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The founders of GSA discuss the difficult history of the LGBTQ+ community at Tech. Hokies celebrated Virginia Tech’s very own Pride Week during the week of Saturday, April 1, to Friday, April 7, in honor of the LGBTQ+ community at Virginia Tech and their long history at the university.
The celebration featured numerous events throughout the week, beginning with a queer campout on Saturday and Sunday and ending with a performance from Shirlette Ammons, a queer poet and musician, on Friday. Other important events held during the week were name change assistance, free gender-affirming haircuts and a workshop educating students on queer sex and intimacy.
The university additionally welcomed former Hokies, including Nancy Kelly, to screen their personal biographical documentary “The Unlikely Story of the Lesbians
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of First Friday.” The film features the stories of former Tech students and other women in Roanoke who created a vibrant underground community of queer women in an otherwise unwelcoming area.
Kelly is a 1981 communications and public relations graduate from Virginia Tech who served as the first lesbian co-president of the Gay Student Alliance. She additionally helped orchestrate the university’s first open and public Gay Rights event in 1979, and was one of the founding members of the First Friday community. She discussed the immense amount of difficulties that queer individuals at Tech faced in the late 1970s to early 1980s.
“There were really no words; we heard about gay people in Miami and San Francisco
and New York, but not in Blacksburg,” Kelly said. “At first I was very closeted, (but) I was outed in my dorm almost immediately, which was horrible. There was a lot of verbal abuse, some physical assaults, (and) it was just very difficult to live in a dorm with a hundred women in the hall knowing that I was a lesbian.”
In response to the mistreatment that Kelly and her peers faced, she helped organize the university’s first Denim Day, which called on students to wear denim to show their support of gay rights, a controversial request at the time considering that the normal daily attire of most students at the time was denim.
Denim Day again.
“Honestly with the way that we were treated — which was like garbage — I never wanted to have anything to do with Virginia Tech again ever,” Kelly said.
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“The backlash was immense,” Kelly said. “We were mocked, we were ridiculed, we were treated as an embarrassment. The merchants in Blacksburg had the highest sales of corduroys and dress clothes in the winter ever, and the school received 25,000 letters of disdain.”
Kelly and the Gay Student Alliance were told by the university’s dean at the time that they had embarrassed their organization, their school and the universities throughout the state and were forbidden from ever holding
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To honor the bravery of those students and acknowledge the poor treatment of the university’s LGBTQ+ community at the time, Kelly collaborated with the university in 2019 to bring back Denim Day for its 40th anniversary. This marked the first time she had revisited the university after almost four decades. The event was celebrated again this year on Friday, April 7, and Kelly and other alumni visited once again to join in on the festivities and answer questions about their documentary and their experiences as queer women.
While great strides in the inclusivity of the LGBTQ+ community have been made since Kelly’s time in school, there are still issues the community faces. Ary Zullo, a senior studying animal poultry science and the president of HokiePRIDE, discussed their fears regarding the changing sociopolitical climate around transgender rights.
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“Ever since 2020 … I’ve seen people having issues with people yelling things at them on campus, (and) I’ve had that happen to myself as well,” Zullo said. “I’ve had students come to me and talk about professors who straight up won’t use certain pronouns, or things like that. People are more accepting than ever of sexuality but are way less accepting of gender.”
Despite the contentious political atmosphere around transgender rights, the university has made recent efforts to increase the accessibility and inclusion of transgender students, particularly by increasing the amount of gender-neutral restrooms on campus. Recently, Squires Student Center opened all-gender restrooms in an attempt to facilitate the comfort and safety of transgender, gender nonconforming and nonbinary individuals within the university’s community. However, while Zullo recognizes that this is an important start, they emphasize the need for more of such projects around campus.
“I would say (we need) more genderneutral bathrooms,” Zullo said. “A lot of them are single-stall and people hog them, which makes it really awkward. I’ve had a few friends
who will just be standing there for like 30 minutes. Squires was a huge win, but a lot of other buildings are lacking on that.”
Zullo and Kelly both acknowledged that LGBTQ+ individuals still constantly face difficulties and criticisms for their identity expression and that there are always improvements to be made. In the midst of these challenges, they want to remind individuals across the entire spectrum of gender identity and sexual expression that LGBTQ+ people exist, have always existed and will always continue to exist.
“Tech students need to know that there’s always been queer people on campus,” Kelly said. “Always. Maybe with different language, different identities, whatever, but we were totally there. We were in the dorms, we were on the Drillfield, we’re everywhere.”
