The EPSY awards of excellence in sports performance yearly awards are honors presented by EPSN, honoring outstanding achievements in sports by both individual athletes and teams.
The award recognizes exceptional performances, inspiring stores and significant contributors to sports culture.
This newspaper has its own version of this, and it is called the “Marty’s”.
So, the first Marty’s go to the Auburn High School athletic program for consistent producing state and regional champions in volleyball, girls’ softball, baseball, cross country and track and field. This also includes golf, where Auburn has become the team to beat in the Class 1 ranks.
Thus, Golf Coach Jeff Gandee receives a Marty for his leadership.
But the golf honors didn’t just rest in Riner. Blacksburg High School also rolled to another state win. So, both the team and its coach Rick Mattox receive the annual award.
In football, a team Marty goes to the Auburn football team for completing their first full-schedule in three years. The future is bright and players should continue to attend off-season practice.
Posthumously, I have to give a Marty to the former Radford High School football coach, Norm Lineburg. I will miss our conversations.
Christiansburg’s Lucas Beasley receives a Marty and will play tennis at Shenandoah and major in sports management. He was the 2023 and 2024 Region 3D player of the year after gathering all-region and all- state honors.
Beasley was a 2023 Class 3 Doubles and Singles runner-up. He was the 2024 Region D
champion in both singles and doubles, while being the 2024 Class 3 Singles runner-up. This past spring, the school did not field a boys’ tennis team and played as an independent.
Blacksburg Athletic Director Nikki Sellers receives a Marty for juggling her first year in the high school ranks while delivering a new baby.
Olivia Radford had been an outstanding softball player at Radford High School before she switched to golf. The rest is history as she now has a scholarship to play golf at Lynchburg University this coming fall. Thus, she receives a Marty.
David Hagan receives a Marty for his impressive donation of Motor Mile Speedway and Calfee Park to Pulaski County for future use. Racing will restart near the facility in Radford this coming year.
Oh, two Marty’s have to go to the volleyball coaches at Christiansburg and Radford high schools for both bringing home state championships. Congrats to Madison Taylor and Karen Adams.
Former and now new Virginia Tech coach Brent Pry receives another Marty for pulling off the biggest coup of college football. In September, he was without a job after the university let him. Then in December, he had a new job back on the coaching staff of the same school that kicked him out.
Radford University women’s basketball coach Mike McGuire receives a Marty after he became the winningest coach in school history.
A Marty goes to Blacksburg’s adopted gold medal Olympian, Cole Hocker, who shocked the world and won the 1,500 meter final (3:27.65) in the Paris games, setting a new record in the event.
Hocker, who is originally from Indianapolis, Indiana, now calls Blacksburg home. The 20-year-old was the youngest athlete to represent the United States in the 1,500-meter race since Marty Liquori (19 years old) in 1968.
Going to give a Marty to a longtime supporter of local sports, especially in Radford. Thanks, John Giesen of Eleven West screen printing for all your past support.
A Marty is given to the Montgomery County school board who continues to upgrade athletic facilities in our area, most recently being the new track at Eastern Montgomery High School and a new gym at Christiansburg High School.
A Marty is also given to the Montgomery County Recreation Department for finally getting its new Riner baseball park open for this spring.
Meanwhile, a Marty is given to the Blacksburg Recreation Department for restarting the Mite football program for second and third graders.
The final Marty of this past year is given to Matt Hagan, who had a chance at the IHRA Funny Car championship but was left out of the chance to win it in the final race of the year, which was rained out. He would finish second without even firing up the race car.
