Marty Gordon
NRVsports@mainstreetnewspapers.com
Radio station 100.7 FM is home for the Christiansburg Blue Demon football team. Thursday, the station honored three sophomores and one senior for their outstanding season.
Colt Howell was named the 2025 player of year, Jack Henry defensive player of year and Jeremiah Barnes offensive player of the year. Each was chosen for both their play on the field and off the field.
Barnes was 118 of 238 this season, throwing for 1,490 yards with 12 touchdowns.
Henry became a radio favorite on Friday nights and finished the season with 28 tackles and three sacks.
Howell stood out on both sides of the ball. On offense, he had 30 receptions for 349 yards as a receiver, and on defense, he finished the season with 81 tackles, three forced fumbles, one recovery and two pass breakups.
Senior kicker Mason King was honored with the 2025 teammate award.
Kayak event coming to NRV
Pulaski County Sports and Entertainment has announced the Kayak Adventure Series (KAS) presented by GoPro will be coming to Pulaski County May 15–16, 2026, bringing hundreds of anglers to the waters of the New River and Claytor Lake. The two-day event, being called the New River Revival, is open to all ability levels and will feature a variety of divisions including individual, team, high school (under 18) and college anglers.
Fans can follow along in real time via live leaderboard with photos. With GoPro as a headline sponsor, organizers cap the event inside historic theaters, and “we’re excited to pack the Pulaski Theatre on Saturday night to showcase the anglers’ best catches and most memorable moments – and, of course, crown our New River Revival Champion,” the county announced.
“The KAS New River Revival is much more than a fishing tournament and is designed to appeal to both experienced anglers, as well as recreational-level fisherman. The event will showcase Pulaski County’s premier paddling and fishing destination, offering participants a unique adventure that combines river and lake kayaking in one weekend.”
Registration is open, and full details including entry information, event schedules, and spectator information are available at KayakAdventureSeries.com.
Big South tournament
Single session tickets for the 2026 Air Force Reserve Big South Basketball Championships at Freedom Hall Civic Center in Johnson City, Tenn., are now on sale online at www.BigSouthSports.com/Tickets. A single session is comprised of two games, with the exception of the Mar. 8 Championship games, and feature general admission seats for $35 and courtside seats for $75. In addition, local group tickets of 15-plus are available for $20. Ticket prices include all fees and parking.
Student tickets will be available for $10 with a valid student ID. Full ticket booklets remain on sale and cover all 16 games over nine sessions. Booklets feature courtside seating ($650) and general seating ($250) for the Mar. 4-8 tournament. Separate men’s and women’s booklets for the respective eight games and five sessions cost $350 (courtside) and $150 (general).
Applications open for elk hunt
The hunt for the 2026–2027 season will be held Saturday, Oct. 10 – Friday, Oct. 16, 2026. There are five antlered elk licenses available for this year’s hunt via lottery. The application period for the elk lottery opened Feb. 1, 2026, and close Mar. 31, 2026. Applications for a special elk hunting license can be obtained online, under elk hunting, or by calling the Department of Wildlife Resources Customer Service for assistance in applying via phone.
Applications require a non-refundable fee of $15 for Virginia residents and $20 for out-of-state residents. Winners of the elk hunting lottery will then need to purchase a special elk hunting license for $40 for in-state residents, and $400 for out-of-state residents. The special elk hunting license is not transferrable to another individual. Winners of the randomized computer drawing will be notified by May 30. You can also check the status of your application by visiting the DWR Go Outdoors Virginia page.
ACC all-academic team
Sixteen Virginia Tech football student-athletes from the 2025 season were named to the All-ACC Academic Team, the conference has announced..
The Hokies have five student-athletes who are multiple-time honorees on the All-ACC Academic Team, showcasing their academic prowess in the classroom and dedication on the football field.
2025 Football All-ACC Academic Team – Virginia Tech
Kyle Altuner, OL, Property Management; Lucas Austin, OL, Sport Media & Analytics; Jojo Crim, CB, Communication; Tyson Flowers, S, Psychology; Johnny Garrett, OL, Public Health; Layth Ghannam, OL, Sociology; Kelvin Gilliam Jr., DL, Consumer Studies; Knahlij Harrell, CB, Real Estate for Residential Properties; Marcellous Hawkins, RB, Sociology; Will Johnson, LB, Property Management; Emmett Laws, DL, Consumer Studies; John Love, K, Exercise and Health Sciences; Aidan Lynch, OL, Psychology; Joseph Reddish, CB, Sociology; Tommy Ricard, OL, Industrial Engineering; and Harrison Saint Germain, TE, Consumer Studies.
Academic requirements for selection to the All-ACC Academic Team include a 3.0-grade point average for the previous two semesters and a 3.0 cumulative average during one’s academic career, while being enrolled at the institution for at least one year and being classified as an undergraduate student. In addition, student-athletes must compete in at least 50 percent of their team’s athletic contests.
Snow affects tournament
Elon Softball cancelled this past weekend’s tournament because of the recent winter snow. The Radford Softball program’s games against Saint Joseph’s, Elon, North Carolina, and UConn scheduled between Feb. 5 and 7 are all canceled and will not be played at a later date.
The Highlanders will now look to kick off their season next week in Troy, Ala. Action begins on Friday, Feb. 13 with a pair of games against Central Arkansas (9 a.m.) and IU Indy (11:30 a.m.).
Hokie baseball tickets
Opening day for Virginia Tech baseball is just under a month away, and fans can now purchase single-game tickets for all home ACC matchups. This year’s home slate brings five compelling conference series to Blacksburg, including: Duke (March 20–22), Stanford (March 27–29), Pitt (April 17–19), NC State (April 24–26) and Clemson (May 14–16).
Tickets start at $8 for adults and $4 for youths. Walk-up single-game tickets will still be available for cashless purchase at the stadium, starting at $11 for adults and $7 for youths.
Duke, Pitt and Clemson will be priced at $12 for adults and $6 for youths, with walk-up tickets priced at $15 for adults and $9 for youths.
In addition, all nonconference home games, including nonconference weekend series, will remain free to the public.
Flex tickets: Priced at just $90 total, $6 per ticket, the Flex Plan remains the best value in Hokie baseball. Fans can use their 15 tickets in any combination across Tech’s ACC home schedule, giving them complete freedom to build their ideal ballpark experience.
Interested in bringing out youth groups, friends, clients, coworkers or teams of 10 or more individuals? Send an email to groupsales@hokies.vt.edu to inquire.
All ticket purchases for Virginia Tech baseball are cashless, requiring a credit or debit card for transactions. Mobile ticketing remains in effect—fans are encouraged to download their tickets ahead of arrival for smooth and efficient entry. Seating at English Field is general admission, with the exception of the section adjacent to the first-base dugout reserved for visiting team guests.