Zullo called upon their fellow community members to never give up hope and to remember the validity in their gender and sexual expression.
“It gets better no matter where you are,” Zullo said. “Even if you’re down in that little hole where you’re scared and you don’t want to be out, and you’re like, ‘How can I ever be
out?’ you can. You have the freedom. One day you’ll be free.”
Kelly also talked about the importance of LGBTQ+ individuals being proud of who they are and standing up for themselves and their rights to their identity expression.
“There is tremendous freedom in knowing who you are, and it’s a tremendous gift being
celebrated for who you are and how you identify,” Kelly said. “Don’t let people chip away at our rights. Stand up and do whatever it is that you need to do because it is a big deal, and we need to move forward and not backwards.”
This year’s event raised $245,832.
On Friday, April 7, Relay for Life took place on the Drillfield, beginning at 3 p.m. and concluding at 3 a.m. Relay for Life at Virginia Tech has been the largest collegiate event in the U.S. since 2009.
According to Relay for Life, the movement began when in 1985, Dr. Gordon “Gordy” Klatt walked and ran over 83.6 miles around a track in Tacoma, Washington, for 24 hours to raise money for the American Cancer Society. Klatt’s family, friends and patients watched and supported him by pledging $27,000. Klatt’s vision was for teams of people to partake in a fundraising event for 24 hours, though at Virginia Tech, it is held for 12 hours.
“Since then, it’s grown to a worldwide fundraising campaign for the American Cancer Society,” said Allison Rogers, a fifth-year architecture major and co-director of Relay for Life at Virginia Tech. “It started here at Virginia Tech in 2001, and for almost 15 years, if we are this year, Virginia Tech has been home to the largest college relay event, raising over $10 million for the American Cancer Society since 2001.”
Rogers said that by the end of this year’s
event, the final number of money raised for the American Cancer Society was $245,832.
According to Rogers, her and two other co-directors, Megan Purvis and Collin Jessie, oversee and lead every aspect of the event. They lead an executive team of 20 students, each of whom lead a committee of about five to 10 more students. The team overall is made up of over 100 students.
“We’re planning fundraisers throughout the year,” Rogers said. “We’re planning initiatives to get students signed up, planning the event itself, getting people out here to perform, and most importantly reaching out to survivors and caregivers in the community and making sure we’re doing everything we can to support the community.”
Various student organizations on campus set up booths around the site to sell food and items to raise money. Tyler Pham, a junior majoring in biology, participated in the event with his fraternity, Epsilon Sigma Alpha.
“Definitely hanging out with your friends (is the most fun part of the event),” Pham said. “Going here with your friends — amazing
because there’s so many things to do. You can literally have fun at this booth right here, you can go get food with other people, and you can watch the live concerts.”
The event also included live performances from local bands and student dance groups. Head Football Coach Brent Pry also gave a speech to the crowd. The last act on the schedule was karaoke.
Michaela Long, a freshman psychology major, was an executive for the entertainment committee. She participated in Relay for Life back in her hometown in Pennsylvania and discovered Relay for Life at Virginia Tech during Gobblerfest. Having been personally affected by cancer, Long decided to become involved. This semester, Long was asked to join the entertainment committee as a co-executive.
“Both of my grandfathers have passed away,” Long said. “All four of my four great grandparents have passed away from (cancer), and I grew up dancing with a kid who was on my dance team, and he had leukemia as a young kid, and when I met him, he was already cancer free, but he still deals with a lot of side
effects from it. I think just seeing them struggle through it just really motivated me to do more because I do take for granted my health.”
Moving forward, Rogers wants to improve fundraising and publicity in terms of reaching out to more people to join the team and be involved in the event. Rogers said she would also like to increase the event’s publicity.
“We go back and think about fundraisers we did, how we could’ve done that better,” Rogers said. “I think just maybe extending our reach a little bit just in our committee too, those 100 students who also worked to plan this event (and) finding connections and Greek organizations and even just the hundreds of other organizations on campus who are excited to get involved in something like this. Especially now that the pandemic has passed, we’re back in person and just trying to keep rebuilding on this event and getting more students excited about it.”
Blacksburg’s local businesses deserve more attention and patronage.
Virginia Tech takes great pride in the school motto Ut Prosim, meaning “That I May Serve.” This phrase can be found just about anywhere, from the bottom of the Pylons to the ground outside of Dietrick Hall. But what aspects of Blacksburg serve our school community? A huge one that is constantly overlooked is the endless support from small local businesses and stores around town, businesses that need just as much support from our student body as they provide us.
