History Women’s basketball pulls off incredible season The Official Publication of Virginia Tech Athletics Vol. 15 No. 5, April 2023
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Published by the Virginia Tech Athletics Department • Inside Hokie Sports (ISSN 8750-9148, periodical postage paid at Blacksburg, VA 24060 and additional mailing offices) covers Virginia Tech athletics and is published six times annually. The publisher is the Virginia Tech Athletics Department, 21 Beamer Way, Blacksburg, VA 24061. Mail all address changes, written inquiries and complaints to Virginia Tech Athletic Fund, P.O. Box 10307, Blacksburg, VA 24062-0307 or call 540-231-6618. Inside Hokie Sports assumes no responsibility for companies and persons who advertise in this publication. Reproduction of contents in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Publisher does not guarantee accuracy of information contained in any advertisement. ATTN POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Virginia Tech Athletic Fund, P.O. Box 10307, Blacksburg, VA 24062-0307. Printed by Worth Higgins & Associates of Richmond, Virginia. Bailey Angle Editor John Sours Designer Dave Knachel Photographer Contributor Clay Brunner Virginia Tech Sports Properties April 2023 Vol. 15, No. 5 inside.hokiesports.com *To advertise with Virginia Tech athletics or Inside Hokie Sports, contact Kyler Pilling at Virginia Tech Sports Properties—540-418-6307 contents 2 A Word from Whit 4 Women’s Basketball Blazes Through Historic Postseason: Hokies secure ACC title, trip to Final Four 7 A Letter to Hokie Nation 8 Roth Report 10 Ascending into the Spotlight: Georgia Amoore’s determination and talent on display 13 Donor Spotlight: Chip Grubb 14 Özlem Uslu: “I’m a Fighter” Freshman from Turkey poised for success in Blacksburg 16 Witnessing History, Courtside 18 Youssef Ramadan: Road to a National Championship – Swimming & diving cultivates first national champion 22 Five Hokies highlight Men’s and Women’s ACC Indoor Titles 26 Hokie Club finishes another successful fundraising year: Total membership larger than 25,000 donors for second consecutive year 28 Monogram Club News 4 7 2 22 18 10 13 14
2 Inside Hokie Sports A WORD FROM WHIT Dear Hokie Nation, What an incredible start to the year we’ve had in Blacksburg. Some of our programs have reached incredible heights over the last few months, making history while also propelling us to progress in the future. We are so happy that you were there with us every step of the way. Virginia Tech women’s basketball captured the hearts of every Hokie over the course of their incredible run in March. Coach Brooks and his talented, inspired group of student-athletes brought home the program’s first ACC Championship and will hang the first-ever Final Four banner in Cassell. Although exciting, this should not come as a surprise to anyone who has followed this program’s trajectory since Coach Brooks arrived on campus in 2016. We join the rest of Hokie Nation in great pride of the historic season this team put together, as well as in great anticipation of the years to come. Youssef Ramadan of men’s swimming brought back the first-ever individual national title in the history of the program! It’s not easy to win coming in as the highly-ranked favorite, but he rose to the top of the podium in the 100 butterfly with all the pressure on him. Coach Sergio Lopez Miro has helped mold him into a champion, while also guiding the men’s team to its highest-ever finish of ninth in the NCAA Championships. The women’s program also soared to a 20th-place finish this year at NCAAs, giving the team it’s highest finish since 2012. We are fortunate to have the right staff leading this group of student-athletes in the pool, and they are destined for more success in the future. Indoor Track and Field kept this packed winter season for Hokie sports going with another sweep of the ACC Championships. We could not be prouder of Coach Cianelli and his staff and how they dedicate their efforts to molding our student-athletes into champions. He now has 21 overall ACC team titles over his 22year career in Blacksburg – an impressive feat. The Hokies recorded 10 All-American finishes at the 2023 NCAA Indoor Championships, and can certainly repeat and exceed those achievements during the outdoor season. Once again, Virginia Tech wrestling was able to continue their strong momentum at the 2023 NCAA Championships in Tulsa. We were one of only two schools in the country to send every starter to NCAAs, which goes to show how deep Coach Robie and his staff have built this roster. He was named ACC Coach of the Year for the second straight season and fourth time overall, and he deserves every bit of recognition he receives. Tech won a share of the ACC Dual title, placed ninth at the NCAA Championships, and sent five AllAmericans to the podium.This is a special group that will continue to make lots of Hokies proud. Spring sports are in the heat of their conference schedules! I encourage you all to make the trip to English Field, Tech Softball Park, Burrows-Burleson, and Thompson Field to cheer on our studentathletes. All of them greatly appreciate your support as they navigate the challenges of competing in the ACC. Enjoy your spring, and Go Hokies! Whit Babcock Director of Athletics
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4 Inside Hokie Sports VIRGINIA TECH women’s basketball put the nation on notice during the 2023 postseason. The Hokies are for real, and they’re here to stay. Members of the ACC since 2004-05, the Hokies’ previous best showing in the league’s postseason tournament was a trip to the semifinal round. Under the guidance of head coach Kenny Brooks, Tech not only surpassed that threshold this season but broke through and won the entire tournament, staking its claim as the conference’s best team and elevating the program’s profile on the national stage. “I’m so proud,” Brooks said in his postgame press conference. “So proud to be associated with this group, this university, this athletic program. The resiliency that these kids showed throughout the year, the support that we got from Hokie Nation all year long. I knew when these kids came and they committed to us, I knew eventually we were going to be playing for different things, and they proved me right.” The Hokies were tested but ultimately not troubled en route to the 2023 Ally ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament title game. Tech used a dominant 20-5 first-quarter edge to cruise past Miami (Fla.) in the quarterfinal round