FOOTBALL RECRUITING
Virginia Tech is gaining momentum on the recruiting trail, landing four more prospects in the last couple of days.
The Hokies now have 11 known commitments for the 2024 class, according to analyst Chris Coleman of Tech Sideline.
Tech gained commitments from rising senior linebacker Gabriel Williams, who is considered a 4-star prospect; 3-star offensive lineman Aidan Lynch; 3-star defensive tackle Andrew Hanchuk and cornerback Marcellus Barnes. They announced their decisions on social media.
This Is Home! Let’s Go Hokie Nation! #ThisIsHome @CoachPryVT @Crook_VT @Coach__Fields @BrianDohn247 @PrepRedzoneNJ @Select50Sports @mtolivefootball @OConnorMOFB pic.twitter.com/IvNO3gsuuR
— Aidan Lynch (@aidan_lynch67) June 12, 2023
THIS IS HOME !! I’m a Hokie 🦃 @CoachPryVT @CoachShawnQuinn @Coach_Marve @CoachdjCheetah @CoachEBrooks @Coach_Adibi @HokiesFB #Hokies @SVPHSAthletics pic.twitter.com/dF9Y5M8Evf
— Gabriel_williams (@8kgabe1) June 11, 2023
Williams, a 6-foot-4, 195-pounder from St. Vincent Pallotti High in Laurel, Maryland, is ranked No. 85 nationally by On3 and No. 1 in his state, and No. 215 nationally by 247 Sports and No. 4 in Maryland. That puts him among the top recruits landed by Brent Pry, who is entering his second year as the Hokies’ coach.
According to Coleman, Williams also has scholarship offers from Boston College, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Maryland, Notre Dame, Ole Miss, Penn State, Tennessee, Southern California, Virginia and West Virginia.
Lynch, 6-7 and 275 pounds, is from Mount Olive High in New Jersey. He officially visited Vanderbilt and was in line to visit Georgia.
Hanchuk, a 6-5, 260-pounder from Midpark High in Cleveland, took an official visit to Tech over the weekend and committed Sunday, according to 247 Sports, which rates him the 45th-best overall player in Ohio. He also has an offer from West Virginia.
Barnes, rated a 3- or 4-star recruit depending on the service, also considered Florida State, Ole Miss, Georgia, Mississippi State, Michigan State and Baylor. He’s from McCallie School in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
COLLEGE MEN’S BASKETBALL
CNU team among national champs honored at White House
Vice President Kamala Harris saluted more than a thousand college athletes from championship teams, including Christopher Newport’s men’s basketball squad, who gathered Monday at the White House South Lawn, saying that sports have a “very special way of bringing people together.”
President Joe Biden had been scheduled to greet the athletes, but he had a root canal and was unable to attend the outdoor event on an overcast morning.
“You inspire so many across our country, people you may never meet,” Harris said. “You remind all of us of what we can achieve.”
The event included 47 teams from 19 sports, though there was one notable exception. Georgia’s football team declined to attend the event because the date was “not feasible given the student-athlete calendar and time of year.”
The championship teams spanned the NCAA divisions that include large universities and smaller colleges, such as CNU. There was the women’s bowling team from Vanderbilt, the men’s ice hockey team from Hobart, the men’s gymnastics and women’s water polo teams from Stanford, among others. — Associated Press
.@CNUBasketball joined national champions across @NCAA divisions 1, 2 and 3 for College Athlete Day at the White House! pic.twitter.com/IXamDlKxQ9
— Christopher Newport University (@CNUcaptains) June 12, 2023
ODU gains 6-10 prospect
Old Dominion coach Jeff Jones announced the signing of Sam Hood as part of a 2023 recruiting class that has risen to seven players. Hood, a 6-foot-10 forward from Raleigh, North Carolina, joins the Monarchs from Brunswick Community College.
He averaged 9.5 points and 4.6 rebounds per game while hitting 56% from the floor and 35% from 3-point range last season in junior-college competition.
“I think Sam is a real sleeper,” Jones said in a release. “He will provide us with size, athleticism and a versatile offensive skill set.”
COLLEGE MEN’S SOCCER
Kellam’s Howes among W&M recruits
Back/midfielder Hamilton Howes, part of a Class 6 Kellam team that finished 21-0 and won its first VHSL state championship, was announced by William & Mary coach Chris Norris as one of 11 additions for the fall season.
The transfers are forward Merlin Luke-Miny (from Wellington College in New Zealand), goalkeeper Cole McNally (Wake Forest) and back/midfielder Dylan Middlebrook (Villanova).