Frequenting a place like Souvlaki as opposed to a chain restaurant like Mellow Mushroom will help our local businesses earn more revenue and allow them to succeed and maybe even expand. In addition, local stores like New River Art & Fiber and Blacksburg Books could use support from our students in growing their businesses. Another benefit to shopping locally is accessibility, as a multitude of local businesses in Blacksburg are located near campus. Many are within walking distance and are located on and around Main Street. However, that shouldn’t stop you from supporting the smaller but just as special spots around the area. The easiest and most efficient place to do this is the Blacksburg Farmers Market, which is open Wednesdays and Saturdays, right off campus. Additionally, the market’s website provides an up-to-date log of information for attending the farmers market.
A great way to support our local businesses is to purchase their produce and products rather than shop at grocery stores. Blacksburg Farmers Market vendors offer a wide selection of fruits, vegetables, plants, baked goods and dairy products. For example, Sunrise Valley Farm sells their farm fresh eggs and homemade products, and promotes sustainable agriculture and raises endangered breeds. They feature ornaments made out of their sheep’s wool, as well as other wool creations. Sunrise Valley farm can provide goods to anyone looking for a special gift or decoration, in addition to those looking to support a local farm.
There are many local shops that would appreciate patron support, be they a
local restaurant or a small boutique. There are numerous examples of these stores and boutiques just off campus, including Dashing Dog Studio, which is a gallery that specializes in handmade earthenware pottery. Visual art is a beautiful form of human expression and shouldn’t be overlooked by the public. The owner of Dashing Dog Studio is featured at the Blacksburg Farmers Market every Saturday and Wednesday, where her pieces are on display. If you’re looking for a gift or just to gain some inspiration for your own personal artistic pursuits, this is the place to look.
According to Michigan State University’s report titled “Why Buy Local?” about why shopping locally is important, they gave many examples to this effect.
“Locally sourced materials and products have many environmental benefits,” the report said. “They produce less waste by eliminating unnecessary transportation and delivery, therefore reducing the amount of packaging being used.”
Shopping locally not only has positive effects by providing homegrown businesses with financial support, but it also has amazing environmental and health effects as well.
Don’t be fooled, there are more places to visit beyond the farmers market. If you’re looking for an interesting and new spot to try for a dinner night with friends, consider one of the places right near campus. A great example of this would be Souvlaki, which is located on College Avenue. Souvlaki features a wide selection of Greek subs and salads, as well as a bar and sitting area for dine-in guests.
Souvlaki is a favorite for Neera Naran, a freshman majoring in landscape architecture.
“My friends and I like to go to local restaurants like Souvlaki … I definitely recommend Souvlaki as it’s one of my favorites,” Naran said.
Restaurants like Souvlaki are excellent examples of places that are accessible to
anyone on campus, and deserve more attention and love from our campus. Whatever you’re looking for, there are plenty of places around Blacksburg that are sourced locally and cater to your needs. These smaller places deserve the support and recognition that the thousands of students here at Virginia Tech can provide. Whether your contribution be purchasing some flowers or a sweet treat at the farmers market or switching your shopping habits completely to locally sourced products, that contribution will be appreciated and be one more reason for these local sources to continue on and help our community. Ut Prosim means something here at Tech, and hopefully, it’ll inspire this community to help out our local homegrown businesses.
The One Love Foundation is a non-profit organization that aims to teach young people the warning signs of relationship violence and abuse. It was founded in the year 2010 after University of Virginia student and lacrosse athlete Yeardley Love was murdered by her ex-boyfriend. After her death, Love’s mother and sister established the foundation after realizing the signs of relationship abuse between Love and her abuser. The two honored Love by naming the foundation after her lacrosse number “1” and her last name. Since then, the foundation has reached around 2 million people through its educational workshops.
Lieutenant Kendrah Cline is the facilitator for the One Love Foundation program at Virginia Tech, mainly leading the Escalation workshop in which participants watch a 45-minute film designed by One Love that depicts an abusive relationship between a heterosexual college couple and afterwards discuss the signs of relationship abuse.
“It allows you to actually view how they meet and how that relationship forms and how it escalates very quickly, they do a really great job of highlighting all of those warning signs that they want people to look out for,” Cline said. “They work on the back piece which is discussing it after the video of what that looks like, how you feel, and empowering people to not be a bystander, but also how to help your friends, yourself or family exit those types of relationships safely.”