before pulling away from Duke with 17 unanswered points in the second quarter to book its spot in the marquee matchup. The fourth-seeded Cardinals hung with the Hokies for much of the game, but Tech made clutch play after clutch play to create separation and take home the title. “We’ve grown up a lot,” Brooks commented. “This is only the second time that I’ve beaten Louisville, and it comes on a really grand stage. We just really kept our composure. That’s one of the things that this group has done. We’ve gone through it the last month and a half where we’ve kept our composure in very dire situations, and we’ve come out on top because of their maturity, and today was no different.” Virginia Tech’s 2022-23 campaign started with a 10-game winning streak, including victories over notable foes such as Kentucky, Missouri, Nebraska and Tennessee. The Hokies ascended to as high as No. 6 in the AP Top 25 poll, good for the program’s best ranking in school history. Amoore made some history of her own against the Cornhuskers, recording the first triple-double in program history with 24 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds. Tech would go on to amass a 14-4 record in league play highlighted by five wins over ranked teams, including a stretch of three consecutive top-25 victories, marking the first time a Hokie women’s basketball squad has accomplished that feat. Kitley was named the ACC Player of the Year for the second season in a row, while Amoore and Soule were first- and second-team all-league picks, respectively. Amoore was tabbed the event’s most valuable player after scoring 65 points and draining 14 three-pointers over Tech’s three games, setting a new record for made triples in the tournament. “Our team just wanted it so bad, and we knew that we were going to win it from the start,” said Amoore. “We were saying we were going to win it, and we just all had to believe and give every single ounce of effort. The effort was just a huge factor. Honestly, the way that Taylor Soule played, the way that D’asia Gregg played, Liz Kitley, Cayla King, Kayana Traylor, all of them, that is all MVP. We’re the best team, so it equals out.” The Hokies were poised to make noise further in March after being named a No.1 seed in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history, giving them the chance to host in the tournament for the first time since 1999. Tech defeated Chattanooga in the first round of the NCAA Tournament and followed it up with a victory over South Dakota State WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
inside.hokiesports.com 5 Sunday to advance to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1999 (P.S. gas was $1.17 a gallon then). The Hokies’ momentum carried on into the Sweet 16 in Seattle vs. Tennessee in the second matchup against the Lady Vols of the season. Georgia Amoore lit it up with a career-high 29 points, while Kitley and Traylor supplied 12 and 14 points, respectively. Tennessee stormed back in the fourth quarter to decrease an 18-point Hokie lead to one with 6:10 to go, but Tech prevailed 73-64 to send itself to the Elite 8 for the first time ever. The stage was set for the Hokies to square off with Ohio State for a trip to the Final Four in Dallas. The Buckeyes, who recently took down UCONN, led the Hokies after the first quarter 25-22 off of a dazzling performance from guard Taylor Mikesell. Trailing for the first time in the tournament, the Hokies followed that up with shooting 62% from the field in the second quarter to lead 48-45 at half. The Hokies held the Buckeyes to just 29 points in the second half, locking down the hot perimeter shooting Ohio State ignited in the previous half. Kitley racked up 25 points and 12 boards, giving her her 56th career double-double, a program-best. Amoore joined in with 24 points, her sixth straight game of at least 21 points, while King and Soule brought in 12 each. BLAZES THROUGH HISTORIC POSTSEASON HOKIES secure ACC title, trip to Final Four Continued on page 6
6 Inside Hokie Sports @PrestonsRestaurant @InnVirginiaTech 540.231.0120 | www.InnatVirginiaTech.com 901 Prices Fork Rd, Blacksburg, VA 24061 (inside The Inn at Virginia Tech) Reservations recommended. A delicious game-day tradition. BEFORE THE GAME OR AFTER, Preston’s Restaurant is a delicious place for a new game-day tradition. Start with our fresh breakfast. Order lunch or dinner from our mouth-watering menu of seasonal cuisine. Sip on hand-cra ed cocktails or a selection from our award-winning wine list. And don’t forget the Valley’s best brunch, every Sunday at Preston’s. Make Preston’s Restaurant your game-day tradition. The buzzer sounded, the confetti fell, and the Hokies were going to the Final Four for the first time ever. Final score: 84-74. “It’s unbelievable. All the hard work, the long hours in the gym, the sacrifices, for it to come to this,” Coach Brooks said in front of a national audience to ESPN’s Holly Rowe. “We’re not just going to the Final Four, we’re in the Final Four.” Going toe-to-toe with the eventual NCAA Champion LSU Tigers, the Hokies’ dream run fell short in Dallas in the semifinal, 7972. Still, this team shattered programmatic records, cut down nets in Greensboro and Seattle, and will raise banners high in Cassell that many Hokies never believed they would see in Blacksburg. The level of optimism is incredibly high moving into 2023-2024, as the Hokies return three of five starters: King, Kitley, and Amoore. “For me personally, it was the best year I’ve ever had coaching basketball, and not just because we got to the Final Four, not just because we won 31 games or that we were the ACC champions. It was because I got to work with these young ladies. They’re fun to be around. It’s fun to watch their success, fun to watch them get everything they deserved. Just a tremendous year, all year long, through the ups, the downs, the challenges, the distractions. They always came out on top. To not only represent our program, which they put up on a national stage, but also the positive energy they brought to the university, and they also helped themselves out tremendously.” WOMEN’S BASKETBALL BLAZES THROUGH HISTORIC POSTSEASON Continued from page 5
