VHSL approves realignment
The Virginia High School League has approved requests from both Liberty and Rockbridge high schools to remain in the Class 3C region.
Initially, the two were slated to move to Class 3D, which included Christiansburg and Abingdon, creating as much as a three-hour drive between regional opponents.
Liberty pushed to remain in the region that included current and future district schools.
Also, the VHSL turned down Grayson County’s request to drop from Class 2 to Class 1. All of the moves officially take place as of next school year.
Fan appreciation day
For the fifth consecutive year, the Virginia Tech football program will host Fan Appreciation Day, which will be held Sunday, August 26, at Tech’s Indoor Practice Facility.
Doors open for Fan Appreciation Day at 3 p.m. for Hokie Kids’ Club members and 3:15 p.m. for the general public. The event is free of charge and open to people of all ages. Parking is also free.
The Hokie Kids’ Club line will enter through the doors of the Indoor Practice Facility along Callaghan-Sheridan Way closest to Gate 7 of Lane Stadium. The line for the general public will enter through the doorway at the northeast corner of the Indoor Practice Facility.
When getting in this line, fans should walk along Washington Street past Cassell Coliseum and immediately past Hahn-Hurst Practice Facility, there is a dirt path before the tennis courts that winds down to the Indoor Practice Facility.
It will lead fans behind Hahn-Hurst and Cassell Coliseum before approaching the entrance to the Indoor Facility. There will be signs for fans indicating the directions of both paths.
The event allows fans to get autographs from their favorite student-athletes and select coaches, and other entertainment is expected to be provided for young children. The event ends promptly at 4:30 p.m., with autograph lines closing at 4:15 p.m. More details on the event will be released in early August.
Phillips signs with Canadian pro team
Radford University men’s basketball alumnus Randy Phillips has signed a professional contract to continue his playing career with the Saint John Riptide of the NBL Canada league for the 2018-19 season, the organization has announced.
Across 36 games played including 34 starts, he set career-highs in minutes played per game (22.8), points per game (6.8), rebounds per game (5.6), blocks (35), assists (26), steals (17), shooting percentage (.544) and free throw percentage (.608).
Currently playing for Juvenil De Vinces in Ecuador, Phillips was actually discovered by Saint John during a two-day combine in Las Vegas.
Phillips joins a growing list of former Highlanders who have played professionally in recent years including Javonte Green, R.J. Price, Cameron Jones, Rashun Davis, Brandon Holcomb and more.
High Point Big South favorite
Defending Big South women’s cross-country champion High Point University has been voted the favorite in the conference’s annual preseason poll by the league’s head coaches, the conference office announced Thursday.
The Panthers, led by 2017 Big South Champion Famke Heinst as well as All-Conference performers Julia Hellman, Zoe Geis and Keaton Case, collected nine of 11 first-place votes and 118 points in the voting to win its second consecutive Big South title. Campbell received one first-place vote and 110 points to finish second in the poll, while UNC Asheville was third with 85 points.
Charleston Southern finished fourth in the voting with 78 points — its highest preseason ranking since 2002 and just ahead of new member Hampton, which received the remaining first-place vote and placed fifth in the poll with 75 points. Radford claimed sixth place with 70 points, followed by Winthrop in seventh with 64 points. New member USC Upstate landed in eighth (49 points), followed by Gardner-Webb (ninth, 33 points), Presbyterian College (10th, 26 points) and Longwood (11th, 18 points).
E&H picked seventh
The Emory & Henry College Football Team has been picked to finish seventh in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference this year, ODAC officials announced Monday. The league’s eight head coaches are the voters in the poll.
E&H, which went 3-7 a season ago, returns seven starters both on offense and defense and four specialists. The Wasps have eight All-ODAC performers back this year including 2017 first-teamer Josh Fleenor (Christiansburg), who was a preseason All-America selection by D3football.com.
Washington and Lee University and Randolph-Macon College are the co-favorites to win the league this year.
The Generals earned four of the eight first place votes and have won two of the past three championships while the Yellow Jackets took home two top nods and claimed the other recent title. Hampden-Sydney College is third while league newcomer Ferrum College is tied for fourth with Shenandoah University.
Both HSC and FC picked up a first-place vote.
Cusack new Hokie assistant
Dave Cianelli, the director of Virginia Tech’s track and field and cross-country programs, and Eric Johannigmeier, the men’s and women’s cross-country head coach and the head of Tech distance running, announced Tuesday the hiring of Jason Cusack as an assistant coach.
Cusack, who had been serving as a volunteer assistant coach, moves into Johannigmeier’s old role prior to Johannigmeier’s elevation to lead position following Ben Thomas’ departure for the head men’s cross country/distance coach at the University of Oregon.
Cusack will help with recruiting, assist in training, handle all team gear and other equipment needs, and play a role in creating an appealing visual identity for the program’s social media platforms, which will be geared toward recruiting.
McGlynn honored by ACC
Announced today by the Atlantic Coast Conference, Virginia Tech junior goalkeeper Mandy McGlynn will share the ACC Women’s Soccer Defensive Player of the Week honor with North Carolina senior defender Julia Ashley, while Louisville freshman forward Maisie Whitsett has been named this week’s Offensive Player of the Week.
McGlynn posted her 13th career shutout at Virginia Tech saving seven shots in a 0-0 double overtime draw in the in the Hokies’ season opener against San Diego. Her seven saves were tied for the third-most in a match for McGlynn in her career and is the most in the ACC this season. She followed that up with four saves against Georgetown in a 1-1 tie on Sunday.
The Jacksonville, Florida native was the only goalie in ACC to play back-to-back double overtime games in first weekend leading all goalkeepers with 220 minutes played. The effort comes off her just returning to Blacksburg on Wednesday and first training with the team on Thursday after her U-20 FIFA World Cup appearance in France.