Besides Howes, the incoming freshmen are: goalkeeper Ryan Eapen (Morris Plains, New Jersey), backs Alex Kochell (Midlothian High) and Evan Rabush (Leonardtown, Maryland), forward Austin Hagen (Austin, Texas), midfielders Alexandros Katsari-Hoefer (South Lakes High in Northern Virginia) and Aidan Morrison (Denver, North Carolina) and midfielder/forward Gabe Ruitenberg (Riverdale, New Jersey).
COLLEGE TENNIS
Cavaliers, Hokies land major awards
ACC players from the state of Virginia received some of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s most notable annual awards.
Andres Pedroso, who coached UVA to its second consecutive NCAA team title, was the men’s Coach of the Year. Virginia Tech’s Ryan Fishback gained the men’s Arthur Ashe Leadership & Sportsmanship Award.
The women’s Arthur Ashe Leadership & Sportsmanship Award went to Virginia’s Natasha Subhash, a three-time All-American. Also, the women’s Coach of the Year was former William & Mary coach Brian Kalbas, who guided North Carolina to its first NCAA team championship.
ODU, W&M recruits ranked by website
Old Dominion’s men’s recruiting class was ranked third and William & Mary’s was 21st among mid-majors by Tennis Recruiting Network. Schools in all conferences except the Ivy League and Power Five (ACC, Pac-12, Big 12, Southeastern and Big Ten) were considered.
ODU’s mark was based on one prospect: Connor van Schwalkwyk, a Namibian Davis Cupper who will join his brother Codie with the Monarchs.
W&M’s ranking stemmed from Oliver Hague of Manchester, England, and Nikita Bortnichek of Moscow.
Holding the No. 3 spot in our #CollegeTennis mid-major class rankings is @ODUMensTennis: https://t.co/DoO3mqckhF #ReignOn
— Tennis Recruiting (@TennisRecNet) June 12, 2023
LOCAL BASEBALL
Mustangs outscore Pilots
The host Martinsville Mustangs held off the Peninsula Pilots 11-10 Monday night, dropping the Pilots to 2-7 in the Coastal Plain League season.
The Pilots led 7-5, but the Mustangs (2-4) scored five runs in the bottom of the fifth and remained ahead.
Peninsula got two-run doubles from Aaron Manias, who has committed to play for Nebraska next season, and Henry Garcia. Trey Morgan, a Hampton High graduate who is the longest-tenured Pilot, added an RBI single.
SOFTBALL
UVA assistant to help coach Team USA
Mike Roberts, associate head coach and pitching coach with the Virginia Cavaliers, has been tabbed by USA Softball as one of six coaches at the U.S. Women’s Fastpitch camp today through Thursday in Vero Beach, Florida.
The camp will feature a 28-player invite list of current and former athletes representing 19 NCAA Division I universities from seven conferences: American (1), ACC (5), Big 12 (7), Big Ten (1), Conference USA (1), Pac-12 (6) and SEC (7).
AUTO RACING
Drivers from Smithfield, Portsmouth, Virginia Beach win at Dixieland Speedway
Brent Robinson of Smithfield won the pole and led all 30 laps Friday night in the Allstar Late Model class on dirt at Dixieland Speedway in Elizabeth City, North Carolina.
He held off past track champion Larry Jackson of Elizabeth City, the runner-up. Walker Arthur took third place.
In other divisions:
Stock Fours: Portsmouth’s Justin Bohn gained his second consecutive victory. He held off Elizabeth City’s Colleen Stevens, who was a lifetime-best second.
Super Fours: Virginia Beach’s Rickie Waters was declared the winner after the two drivers who crossed the finish line ahead of him, apparent winner Cody Keith and Eric Hill, were disqualified because of vehicle rules violations. Ron Winterburn then was scored second.
Waters leads the standings, with Kyle Barnes second.
Sportsman: Troy Brickhouse ended almost a two-year victory drought. He started in the pole position and led all 20 laps in his hometown. Suffolk’s Brad Adams was the runner-up.
Brickhouse moved into second place in points, trailing leader Mark Gonzales by 26 heading into Friday’s 8 p.m. races.
Super Street: Kevin Bray of Maple, North Carolina, won twice.
First, he took the checkered flag in a race that had been suspended the previous week because of heavy fog and mist. Kolton Stevens placed second.
The regularly scheduled race featured the same 1-2 finish. Stevens leads the standings by 14 points.