Hokie Nation, This is the best year of basketball that I’ve ever had in my life. Although we came up short of our ultimate goal, I can’t help but look back and be immensely proud of all that our student-athletes accomplished this year. Our girls knew there were high expectations for them, and they exceeded every one of those. I could not be more proud and thankful to be their coach. You all, the fans, have been with us every step of the way. Hokie Nation is truly a family, and you came out in droves to support us. I said all season long that you could help make a good team great, and you did just that. When I moved my family to Blacksburg I could not have imagined the feeling of playing in front of a sold out crowd for the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament. To accomplish that this year was truly unbelievable. We feed off of the energy that you bring to any arena we play in, and I can’t wait to see you all again next year in Cassell. To the greatest fans in the world: Thank you and let’s go! Kenny Brooks Head Coach, Virginia Tech Women’s Basketball Letter A Hokie to Nation inside.hokiesports.com 7
8 Inside Hokie Sports New coaches bring Energy, Enthusiasm, Experience to Virginia Tech’s offense. By Bill Roth During his tenure as head football coach at legendary prep program DeMatha High School in Hyattsville, Maryland, Elijah Brooks placed dozens of his players at Power 5 schools around the country. One of the most successful turned out to be Cam Phillips, a former Stag who would become Virginia Tech’s all-time receiver during his career in Blacksburg. Phillips set all time school records with 236 receptions for 3,027 yards during his Hokies’ career from 2014-17. “Cam had a great career on the field, but when we would talk or text, he always brought up what a special place Blacksburg was, and how it always felt like a home to him,” Brooks recounted this past week. When Brooks was hired as Virginia Tech’s new running backs coach several weeks ago, one of the first texts he received? “It was from Cam,” Brooks said. “He was so excited to hear the news. It was a ‘full circle’ kind of thing for both of us.” Brooks comes to Virginia Tech from the University of Maryland where he spent the last four years as the Terrapin’s running back coach. Some background: As a player, Brooks was a legendary Stag himself. Playing for head coach Bill McGregor at DeMatha, Brooks rushed for more than 3,500 yards and scored 43 touchdowns in his prep career. A two-sport star, Brooks was a four-year point guard on the school’s basketball team under Hall of Fame coach Morgan Wootten. In college, Brooks starred for three seasons at William & Mary under coach Jimmye Laycock. He rushed for over 2,500 yards during his W&M career, plus he caught 68 passes and scored 24 touchdowns for the Tribe. So with McGregor, Wooten and Laycock as mentors, he’s had terrific coaching pedigree. In 2011 at age 27, he was named McGregor’s successor as Stag’s head coach where he won four consecutive Washington Catholic Athletic Conference championships from 201417, posting a 72-20 record. An impressive list of DeMatha graduates to play for Brooks made the NFL including Super Bowl champions Rodney McLeod (Philadelphia), Ja’Whaun Bentley (New England), John Lovett (Kansas City), Heisman finalist Chase Young (Washington), Cameron Wake (Miami), as well as brothers Arie (Buffalo) and Cyrus (Washington) Kouandijo. Then he made the jump to college. “I had a good high school job,” Brooks said. “Coach (Mike) Locksley from Maryland gave me an opportunity and now I’ve really grown to love the college game. The teaching. The relationships.” And the recruiting. “The DMV is rich with talent,” Brooks said. “My plan is to recruit these players down to Blacksburg to play for a fan base that really loves its football.” Brooks is aware of the deep pipeline that existed for many years between DeMatha and Virginia Tech. “Anyone who grew up in the DC area respected Virginia Tech football. We knew about Billy Hite and the DeMatha connection to this program. We’re going to get that back, and we will be back on a prominent level.” So, what did Cam Phillips say in his texts to his former prep coach? “He said, ‘you’re going to love it here’ and I see what he means. It’s only been a few weeks and now I see what Cam was talking about. It really is a special place.” WELCOME COACH CROOK The other new addition to Pry’s coaching staff is veteran offensive line coach Ron Crook. A West Virginia native, Crook’s career has spanned three decades including stops at Cincinnati, West Virginia, Stanford, Harvard, Illinois, and South Dakota. He replaces Joe Rudolph who left Tech for the same job at Notre Dame. “When I talked with Coach Pry and Coach Bowen on a zoom, it was clear we believed in a lot of the same things,” Crook told me. “The run game and its importance. Protection schemes. It was just a really good fit.” The West Virginia roots also seemed to connect with Pry too. “We had a similar background,” Crook said. “We kicked around a lot of the same dirt.” What kind of coach are the Hokies getting? “I believe we’re the most important unit on the team — the offensive line. We have some tough and talented guys in the room right now, and that’s what Virginia Tech has been known for over the years. I want to develop relationships with these guys, get a closeness with them. They need to believe in each other, and we’ll get there.” Crook said he has 19 players in his room now, with four more recruits coming this summer. While 23 is a probably a large number for total offensive lineman on a roster, it gives Crook, Pry, and Bowen a chance to evaluate a bunch of people and move some kids around if needed over the summer. “When I was at West Virginia, we led the Big 12 in rushing. That’s what we want here. That tough, physical group up front and I know we’ll get there.” The Hokies’ new coaches know the deal. They know Tech finished 13th in the ACC in rushing last season (110.8 yards/game). And as they unpack boxes and move into their new homes, their focus is to change that narrative in a hurry. Their experience and enthusiasm suggest they’ll do exactly that. BROOKS CROOK
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10 Inside Hokie Sports