According to Cline, relationship violence and abuse on college and university campuses occurs quite often, but frequently goes unreported. According to the 2021 Annual Campus Security and Fire Safety Report, the reported cases on the Blacksburg campus through three years are 10 cases reported in 2019, one case reported in 2020 and four cases reported in 2021.
“Over one in three women, nearly one
in three men, and over one in two trans or non-binary people will experience an abusive relationship at some point in their life and that target age range for that to happen for the first time is at the age of 18 to 24,” Cline said. “When you think about the bulk of a college or a university and their ages, that will tell you right there that our students are certainly experiencing varying levels of this type of behavior.”
When Cline is running the workshop, she says that one of the most important things about finding the signs of relationship abuse is to know what you are looking for, which she has found the Escalation film to be helpful in showing.
“We watch the film and I can look out and see that people are having a very physical, emotional response which tells me that either they’re connecting that heart-piece to Yeardley’s case — which I’d say some of them certainly are — or they’re actually seeing some of the things and they’re seeing themselves through this video or a friend and they’re having that reaction,” Cline said. “It’s difficult for somebody to have that type of self awareness in that, self reflection and being in front of all their peers.”
According to Cline, it statistically takes a survivor an average of seven times to leave an abusive partner before the relationship ends; in which Cline states the most important thing for those trying to support their loved ones during these crises is to have patience for them and be careful in their approach.
“One of the common themes that you’ll see in these types of relationships is the on and off again type of flow which from the outside and your friends, you can become very tired of that,” Cline said. “If they’re not careful, that friend will actually mirror the behavior that they’re already seeing in that relationship, and they’ll lose that connection.”
Cline states these types of relationship
abuse are complicated and difficult to maneuver, as both the entanglements of feelings between the individuals as well as other aspects such as finances, shelter, pets or kids, make the simple suggestion of “just leave” not as easy as it may seem.
“I think my biggest push would be to not be a bystander, to pay attention to what you’re seeing, to reach out to that person,” Cline said. “If somebody is in fear of their life or you’re in fear of their life or you think that they’re being hurt, you really have to consider when the next step to get the police involved is, and that typically, if that person isn’t ready, will likely not go over well.”
According to Cline, the best way students and organizations can get involved with One Love on campus is through contacting her to coordinate with each other to participate in the workshops. The workshops regularly run for the student police academy and multiple sororities and fraternities often reach out for them to schedule as well.
“Right now, it’s pretty much if a group — a residence hall or a living learning community —wants to reach out and say, ‘Hey, I have 15 people, I’d like to run this workshop,’ then they coordinate with me to make that happen and we try to coordinate schedules that works for them and myself,” Cline said.
The main takeaway Cline wants One Love workshop participants to gain is that the Virginia Tech Police Department is always open to all students who are going through serious and volatile relationship situations that need some help; Cline emphasizes that reporting and investigation on these incidences are entirely up to the person’s choice and comfort levels, and not pressuring them to take one route or another.
“(The VTPD) don’t want bits of information siloed in different areas, which I think is what happened in Yeardley’s case. Everybody knew a little bit of something,
but no one knew what they were actually seeing,” Cline said. “So, I encourage people to not be a bystander to this, to reach out, even if it’s not to us —the Women’s Center, Cook Counseling, Title IX — and see how you can help and better understand processes available and the interim measures and things that the university can put in place to keep people safe.”
Cline states that the most dangerous time in abusive and violent relationships is the breakup period, bringing up the statistics that women are 70 times more likely to be killed in the weeks after leaving an abusive partner than any other time.
“I want them to recognize and at least understand — not trying to scare them — but to understand that that (the breakup period) really is the most dangerous time and that there are safety measures and things that we can put in play, safety planning that we do pretty regularly to help you exit that relationship the safest way possible,” Cline said. “That certainly doesn’t mean that it needs to be a criminal process or even a university process, there are resources and measures that can be taken to keep our community safe.”
For more information about the One Love Foundation, visit their website at joinonelove.org. If you would like to get involved in Virginia Tech’s One Love workshops, contact Lieutenant Kendrah Cline at kcline8@vt.edu.
