC First Team
NCFA All-Region Third Team

Maggie Tyler
All-ACC First Team
NFCA All-Region First Team

A tremendous boost to the Virginia Tech baseball program occurred in March when it was announced that home of the Hokies for the next 10 years is now English Field at Union Park, thanks to a $3.5 million commitment by the Richmond-based bank. The commitment will be used in part of a multi-million dollar initiative to improve the baseball facility for the Hokies.

On the field in 2016, an injury-riddled squad competed valiantly but came up on the short end more times than not. Highlighting the Hokies’ offense were sophomore Nick Anderson (team-high .339 average), senior Phil Sciretta (team-high 69 hits and 37 RBIs) and junior Saige Jenco (team-high 41 walks, .437 on-base percentage and 12 stolen bases). Sciretta, who was named a Gregg Olson semifinalist, was one of two Hokies to start all 55 games, along with junior Ryan Tufts (team-high 40 runs).

Jenco and sophomore Tom Stoffel were just two of the Hokies’ position players who missed significant time on the DL. Hurlers were a different story, as juniors Luke Scherzer (entire season) and Aaron McGarity (the last eight weeks) were missed significantly on the mound.

Junior Kit Scheetz, though, led the program with five wins. Several newcomers – junior transfer Ryan Lauria and freshmen Cole Kragel, Paul Hall, Jr., and Nic Enright  – showed flashes of a bright future for Tech’s pitching staff.

Saige Jenco
2016 First-Year Player Draft – 24th-Round Selection, Los Angeles Dodgers

Aaron McGarity
2016 First-Year Player Draft – 34th-Round Selection, Boston Red Sox
​2016 Stopper of the Year Preseason Watch List

Phil Sciretta
2016 Gregg Olson Award Semifinalist

Virginia Tech’s 2016 two-time ACC champion in the 800 meters, Hanna Green, highlighted the women’s track & field accomplishments throughout the year. The junior who holds the school record in both the indoor and outdoor events, placed second at the indoor national championship to highlight Tech’s distance group. Shannon Morton earned second team All-America honors in the mile after dropping over nine seconds off her time at Boston’s last chance meet.

Freshmen Pavla Kuklova and Rachel Pocratsky joined the spotlight for the outdoor season, both qualifying for the NCAA East Regional in Jacksonville. Kuklova placed second in the hammer at the outdoor ACC championships to earn first team honors while Pocratsky earned second team honors in the 1,500.

Green and javelin thrower Sabine Kopplin advanced to the NCAA outdoor championships where Kopplin finished 14th to earn second-team All-America honors.

Many of the Tech track & field team will continue to compete this summer at national and world events, including the US Olympic trials in July.

With very few Hokies graduating in addition to numerous standout recruits, the Hokies look to build on their success in 2017.

For the second time in program history, the Virginia Tech men’s track & field team clinched the outdoor ACC title with an historic first-place through seventh-place sweep in the pole vault. The team’s success continued into the NCAA outdoor championships with an eighth-place finish – the fourth top-10 finish in program history.

After finishing fifth at the indoor ACC championships, the Hokies produced three individual champions with four titles at the outdoor meet to place first as a team. Thomas Curtin led the team throughout the year, ending his extraordinary career with six All-America honors – two in the indoor and outdoor 5,000 meters in 2016 alone.

Torben Laidig put his name in the record books on more than one occasion in 2016. He not only holds both Tech’s indoor and outdoor pole vault records but also the ACC’s indoor record with his 5.62-meter (18-5.25) vault at the Doc Hale Elite Meet. Laidig placed second at both the ACC indoor and outdoor championships before winning the silver medal at the NCAA outdoor championships.

Marek Barta went on from the ACC championships, where he finished third, to earn bronze at the NCAA championships and become Tech’s first discus All-American.

Many of the Tech track & field team will continue to compete this summer at national and world events, including the US Olympic trials in July.

The Virginia Tech cheerleaders, HighTechs and the HokieBird once again made a lasting impression on many Hokie fans. Whether they were performing at a game or participating in events such as Fan Day or Relay for Life, these 68 young women and men worked hard and exhibited tremendous pride and Hokie spirit.

For the cheer squad, numerous appearances, pep rallies, community service projects and countless hours of training kept the 42 student-athletes busy from early August to May. This year's squads entertained the crowds with creative stunts, pyramids and tumbling skills at a variety of sports including volleyball, wrestling and men’s and women’s soccer. Tech competed at the Universal Cheerleading Association College Nationals in Orlando, Fla., for the first time in school history. The Hokies made a quick turn-around from just finishing competition the previous April to then competing again in January. Even with just a few short months rest, the squad had a great performance, finishing 19th at UCA College Nationals in Division 1A Large Co-ed.

The HighTechs entertained the crowd at games, pep rallies and appearances with intricate choreography and eye-catching routines of all kinds including, hip-hop, jazz and pom. Virginia Tech’s dance team has become one of the premier National Dance Association competitive squads in the country. The Hokies finished in 6th place at the NDA Collegiate National Championships in Daytona Beach, Fla., in the Division 1A Team Performance. The HighTechs also competed in the hip-hop division for the first time in Tech history, and finished 7th.

The spirit squad’s major priority, however, is to promote Virginia Tech's intercollegiate athletics and represent the university as a whole. Its major goal is to generate spirit and crowd involvement at Virginia Tech functions and sporting events.