Continued on page 12 Georgia Amoore finally received the national attention she deserved in 2023. After dazzling the crowds at Cassell Coliseum with her devastating crossover and deep jumpers, the women’s basketball world took notice of the Australian point guard. Despite all of the flattering recognition, Amoore often reflects on the progress the program has made since arriving on campus in 2020. “I think the steady but rapid progression of the program stands out to me the most,” Amoore said, who originally came to Tech after meeting Kenny Brooks at a tournament in Belarus. “I think it’s just a credit to a lot of the core group of girls for sticking with Coach Brooks in his vision. No matter the good or bad things that happened, I think we just stuck with what he saw. And he instilled that in us, and we just believe it.” It’s amazing to think that the 2023 ACC Tournament MVP was only recruited by two schools: Virginia Tech and the University of Portland. After making the decision to come to Tech, Amoore enrolled in school early in January 2020. She got a first hand introduction to the program led by Coach Brooks, traveling with the team on away trips in the heat of the challenging ACC season. Long before Amoore could lead the Hokies to an ACC title and Final Four appearance, the guard went through the cultural hurdles of moving halfway around the world from Ballarat, Australia to Blacksburg, Virginia. “I’m moving to rural Virginia, and I lived in an area where it was a little rural, but near Melbourne, so it was still like one of Australia’s largest cities, there was still so much happening,” Amoore said. “Then I come to the other side of the world, and it’s just like a campus in the middle of the countryside,” Amoore recalled. “On the court, I was still getting used to American rules. The way that we play at home is FIBA rules. So everything from the shot clock, to fouls, to backcourt violations, it’s all different.” The breakout of the COVID-19 pandemic added another wrench in the already challenging adjustment process for her upcoming freshman season, but Amoore persisted. She started 23 of 25 games for Tech in her first year, averaging 11.8 points per game and shot from beyond the arc at nearly a 40% clip. That success was just the beginning and the next year, the sophomore guard helped elevate the Hokies to the ACC Tournament semifinal for the first time in program history and the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive season. After an early exit in the 2022 NCAA Tournament at the hands of Florida Gulf Coast, Amoore knew the 2022-2023 season would be different. A huge reason for the difference — she was finally able to return home to Australia. COVID restrictions had prevented her from visiting her family home for the first time since she enrolled early in January 2020. “I think going home was a huge refresher for me. I hadn’t been home for two and a half years, so that was something that was constantly on my mind,” Amoore recalled. “Once I went home and came back, I just started working out with Coach Brooks. I think my mindset changed.” Fresh off of that homecoming trip, Amoore’s determination was also amplified. She knew her junior year meant she needed to step up even more to fulfill the scoring role Aisha Sheppard left, and she also acknowledged that she needed to progress her game to fulfill the high expectations placed on her team. A huge key to their success for the upcoming season would inevitably rely on the chemistry she has with her teammate, friend, and reigning ACC Player of the Year, Elizabeth Kitley. That chemistry was stronger than ever in Amoore’s junior year. “I think I just understand her. She’s a fierce competitor,” Amoore said of Kitley, who is also her roommate and Queens of Cassell podcast co-host. “She’s honest, and I think people might struggle with her personality sometimes because she just wants to get to the point. I obviously know now that she doesn’t mean any harm. She just really wants to win.” Amoore shares that competitive personality that she admits can be intimidating to people that don’t know her well. “I think I am (intimidating),” she laughed. “I think a large part of that is my Australian-ism. I’ve been told in the locker room ’Oh, you said this the other day, and it sounded a bit mean, but I think it’s because you’re Australian’. That honestly might help with the relationship with Liz on the court, because I think we’re just both passionate about basketball, and very, very passionate about Coach Brooks and what he needs us to do.” The Hokies channeled that competitive spirit to start the season. The Hokies blazed through the non-conference schedule and ACC opener, jumping out to a 10-0 start to the season. Amoore recorded the program’s first ever triple-double in Tech’s 85-54 thrashing of Nebraska at Cassell Coliseum, in front of what was then the largest student attendance in the history of the program. Then, the heat of the ACC season crashed in on the Hokies. On January 8th, Tech sat at 3-3 in the conference after a disappointing 7766 road loss to the Hurricanes. A breaking point in their year, the Hokies rattled off three more wins in a row before being halted by Duke in Spotlight ASCENDING into the inside.hokiesports.com 11 GEORGIA AMOORE’S DETERMINATION AND TALENT ON DISPLAY By Bailey Angle
12 Inside Hokie Sports ©2022 Martin Travel Agency, LLC 22_1383263c2 GOING PLACES? Martin Travel specializes in customizing group travel experiences for Virginia Tech alumni and sports fans. What do you need to have the best trip? Martin knows. Contact a Martin Travel Advisor Today MartinTravel.com/Hokies | 540-343-5400 | Info@MartinTravel.com Cameron Indoor Stadium, 6655. Amoore was held to seven points on 2-12 shooting from the field against the Blue Devils. “When I looked at the schedule and I saw 3-3, that was sickening. I knew there were those three losses that we should have won,” Amoore reflected from the team’s classroom at Hahn Hurst. “I think Miami was big for our team development, but Duke specifically was big for me. I learned a lot, but it really made me mad. The next few times we played Duke, I think we very much made up for the first loss we had.” Amoore and her teammates did more than just make up for it. Tech didn’t lose again for the rest of the regular season, including a 61-45 smashing of the No. 9 Blue Devils in Blacksburg. The Hokies also took down NC State twice in that span, a team that had beaten the Hokies three times the previous season. Amoore averaged 16.1 PPG in the final eight games of the regular season, igniting for 27 points in Raleigh against the Wolfpack and 25 against Florida State. By the end of the season, she had emerged as one of the best, if not the best, three point shooting threats in the ACC. Amoore says she has her coach to thank for that. “I think that there’s so many aspects of my own game that I’ve improved on and shooting is definitely one of them,” Amoore said, who finished the season with 118 3’s, a program record for a single season. “Coach Brooks is the man that has done that for me because at home, I was not a shooter. I could occasionally take a few shots, but everything from my follow through to my shot mechanics were just