More than 120 student-athletes recognized at All-Sports Banquet
The Virginia Tech athletics department recognized more than 120 student-athletes and student support personnel for their work not just in the playing venue, but also in the classroom and in the community. They were recognized at the annual All-Sports Banquet held April 30 at the Squire’s Student Center on Tech’s campus.
The department named five as scholar athletes of the year. This group earned perfect 4.0 grade-point averages for the 2011 calendar year and includes Brittany Schwartz (trainer), Sarah Murphy (trainer), Frances Dowd (women’s cross country), Alexandra Watt (women’s cross country) and Emily Lauten (women’s tennis).
Each year, the ACC recognizes six student-athletes from all 12 ACC institutions for their unselfish commitment to community service. Tech’s winners of this award were Katie Cramp (women’s soccer), Sammy Dow (women’s track and field), David Marone (wrestling), Brittany Michels (women’s soccer), Ryan Rotanz (lacrosse) and Laura Simon (women’s swimming).
The Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) plays a significant role in providing support to its teams and the athletics department, and each year, this committee selects a SAAC member of the year for the extraordinary manner in which he or she has stepped forward to lead and serve. This year’s honoree was Cramp from the women’s soccer team.
Finally, the department honored the All-Academic team, which includes those who have earned the highest grade-point average in their respective sports; a rookie of the year in each sport; a coaches award winner (to the consummate team player) in each sport and a most valuable performer in each sport. The strength and conditioning staff also recognized one team member from each sport. For the complete list, please check this link.
Three drafted in 2012 NFL Draft
Former Tech players David Wilson, Jayron Hosley and Danny Coale were selected in the 2012 NFL Draft held April 26-28 at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. The New York Giants selected both Wilson and Hosley in the first and third rounds, respectively, while the Dallas Cowboys took Coale in the fifth round.
The group brings the total to 86 players drafted since head coach Frank Beamer took over in 1987. It also extended the streak of having at least one player drafted to 19 consecutive years.
Wilson, the Danville, Va., native who was the 2011 ACC player of the year after rushing for a Tech single-season record 1,709 yards, went to New York with the last pick in the first round. He became the first Hokie player drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft since 2008 when the Houston Texans selected offensive tackle Duane Brown with the 26th pick. Wilson became the ninth Tech player ever to be selected in the first round.
Hosley was selected with the 94th overall pick. The Delray Beach, Fla., native, who earned second-team All-ACC honors as a defensive back this past season, started 13 games for the Hokies, missing a game with a hamstring injury. He ranked fifth on the team with 59 tackles, and he led the team with three interceptions.
The Cowboys selected Coale with the 17th pick in the fifth round, No. 152 overall. The Lexington, Va., native, started all 14 games for the Hokies this past season and finished second on the team with 60 catches for a team-leading 904 yards and three touchdowns. He also served as the team’s punter the latter half of the season and averaged 43.5 yards per punt.
Wolff basketball camps set
The dates for the 2012 Dennis Wolff Basketball Camps have been set, and the Hokies’ head women’s coach will be holding three camps in the month of June. Here is a look at the camp slate:
• June 10-13 – individual camp (overnight and commuter)
• June 20-22 – team camp
• June 25-28 – junior day camp
For more information, please contact 540-231-4998 or visit www.denniswolffhoops.com.
Former Tech golfing great passes away
Former Tech golfer Tim Collins, a two-time All-American back in the late 1960s, passed away April 17 at the Kate B. Reynolds Hospice House in Winston-Salem, N.C., after a long battle with an illness.
Collins finished seventh at the NCAA Championships during his sophomore season, and during his junior year, he came in 20th. His fifth-place finish during his senior season marks the best ever performance by a Tech golfer at the NCAA Championships. He earned third-team All-America honors in 1965 and second-team honors in 1967.
Collins, who was inducted into the Virginia Tech Sports Hall of Fame in 1985, played on the PGA Tour for a while and later served as a golf professional at several different facilities, most recently as the Director of Golf at Bermuda Run in Clemmons, N.C.
Collins is survived by two sons, Mike and Brent, and their families.
