Marty Gordon
The Radford University baseball team leads the country in stolen bases. So far this season, Corbin Gratham leads the Highlanders with 11 stolen bags.
In another interesting national ranking, Christiansburg native and current Kentucky gymnast Raena Worley is in the top-three of several categories: #2 in the bars, #2 in the floor and #3 all-around.
Six Hokie all-Americans
The 2024 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships concluded on Saturday at the TRACK at new balance with Virginia Tech tallying six First-Team All-American honors.
Sophomore Judson Lincoln IV finished third in the men’s 400m clocking in a time of 45.57.
In the men’s 800m, sophomore Nick Plant crossed the finish line fourth with a time of 1:47.75. Plant received First-Team All-American honors finishing within the top-eight of the individual event. Senior Lindsey Butler finished seventh in the women’s 800m clocking in a season-best time of 2:02.39.
Victoria Gorlova earned First Team All-American accolades in the triple jump with a personal-best mark of 44′ 9.50″ (13.65m) in the fifth round, finishing fourth.
Coaching hire at Tech
Virginia Tech football coach Brent Pry continues to bolster his recruiting staff, announcing Gunter Brewer as Director of High School Relations. Brewer will work alongside James Johnson in his new role after serving as the wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator for the University of Maryland football program the past two seasons.
With more than three decades in coaching, Brewer has cultivated and maintained relationships across the Hokies’ recruiting footprint throughout his career. His countless high school connections will help the Hokies attract the very best to play for Tech. Brewer has extensive experience in the ACC, SEC, Big 12, Big 10 and the NFL, coaching some of the best wide receivers to play the game including a pair of Biletnikoff Award winners in Randy Moss and Justin Blackmon, and Biletnikoff finalist Dez Bryant. He has coached in 19 bowl games and the 1996 FCS national championship game.
Last season under the direction of Brewer, Maryland receivers led the Big 10 in receiving yards. Prior to his time in College Park, he was the wide receivers coach at Louisville from 2019-21 and served as the wide receivers coach for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2018.
Brewer was the Co-Offensive Coordinator/Wide Receivers Coach at North Carolina from 2012-17, where he helped UNC earn the program’s first-ever appearance in the ACC Championship Game in 2015.
Drones, ESPN list
Returning your starting quarterback in college is typically a coveted thing, and the Hokies are proud to claim that as they enter the 2024 season.
Last week, ESPN released its 10 most interesting quarterbacks heading into the fall and Virginia Tech’s Kyron Drones was ranked No. 2.
Staff writer Bill Connelly wrote about Drones’ ability of making the offense move the ball more effectively as the season went on, showcasing his versatility with his arms and legs down the stretch.
He broke down expected points added (EPA) and how that number increased significantly with Drones under center, while mentioning how the Hokies are first in returning production in FBS – a good sign for things to come.