off. I came here and Coach Brooks 100% fixed that because now I put up 19 threes in a game, and it’s just totally fine.” The fearlessness to launch the three carried on for Amoore into the ACC Tournament. The Aussie went 11-17 from deep combined in the Hokies’ first two games in Greensboro, rolling through Elite Eight participant Miami and Duke by 26 and 21, respectively, en route to the program’s first ever ACC Final vs. Louisville. “We didn’t care who we played, because as long as we locked in and ourselves, and we knew what we could do. We were fully confident we could have beat anyone,” Amoore described of the team’s experience in Greensboro. “And we did. Did I think we were going to beat everyone by almost 20 points each game? No, but I knew that we were strong.” That strength carried into the final against Louisville. Tech led the game by as much as 15 in the second half, and Amoore’s focus was unbothered by the magnitude of the moment. The guard from Ballarat commanded the Hokies with 25 points, four assists, and a 10-10 performance from the free throw line to help clinch the Hokies’ first ACC title. Amoore was subsequently named the tournament’s MVP. If college basketball fans didn’t know Georgia Amoore’s name, they certainly do now. Her charisma and talent shined on the sport’s biggest stage in the NCAA Tournament, all the way to the Final Four. Her play earned her Seattle 3 Regional Most Outstanding Player honors. Interviews from ESPN’s Holly Rowe and Kelly Gramlich finally showed the rest of the country the leader that Amoore is in Blacksburg. Despite the national attention, Amoore is incredibly proud of the fans that have supported her and her teammates in recordbreaking numbers. “They are changing the outcomes of games and putting pressure on the other teams,” Amoore said of the crowds at Cassell, who packed the building for the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament. “The noise is just encouraging, because you’re doing it for so many other people than yourself.” Spotlight ASCENDING into the Continued from page 11
inside.hokiesports.com 13 Chip Grubb (‘79) and his wife Bonnie have been dedicated supporters of Virginia Tech athletics for over 40 years. For nearly the last decade, the Grubb’s have been arguably the most ardent and vocal supporters of Virginia Tech softball. Their dedication to the program stemmed from being selected for a special “Coach for the Day” promotion in 2016, allowing the Grubb’s to observe pregame warmups on the field and watch the entirety of the game from the dugout. Since then, the two of them can be found at every home contest at Tech Softball Park, loudly cheering on the Hokies with every pop of the mitt and crack of the bat. Outside of the friendly confines of TSP, Chip also amassed the highest amount of donor referrals to the Hokie Club. Over 150 Hokies referenced Chip when making a gift to athletics this past fundraising year. Q: How far does your connection with Virginia Tech go back? CG: I have been a Hokie fan my entire life. I was born and raised in Roanoke. My cousin, who is like a big brother to me, attended VT, and there was simply nowhere else that I ever wanted to attend. When Bonnie and I met, she became a diehard Hokie fan as well even though she grew up in North Carolina and attended NC State. I graduated from VT in 1979 and I believe I joined the Hokie Club in 1980 and got season football tickets that same year. Hokie sports have always been a big deal for us, and after we got married in 1989, we started going to almost all the away games as well as the home games. Our bowl streak goes back to the 1986 Peach Bowl when Chris Kinzer’s field goal beat NC State. The last non-Covid home game that I missed was against South Carolina on 9/22/90, and we were awarded a game ball for attending my 400th VT football game in 2019. Q: What sort of business were you in? CG: I worked in Human Resources most of my career and both Bonnie and I spent the last 17-18 years of our working years at Advance Auto Parts’ corporate office in Roanoke. I was the Director of HR, and she worked in accounting. Q: What’s your relationship like with Coach Pete D’Amour? CG: We met Coach D’Amour shortly after he was hired and we immediately hit it off. He has been really good to us, and he is quick to let us know how much he and the team appreciates our support of the program. Q: Before you and Bonnie were “Coaches for the Day,” what was your relationship like with softball before that? CG: We started going to softball games during the Angela Tincher years but it wasn’t until our Coach for the Day event that we became totally hooked. Q: What would you say to someone who is a fan, but doesn’t give to Virginia Tech softball? CG: Over time, we have gotten to know the young ladies that represent Virginia Tech on the softball field and there are no harder working group of student-athletes anywhere. They represent Virginia Tech with class, and are so very appreciative of everyone’s support. Both Bonnie and I love to support them, both by attending the games and by contributing to the program. Chip Grubb DONOR SPOTLIGHT
14 Inside Hokie Sports FIGHTER Özlem Uslu has taken the ACC by storm since her arrival here in the States. The Gebze, Turkey native has won 15 of her 20 singles matches this season and was one of two Virginia Tech singles players to beat No. 9 UVA opponents in 2023’s Commonwealth Clash. In the match, she defeated No. 60 Natasha Subhash, which was Uslu’s second victory over a ranked opponent. “The ACC is the best conference to play in, every match is tough and you have to fight for every point,” Uslu said about her ACC opponents. “I am glad I chose Tech because we are playing in the ACC. I have the opportunity to play and beat the top players in college tennis.” Uslu moved to America in August. She was born and raised in Turkey and played competitive singles tennis there in the U-16 division. She took a break from her studies to focus fully on tennis in Turkey, so her classes at Tech are the first ones she has taken since early high school. While she has faced a slight learning curve in moving to a new country and adjusting to a new language, her teammates have been nothing but supportive. They help Uslu with school, tennis, and everything that deals with her adopting aspects of American culture. While her transition ÖZLEM USLU: “I’M A ” Freshman from Turkey poised for success in Blacksburg By Lucy West