The Big Event at Virginia Tech has been a staple of the Blacksburg, Christiansburg and New River Valley communities since 2002, when it first started as a little community project with only 475 volunteers completing 60 assignments. It grows larger every year, with thousands of student, faculty and staff volunteers coming together to complete community service projects. It works by having community members request to have their project completed and volunteers come together to help regardless of socioeconomic status or need. The activities could include picking up trash from the side of the road, doing lawn work, helping plant a garden and more. No matter what assignment you’re a part of, The Big Event perfectly exemplifies what Tech is all about with its motto Ut Prosim (That I May Serve); it’s a day for us to all come together and give back to our community.
The Big Event was shut down for two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing rules; however, the momentum did not slow down upon its return in 2022. This year, they were able to get more than 5,000
volunteers to complete over 1,000 projects around the New River Valley Area. This year’s success firmly plants the Big Event as the second-largest event of its kind in the nation, according to the event webpage.
Volunteers sign up as a part of a team; often, they will sign up with the sororities, fraternities or other campus organizations they are a part of. That way, they can get assigned to tasks across the New River Valley Area together and work as a team so it doubles as a bonding experience. Some organizations even include participation in The Big Event as a requirement for membership. Many panhellenic sororities require 15% of their members to participate in The Big Event so that they are able to get more volunteers and offer points that go towards attending date parties and other cool incentives. The Big Event is much more than an obligation or a way to earn points, however. It can be a bonding experience because the act of giving back and serving others can tie people together.
“I just thought it looked really fun, and a lot of the people in my sorority were doing it, so I
thought it would be a good opportunity to get involved and do it with people that I thought I would have fun doing it with,” said Josie Sellers, a freshman in communications and a member of Alpha Delta Pi.
The Big Event organizers also take the opportunity to make volunteering fun for participants by setting up a stage and offering entertainment before they get their assignments and head out to their location. This year, there was music and incredible performances by student groups, as well as a speech by head football coach Brent Pry to get people excited to do good work.
The volunteers then get in line to receive everything they need for the day, including gloves, rakes and other supplies. “We happened to go out to somewhere in Christiansburg; it was a family that was trying to move so we were doing a lot of yard work,” Sellers said.
This is also an opportunity for Tech students to meet residents of the community around them since Blacksburg is so heavily focused on the college town aspect of its city.
Sellers was able to speak to the resident and her son who owned the house and connect with them, which she likely never would have been able to do without this experience. The community members also show their thanks to the Tech community and may bring out water and snacks as a thank you to the volunteers. Participants can directly see the impact they have made by talking to the people they have helped which is sure to form lifelong memories that ignite their passion for philanthropy.
It might be hard to focus our attention on something else besides our personal lives when we’re so busy with school and extracurricular activities. The Big Event is a great way to pause our own lives for a second to focus on giving back to the community around us and getting more involved. It’s a way for us Hokies to demonstrate our university’s motto of Ut Prosim, and thank the community that supports our campus.
Tech has three potential options that could boost its roster.
Louisiana State University’s Kim Mulkey had a strategy last year as the off-season began, making excellent use of the transfer portal to revamp her roster and add a few interior players. Mulkey went on to add Maryland’s Angel Reese, Ohio State’s Kateri Poole, Missouri’s LaDazhia Williams, West Virginia’s Jasmine Carson and Northwest Florida’s Last-Tear Poa.
This past season, the LSU Tigers won the school’s first basketball championship, defeating Caitlin Clark and Iowa, 102–85, thanks to impressive outings from Reese and Carson.
The Hokies, fresh off a Final Four appearance, have the opportunity to do the same. Despite the news that guard Cayla King and center Elizabeth Kitley will return for their fifth year, the Hokies still have key departures they need to address.
Forward Taylor Soule was viewed as the heart of the team, averaging just under 11 points per game this past season, and drew the defensive assignment of the best opposing forward on most nights. In her final season, Soule was named to the 2023 ACC Second Team and 2023 ACC All-Tournament Second Team.
Guard Kayana Traylor was one of the unsung heroes for the Hokies this past season, and she didn’t garner much national attention until the final weekend of the season. As a Hokie, Traylor was best characterized as an efficient player that could play with or without the ball in her hands. She shot 60% from the field during the NCAA Tournament and helped the Hokies storm back in their final game. Traylor finished her collegiate career with 17 points and nine rebounds in a Final Four loss to LSU.
With that, here are three additions that could catapult Coach Kenny Brooks and the Hokies over the top in 2023:
In the Hokies’ final game, they had to resort to a 2–3 zone defense because they didn’t have a guard that could defend LSU’s Alexis Morris. With the addition of Kennedy Todd-Williams, the Hokies can instantly eliminate one of their biggest issues heading into the off-season. Todd-Williams lives by the winning philosophy that “Defense Wins Games” and would immediately be the best two-way guard on the roster.
