After another year of historic milestones, the accolades for Virginia Tech wrestling continue to pour in as national finalist and ACC champion Caleb Henson and head coach Tony Robie took home Atlantic Coast Conference Wrestler of the Year and Coach of the Year to wrap up the 2024-2025 season as announced by the league office April 1.
The annual awards are determined by a vote of the league’s head coaches.
The Hitman goes back-to-back as ACC Wrestler of the Year after a historic junior season in Blacksburg. Entering the season as the defending national champion, Henson boasted an undefeated regular season – including winning the prestigious Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational by beating eventual national champion Ridge Lovett in the finals – en route to his second ACC title.
Henson defeated three-time All-American Lachlan McNeil (North Carolina) to claim his second ACC title and enter the 2025 NCAA Championships as the No. 1 seed – just the third Hokie in program history to claim the top seed. The Cartersville, Ga. native won his first three matches in Philadelphia to become Tech’s seventh three-time All-American before defeating Ohio State’s Dylan D’Emilio in the semifinals to advance to the national finals for the second time in his career. Henson became the first back-to-back finalist in program history and just the second to make two finals appearances for the Hokies (Mekhi Lewis, 2022, 2019).
Ranked No. 1 for the entire duration of the season till his runner-up finish in Philadelphia Henson finished his third season for the Hokies with a 22-1 record, setting the best single season win percentage in program history (95.65%) at a 56.52% bonus rate with six wins over All-Americans. Henson is just the second Hokie to be named ACC Wrestler of the Year multiple times, joining Mekhi Lewis (2022, 2019).
For the 10th time in the last 13 seasons, the ACC Coach of the Year resides in Blacksburg. The honor is a four-peat – and sixth in eight seasons – for Robie in his time at the helm for the Hokies. Robie had been tabbed as the lead vote getter by league coaches in 2024, 2023, 2022, 2019, and 2017.
Under Robie’s guidance this season, Virginia Tech finished in the top-11 for the seventh time in the last eight seasons, the ACC tournament title with four champions and six finalists, a share of the conference regular season title, a national finals appearance for the fifth time in eight seasons, and three All-Americans – Henson, Eddie Ventresca (5th, 125-pounds), and Connor McGonagle (6th, 133-pounds).
The Hokies stretched their streak of three or more All-Americans to 12-consecutive seasons, a streak only shared with Penn State and Iowa. For the eighth time in program history and the third-straight season, Tech sent nine student-athletes to the NCAA Championships while garnering a program record three top-four seeds and four top-six seeds.
Claytor clean-up
Claytor Lake saw a major cleanup effort in 2024, driven by the dedication of Friends of Claytor Lake (FOCL) and its partners. Spanning from April to December, the cleanup was especially critical following Hurricane Helene’s impact in September.
FOCL was on the water just one day after the storm passed, leading the charge to clear debris and restore safety to the lake. Thanks to this swift response, hazardous materials were removed quickly, minimizing environmental damage and ensuring safe recreation for visitors.
Over the course of the year, FOCL removed 319 roll-off loads of debris—totaling 4,785 tons. Among the items collected were 36 tires, 189 bags of trash, 11 barrels, 32 docks, propane and gas tanks, oil tanks and barrels, refrigerators, and other hazardous debris.
A detailed 2024 Cleanup Report is now available at focl.org/debris-clean-ups, outlining the full scope of FOCL’s work and its impact on the lake’s health.
This large-scale effort was made possible through the collaboration of volunteers, local organizations, and FOCL’s dedicated partners, all working toward a common goal—preserving and protecting Claytor Lake.
Looking ahead, FOCL will resume cleanup efforts in spring 2025 to keep the lake safe and enjoyable for all. However, this work depends on community support. Your donation can make a lasting difference.
Minnesota transfer to RU
Former Gophers men’s basketball guard Brennan Rigsby is transferring to Radford for his fifth and final season of college, he announced on social media Friday.
Rigsby transferred to Minnesota last offseason after two previous years at Oregon. He played in 29 games, including 10 starts, and averaged 5.4 points, 1.9 rebounds and 0.6 assists per game this season.
Rigsby has a fifth year of eligibility because of new NCAA rules allowing players who transferred from junior colleges an additional year of eligibility under certain conditions (Rigsby started his college career at Northwest Florida State).
Radford, a member of the Big South Conference, had a 20-13 record last season, including a 9-7 mark in conference play. Rigsby played in 29 games during his lone season at Minnesota.
Hokie golf place third
The Virginia Tech men’s golf team placed third at the inaugural Testudo Cup, which concluded Sunday at P.B. Dye Golf Club (par 72, 6,989 yards).
Behind a 9-over 873 (288-294-291), the Hokies posted their season-best finish of the season. Tournament host Maryland won the team title at 11-under 853 (289-277-287), six shots clear of runner-up Delaware.
Gareth Steyn paced Tech with his first top-five showing of the season. He carded a 2-under 214 (70-70-74), manufacturing 11 birdies for the tournament, enroute to tying for fifth. Balthazar Duclos tied for 24th at 5-over 221 (74-76-71).
Maryland’s Yang Kuang prevailed in the individual race, firing a 7-under 209 (70-67-72) to edge Delaware’s Casper Nerpin by two shots.