inside.hokiesports.com 15 was not all easy, her teammates were the ones who made her feel at home in Blacksburg. While Turkey is where Uslu grew up, she actually does not feel homesick at all. Besides her family and friends, Uslu says that being an athlete in America makes her feel professional. Her decisions as a student-athlete are respected, and the people around her really care to watch her succeed. She describes her teammates as sisters, and she knows that they want what is best for her.. The community of studentathletes, especially, makes her feel at home. Aside from moving stateside, playing at Tech is Uslu’s first time playing on a team. In Turkey, she played singles tennis without a team. The team dynamic, she says, helps her to stay focused. Uslu knows that her teammates rely on her to win, and that motivates her to try her absolute hardest as an athlete. A job that seems to come easily for the freshman, she is one of the top women playing in the ACC and claimed a No. 67 in the league. She has jumped quickly in the rankings after first appearing as No. 112 the week of March 12th. The week of April 4th, the ACC named Uslu Freshman of the Week. This was after Uslu defeated Georgia Tech’s No. 7 Carol Lee. The freshman stormed back after losing the first set 6-4, taking the next two over the top 10 ranked opponent 6-3 and 6-4. This was the highest-ranking win of any Hokie all season, and the pride was evident on Uslu’s face. Despite her serious demeanor on the court, Uslu’s love for tennis at Virginia Tech is clear through her smile while discussing her team. She beamed while explaining that it was a tough match, and expressed just how proud of herself that she was. Her victory over Lee was the highlight of her perfect weekend in singles over the weekend, after defeating Clemson’s Eleni Louka earlier in the trip. When asked what she wants Hokie Nation to know about her, her answer was easy: “I’m a fighter,” she stated. “I do my best to win.” She takes pride in being a part of a Hokie Nation, and is ready to carve out both a name and a home for herself in Blacksburg for the rest of her time here.
16 Inside Hokie Sports As the 2022-2023 Virginia Tech women’s basketball season comes to a close, it marks the end of one of the greatest teams that Hokie fans have ever gotten to see represent their school across any sport. Dr. Seuss said it best: “don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.” I got asked to write a piece of about 800-1000 words to recap the season that it was for the Hokies. Seems easy enough, right? There were so many moments that will be cherished for decades to follow. This should be easy, Evan! However, I sat in front of my computer for about 20 minutes without even being able to type a word. How do you summarize the impact that this group had on thousands of people? So many games and individual plays come flooding to my mind when I think back on the season. The unbeaten record in non-conference play, the win in Knoxville against one of the most storied programs in college basketball in Tennessee (foreshadowing to another big win against them in March!), Georgia Amoore becoming the first player in program history to record a triple-double, the Liz Kitley buzzer-beater at North Carolina in the same game she became the all-time leading scorer, Kitley winning back-to-back ACC Player of the Year awards, the ACC Championship, the first-ever one seed in the NCAA Tournament and the memorable run to the first Final Four in school history, that included the first and second rounds in Blacksburg for the first time in nearly two decades. Trust me, I’m leaving out many other accomplishments that were achieved this season. There’s only so much room for the column! All of what was just listed is not just special. It’s iconic. The ACC Championship was one of the toughest ever won in the last 20 years because of how deep the conference was this season. The journey to get there? Incredible. Following a tough loss to Duke on January 26th, the Hokies played some of their best basketball of the season and won the next eight regular-season games. They beat North Carolina State twice, Florida State, Syracuse, Duke and North Carolina in that stretch. All were double digit wins, outside of the buzzer-beater against the Tar Heels. Impressive beyond measure, with many of those teams ranked; In the ACC Tournament, you get paired up with three of the most physical basketball teams in the conference in Miami, Duke and Louisville. They won by 26 points against the Hurricanes, 21 points against the Blue Devils and 8 points against the Cardinals. Two of those teams made the Elite 8. The other was minutes away from a Sweet 16. It was a dominant showing in Greensboro against some of the very best the ACC has to offer. After two wins against Chattanooga and South Dakota State, the Hokies had punched their first ticket to the Sweet 16 since 1999. The opponent? The Tennessee Volunteers, who knocked Tech out of the tournament 24 years ago in that very same Sweet 16. Jordan Horston, a projected top five pick in the upcoming WNBA Draft, had been playing some of her best basketball of her career, as was Rickea Jackson, who averaged over 18 points per game. This game, to me, showcased what has made this Tech team special all season: it’s character and unique bond on the floor. The Hokies led by as many as 18 points in the second-half. Amoore ended up with a career-high 29 points. It looked as if Tech may run away with it. Then Tennessee came roaring back and made it a one-possession game in the fourth quarter. As loud as the Hokie faithful was at Climate Pledge Arena, so was the raucous Volunteers crowd. One-possession basketball game. You’ve given up a double-digit lead. All the momentum with the team that has been to the Sweet 16 a total of 36 times. What did the Hokies do? They stood tall in the face of adversity and showed was true resilience looks like. Tech never relinquished the lead and hung on to win by nine points. For me, that’s one of the biggest moments of the season. Many teams would have folded in that moment. But not this team. It could’ve been so easy to give up the lead and fall in that game. Everything was going Tennessee’s way after the brought out the full court press. But this Tech team had no quit in them. It showed on the biggest of stages. It turned out to be one of the defining moments of the amazing season. It propelled them to a win against Ohio State in the Elite Eight and that coveted Final Four appearance that will be talked about for decades to follow. I bring up the Sweet 16 when Tennessee was on that run because it perfectly ties together my thoughts on the 2022-2023 Virginia