A Kaitlyn Davis-led Columbia team made history this past season, becoming the first Ivy League team to advance to the semifinals of the WNIT. Davis was a monster in all
phases of the game. In the 2022–23 season, she averaged 13.1 points per game and 8.3 rebounds per game, along with 1.6 steals per game and 1.2 blocks per game. Davis’ energy and presence on the defensive end could fill the void left by Taylor Soule’s departure.
Presently, the Hokies can’t afford a bad offensive night from point guard Georgia Amoore. With Kayana Traylor’s departure, the Hokies need another guard that can run the offense and create their own shot. Lexi Donarski is all that and more. Not only is Donarski a career 36% shooter from beyond the arc, but she also was one of the best defenders in the country this past season. The 2021–22 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year held each opponent for which she had the primary defensive responsibility to 9.3
points per game and 30% shooting clip from the field. A backcourt of an improved Georgia Amoore and a rejuvenated Lexi Donarski would rival any backcourt in the ACC and the country.
The transfer portal has been a gold mine recently due to the NCAA’s COVID-19-era judgment that declared the 2020–21 season ineligible. Essentially, everyone who played that season is eligible for a fifth season of collegiate sports if they so desire.
This could be the biggest off-season in history for the Hokies. A year from now, everyone could look back on a transfer portal addition that elevated the program to a national championship similar to the way Taylor Soule’s addition helped the Hokies reach their first Final Four.
The Hokies win their Commonwealth Clash matchup.
No. 13 Virginia Tech softball (31–9, 11–4 ACC) shut out Virginia (26–13, 7–8 ACC) on Saturday, defeating their rivals 7–0, and winning the series.
Tech won two of their three games against the Cavaliers, winning on Friday and Sunday and falling on Saturday in extra innings.
Emma Lemley (19–3, 2.44 earned run average) once again pitched the entirety of the game, allowing two hits and no runs across seven innings. She struck out five batters and walked one.
The game was scoreless into the fourth inning until pinch hitter Madison Hanson hit a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring right fielder Addy Greene and putting the Hokies on the scoreboard.
Later in the inning, left fielder Kelsey Brown doubled to right-center field, scoring pinch runner Maija Louko. In the same frame, second baseman Cameron Fagan singled to center field, scoring Brown. Tech ended the fourth inning up by three.
The Hokies doubled their lead in the fifth inning when catcher Kylie Aldridge homered, scoring shortstop Teagan Thrunk and third baseman Kelsey Bennett. They ended the first five innings leading 6–0.
Their offense hadn’t finished their day in the top of the seventh when Bennett hit a solo shot.
Bennett earned hits in each of her four at-bats, scoring two runs. Brown hit three for five. Aldridge led the team with three runs batted in.
Bennett and Aldridge hit the Hokies’ only two home runs. Brown hit two doubles, while Bennett hit one.
Virginia Tech will host Tennessee (30–5, 10–2 SEC) on April 11 at 6 p.m.
Hokies finish 10 of 15 at tournament, Azallion finishes in the top-20.
The Virginia Tech men’s golf team has had a season of some immaculate ups, and some very bleak downs.
In action this previous weekend, they were looking to bounce back from a 12th place finish at The Hootie at Bulls Bay, where they participated previously this past week.
Unfortunately, any attempts of improving from that tournament were squandered, as they ended up placing 10th out of 15 schools
at the Augusta Haskins Award Invitational.
Leading the line for the Hokies was senior Daniel Azallion, putting up a final score of 213 (-3). This helped him notch his fifth top-20 finish this season. He placed T16 among the players in the field.
Junior Kobe Valociek and freshman Balthazar Duclos both put up a score of 222 (+6), putting them both tied for 46th place.
Fifth year senior Drew Brockwell placed a
score of 224 (+8), and other fifth year senior Charlie Hanson finished at 229 (+13).
While the Hokies may have not played at their highest level, the field was placing scores that can be best described as unfathomable.
No. 12 Florida were this year’s winners, finishing with a remarkable score of 825 (-39), No. 6 Illinois had a final score of 837 (-27), and in-state rivals No. 22 Virginia
placed third with a score of 840 (-24).
The Hokies will close out regular season play April 10 to 11 where they will participate in state for the first time all season in Charlottesville, Virginia. There, Virginia will host the Lewis Chitengwa Invitational.