Inside HOKIE SPORTS | Vol. 10 No. 5 | May 2018

inside.hokiesports.com 9 by Jimmy Robertson Spring successes continue fueling Virginia Tech Athletics momentum There are some in the sports profession who argue against the concept of momentum. In fact, noted ESPN.comwriter Bill Barnwell tried tomake that argument in an article several years ago, calling it an abstract idea that gets molded only to fit the narrative of whatever a person wants. He even called it “ no-mentum .” Whit Babcock is not in that camp. The Hokies’ director of athletics often uses the phrase “continued momentum” in various meetings, interviews and such, which obviously means that he believes firmly in momentum. And truthfully, the latest accomplishments by the Hokies certainly give him the evidence to contradict Mr. Barnwell. The Hokies—almost quietly—have rolled along this spring. Big victories, wins over rival Virginia and NCAA berths create cause for celebration, and this space serves as a written standing ovation. Consider what has transpired over the past three-plus months since Feb. 1: • The men’s basketball team won at then-No. 2 UVA and later secured an NCAA bid • The men’s track and field distance medley relay team won the national title • The women’s basketball team advanced all the way to the WNIT final • Jared Haught made it to the finals of his weight class at the NCAA Wrestling Championships, and the wrestling team came in eighth. • The softball team swept a three-game series from UVA • The lacrosse team set a program record for wins, beat UVA for only the second time in program history and earned its first NCAA berth • The women’s golf team earned its first NCAA tournament berth • The men’s tennis team beat UVA for the first time since 2003 and earned an NCAA bid • The Hokies only need a point from either of their track and field teams to clinch the Commonwealth Clash for the second straight year And for good measure, the annual Spring Game was exciting, at least in the second half. The Hokies got some big plays from their running game, a few receivers made some really nice catches, and Tech’s youthful defenders made some plays. The game created some excitement in anticipation of the upcoming season. “We saw some individual improvement. We saw some team improvement,” Tech head coach Justin Fuente said afterward. “We have a long way to go. This might be the most important summer of any team I’ve ever coached in terms of what we need and moving forward considering our youth and inexperience. Of my years, this might be the most important next several months of our lives. We will get our guys ready for that and keep moving forward.” Fast Forward Document Solutions Proud to Support Virginia Tech Athletics MFPs I Document Management I Managed Print Services I Production Print Roanoke • New River Valley • Lynchburg • Charlottesville Richmond • Hampton Roads • Shenandoah Valley VAbusinesssystems.com • 540-362-3300 It’s how you win. And it’s how we deliver. Teamwork . VBS VT 1-3 page ad_Layout 1 7/21/16 11:52 AM Page 1 This spring represents a stark contrast to this time a year ago when the Hokies’ spring Olympic sports struggled. In fact, only the men’s and women’s track and field teams enjoyed any type of success, with both winning the ACC team title and Irena Sediva going on to win a national championship. As a result of the struggles, the Hokies finished 40th in the Learfield Directors’ Cup, which uses a points-based system that places an emphasis on varsity sports that qualify for NCAA postseason competition. The finish marked a two-place drop from the previous year and a five-spot decline from 2014-15. Yet Tech now appears to be in shape for its best finish ever, eclipsing its 35th-place ending in 2014-15. The Hokies came out of this winter in 20th position in the standings— before factoring in women’s golf, men’s tennis, lacrosse and men’s and women’s track and field. Occasionally, Tech’s lack of a team national championship comes up in conversation, but for Tech to get to that point, it needs to be competitive first against Virginia and then within the ACC. Twenty-eight team championships in 13 years in the ACC—and potentially two straight Commonwealth Clash victories—certainly proves that the school’s sports are trending in a positive direction. Tech has 22 varsity sports, and most people only know about football and men’s basketball—and maybe women’s basketball and baseball. Most of those 22 sports are doing well, and one gets the feeling that Babcock hired the right people to turn around the volleyball (Jill Wilson) and baseball programs (John Szefc). “We’re very pleased with our across-the- board success,” Babcock told The Daily Press’ David Teel in a recent article. “I don’t know if you’re ever satisfied, but I love the momentum and the way it looks and feels right now.” There is that word again—momentum. The Hokies hope to continue riding themomentum, even if some people don’t believe in it.