Tech women’s basketball season: it was the people that made it special. The special bond that Tech had off the floor prepared them for the toughest of moments on the floor. It starts at the top with Coach Brooks. He deserves immense credit for the job he’s done on the floor but even more so, off the floor. I’ve never been around a team that loves each other and everyone in the program, from top to bottom, like this group of Hokies. This season that Tech had could not have happened to a better and more deserving group of people. Consider some of the key players on the team and what they had to sacrifice to get to this stage. Georgia Amoore: took a huge leap of faith to leave Australia, commit to a place she had never been to before in Blacksburg, Va., enroll in January of 2020 only to have the pandemic hit and not see her family from that point until December of 2021. Kayana Traylor: An All-Big 10 performer who was one of the top scoring options on a solid Purdue squad. She could have stayed there the rest of her career, but she wanted to win. She was willing to be put in whatever role Coach Brooks needed her to be in, regardless if that was a starting role or coming off the bench. Her points per game averages decreased. She didn’t care, because all she wanted to do was win. The same goes for Taylor Soule. An All-ACC performer for two years at Boston College, where she was one of the top scoring options for the Eagles. She sacrificed her averages because she wanted to win. D’asia Gregg started her career at Georgia Tech, then transferred to Gulf Coast State College and then transferred to Virginia Tech in the midst of the pandemic. She worked for three years to get to the History, WITNESSING Courtside Evan Hughes By
inside.hokiesports.com 17 level she played at this year, one that had her as a finalist for Sixth Player of the Year in the ACC. They sacrificed, as did many others on the team, for the love they have for one another and Virginia Tech. That’s how this team will be remembered for me. While the 2022-2023 women’s basketball squad will go down as the most decorated and accomplished basketball team in history, it will always be remembered for the way they captured the hearts of Tech fans. Their love for each other in the program translated to the Hokie Nation far and beyond. They gave the fan base moments and history that will be cherished forever. More importantly than the moments on the floor, the fan base will always remember how they made them feel. This group brought out the reasons why so many enjoy cheering for and supporting this university. A hat tip and a collective “thank you” to the group that will live on in the hearts of Tech fans forever.
Since VIRGINIA TECH swim & dive’s YOUSSEF RAMADAN set foot on the board, he’s earned All-American honors at the 2021 and 2022 NCAA’s for the 50 free and at the 2022 NCAA’s for the 100 fly and broken multiple school records. 18 Inside Hokie Sports YOUSSEF RAMADAN: Road National CHAMPIONSHIP to a Swimming & diving cultivates first national champion • By Lexi Clatterbuck
To top it all off, during the third day of the 2023 NCAA Championships, Ramadan earned the first national title in program history after clocking in 43.15 in the 100 fly, swimming the second-fastest time in NCAA history and breaking the school record. “It was unreal,” Ramadan said. “It was as if it was in a film or something. The way I won and the time that I went and the things that I said after the event, it was like a film. It was the happiest I’ve ever been.” But if there’s anything Ramadan has learned, it’s that success doesn’t happen overnight. After wearing a Tech swim cap for almost three years, Ramadan has witnessed the program’s growth and remarks that his win at the NCAA’s wasn’t just his. It was the team’s win. Overall, the Hokies started the season strong, with both the men and women securing their first wins early on against George Washington and Ohio, and as the season continued, four swimmers qualified for the Olympic Trials and the men placed second overall in the ACC Championship, marking the program’s highest finish since 2014. inside.hokiesports.com 19 The Hokies have proved their work ethic, time and time again, as they continue to take the program to new heights. Ramadan speaks to the team’s hard work, recalling how he consistently challenged himself before taking home the title. When Ramadan performed sets in practice, he would always do four strokes and kick to 15. He can’t remember a time when he had a five-stroke lap in sets throughout the year and explains how much that training helped him perform in meets. Little things like waking up at 5 a.m. for practice, diving headfirst into a cold pool and gasping for air in between strokes are physically taxing, but the team and successes make it all worth it. “The pain that I felt throughout this year was how I was able to stand and face the fastest in the world, have faith in myself and be sure that I can win,” Ramadan said. “In the race itself, towards the last 50, inside me, I knew that I won because I’ve trained to come back faster and to kick faster.” After he conquered the physical in practice, he learned to face the mental under pressure. “You have to have faith in yourself,” Ramadan said. “The mind is the strongest thing, but it can also be the worst thing for you. It’s you vs. you out there. If you win, there will be no one that will stand in your way, and you will never be afraid of facing anyone because the hardest fight is within yourself.” It’s safe to say that Ramadan has mastered winning against himself out in the water. Continued on page 20
