Hokie track All-Americans
Virginia Tech track and field’s redshirt senior Torben Laidig and freshmen Rachel Baxter and Lisa Gunnarsson have been named preseason indoor All-Americans by flotrack.org in the pole vault event.
Laidig, a native of Germany, is no stranger to All-America honors as he earned first-team twice and honorable mention once in his storied career. The reigning ACC Scholar Athlete of the Year has won gold at the ACC conference championship meet two times (2014 indoor, 2017 indoor) and silver three times (2014 indoor, 2016 indoor, 2016 outdoor).
Baxter had a decorated prep career, being ranked as the high school All-American No. 1 girls’ pole vaulter twice (2016, 2017) by Track & Field News Magazine, and winning the CIF state championship twice. The California native rewrote the record books at the high school level, setting the NFHS, California, Orange County and Canyon High School top mark.
Gunnarsson is coming to Blacksburg with international experience, claiming gold at the 2017 European U20 Championships and silver at the 2015 European Youth Olympic Festival. The Sweden native was the youngest pole vaulter at the 2017 IAAF World Championships, and her personal-best mark of 4.55 meters (14 feet, 11 inches) ranked as the No. 2 U-20 vault in the world last year.
E&H adds two coaches
Emory & Henry College Head Football Coach Curt Newsome is pleased to announce the hiring of two new assistant coaches. Tommy Buzzo will be the Wasps’ new Defensive Coordinator while Camden BeCraft will coach the wide receivers.
Buzzo joins Emory & Henry after spending the past four seasons as the Head Football Coach at Brooke Point High School in Stafford, Virginia where he led the Blackhawks to four-straight appearances in the VHSL 5A State Playoffs. He served for two seasons as the linebackers’ coach and co-Defensive Coordinator at Central Connecticut State University.
Buzzo was the Head Coach at Liberty High School in Bealeton, Virginia for 11 years where he was a four-time district coach of the year and twice served as a coach for the VHSCA State All-Star Game.
BeCraft joins the E&H staff full time after serving as a volunteer assistant during the fall of 2017.