20 Inside Hokie Sports 99 Bradley Drive Christiansburg NRV Mall 540-381-8100 www.holidayinn.com/cburgnorth Full Service Restaurant Bar & Grill Game Day Catering. Dine in or Room Service Welcome Back HOKIES! After reaching his “movie moment” of winning the national title, he was the happiest he’s ever been and overwhelmed with gratitude to Virginia Tech for giving him the opportunity to swim in the states and to his team for celebrating him well. When Ramadan began his swimming journey, he mainly trained alone, but now, he has an incredible team of supporters to cheer him on and it has made all the difference. “My team is everything to me,” Ramadan said. “After I won, they sent me a clip…my whole team was in this house and they’re seeing the 100 fly, and the way they reacted and everything shows how much support I have and the faith they have in me. Whatever they need me to do, I’ll be there.” That loyalty pushes Ramadan not only to be his best and attribute his successes in part to his teammates but also to learn from his mistakes and move forward. The road to a national championship title is paved with plenty of celebrations along the way but also a few losses. Ramadan recalls times when he didn’t perform his best or hesitated at the start and reflects on the impact it had on him and his future training, recognizing that the thing he’s learned the most is that you have to fail and fail until you succeed. It’s necessary to wait and be patient. Thankfully, the whole swim & dive team has a skilled and caring coaching staff that it can trust with both personal and career advice. “The staff here isn’t here to work, go home and be paid,” Ramadan said. “They’re not here just for that. They are invested in us and don’t only want me to swim fast. They want me to be happy and care about me as a person.” It’s support from Ramadan’s teammates and coaches, hard work, his unbreakable mindset and an impeccable program that led to this moment and there’s much more to come. Road National CHAMPIONSHIP to a Continued from page 19
22 Inside Hokie Sports There never seems to be any shortage of excitement surrounding the Virginia Tech men’s and women’s track and field programs. After a weekend trip just a few weeks ago to the friendly confines of Louisville, Kentucky for the 2023 ACC Indoor Track and Field Championships, these past few months certainly serve as no exception. Making the six-hour trek up north on Interstate 64 to set up shop within the Bluegrass state’s exterior borders, the Hokies already carried with them quite the collection of credentials, particularly under longtime director of track and field and cross country Dave Cianelli. Through 19 NCAA individual champions, four top-five finishes at the NCAA Track and Field Championships, and a then-18 ACC track and field team titles prior to Tech’s clean sweep of the indoor championships, Cianelli’s program knew about the potential opportunity they had on their hands as they arrived in Louisville. And boy, did they ever seize it. In a runaway 110.5-76 thumping of second-place Florida State, the Hokie men had no problems securing their third consecutive ACC crown, with both Conner McClure and Tyson Jones serving as key reasons why. ® highlight Men’s and Women’s ACC Indoor Titles MCCLURE JONES By Carter Hill
inside.hokiesports.com 23 In his first time competing in over a year, McClure won the pole vault with a personalbest height of 5.38m (17’7.75”) to lock up a victory for the maroon and orange. The Green, Ohio native easily trumped his previous best of 5.26m (17’ 3”) secured at last year’s ACC Championships in 2022, with the mark earning McClure bronze in his first-ever opportunity to form a stranglehold on the league. Let’s not forget about Jones’ efforts, as well. The fifth-year senior took home his second career title in the men’s shot put event with a mark of 18.67m (61’ 3”) on his second attempt of the day, with the Goodyear, Arizona product achieving First Team All-ACC honors after putting his efforts on full display. The women’s side of things certainly did not disappoint either. With the Tech women taking home its fifth-ever ACC crown and second consecutive league title in a 93-91 narrow victory over second-place Duke, there seems to be no sign of slowing down for either group as each continues to take the track year in and year out. Junior Victoria Gorlova won the triple jump for the second straight season with a leap of 13.11m (43’ 0.25”), and was also able to collect First Team All-ACC recognition after another strong showing in her time flying high. Continued on page 24 CIANELLI GORLOVA STIMMEL MAMMEL
24 Inside Hokie Sports Freshman phenom Kenna Stimmel had herself a weekend on the track, as well. The 2023 ACC Women’s Indoor Freshman of the Year placed first in pole vault after clearing 4.40m (14’5.25”), and would go on to finish fourth at the NCAA Indoor Championships resulting in a First Team AllAmerican honoree in her first season at the collegiate ranks. You certainly can’t talk about Tech track and field without raving about longtime mainstay Rebecca Mammel as well. The second-year Hokie and former All-American honoree as a Michigan State Spartan just finished off her second consecutive ACC title in the weight throw event for the maroon and orange. She broke the meet record with a toss of 23.29m (76’5”) to earn gold for the second straight year representing Virginia Tech. Don’t forget, all this comes just a week after Mammel shattered the conference’s all-time indoor record with a remarkable 23.96m (77’ 8.75”) launch at the previous weekend’s Virginia Tech Challenge inside of Rector Fieldhouse. The mark was set on the Tecumseh, Michigan product’s final attempt on the day, and it now stands as the conference’s all-time best that any woman has ever achieved in the ACC’s long-winded history. Perhaps more so than anything, though, is the ability to get caught up and get drawn into the Hokies’ now continued dominance that’s begun to truly circulate around the ACC. Now winners of five of the last seven men’s indoor titles, three of the last women’s indoor championships, and 21 overall league crowns since Cianelli took over prior to the 2001-02 campaign, Tech has quietly pivoted to one of the more premier powers throughout the entirety of the sport. And while we’re at it, it’s easy to see the progressive development across the movement of time. Eight-time ACC men’s indoor champions that all have taken place since 2011, and now five-time women’s indoor titleholders that have bulked up as of late with a recent program push, it’s easy to see how Cianelli has been able to stack up 21 postseason crowns ever since arriving in Blacksburg. And with potentially much more left in the tank, and the Hokies showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon, the future still appears to be brighter than ever for Tech track and field. With constant growth comes continued success, and for those to take the track in maroon and orange, there’s no reason why that can’t continue to be the case. As the outdoor season is now fully underway and nearing its close, it may not be too much longer before the Hokies add another trophy to their collection. And with five individual winners, and many more that garnered First Team All-ACC accolades, the possibilities continue to be endless for Tech track and field each and every time the Hokies are ready to go. highlight Men’s and Women’s ACC Indoor Titles ® Continued from page 23
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