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March 29, 2022
BEST OF BLACKSBURG
PAGE 2 March 29, 2022
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BEST OF BLACKSBURG WINNERS
BEST PLACE FOR BREAKFAST Joe’s Diner
BEST OVERALL RESTAURANT Cabo Fish Taco
BEST BAKERY Carol Lee Donut Shop
BEST OVERALL BAR Sharkey’s
BEST BURGERS Sharkey’s
BEST FESTIVAL Steppin’ Out
BEST INTERNATIONAL FARE Zeppoli’s
BEST HIKING TRAIL McAfee Knob
BEST VEGETARIAN FARE Green’s Grill & Sushi Bar
BEST GOLF COURSE & DRIVING RANGE Virginia Tech Golf Course
BEST MEXICAN FARE Cabo Fish Taco BEST SUBS Sub Station II BEST PIZZA Benny Marzano’s BEST SUSHI Green’s Grill & Sushi Bar BEST WINGS PK’s Bar & Grill
BEST DATE SPOT 622 North Restaurant, Bar & Wine Lounge BEST KARAOKE Top of the Stairs BEST LIVE MUSIC Moss Arts Center BEST PLACE TO WATCH SPORTS ON TV Sharkey’s
BEST DELIVERY SERVICE The Beast of Blacksburg
BEST PLACE TO PLAY POOL OR SHOOT DARTS Sharkey’s
BEST LATE NIGHT FOOD Cook Out
BEST PLACE TO SEE A MOVIE Lyric Theatre
BEST COFFEE Mill Mountain Coffee & Tea
BEST HAPPY HOUR Sharkey’s
BEST SWEETS Sugar Magnolia
BEST COCKTAIL Top of the Stairs
BEST DINING ON CAMPUS West End Market
BEST SALON OR SPA Top Nails
Voice your opinion. Send letters to the Collegiate Times. All letters must include a name and phone number. Students 365 Squires Student Center must include year and major. Faculty and staff must include Blacksburg, VA, 24061 position and department. Other submissions must include opinionseditor@collegiatetimes.com city of residence and relationship to Virginia Tech (i.e., alumni, parent, etc.). We reserve the right to edit for any reason. Anonymous letters will not be printed. Letters, commentaries and editorial cartoons do not reflect the views of the Collegiate Times. Editorials are written by the Collegiate Times editorial board, which is composed of the opinions editors, editor in chief and managing editors.
2022
BEST GYM Blacksburg Boxing and Fitness BEST PLACE TO GET TATTOOED Sub Rosa Studios BEST PLACE TO GET COPIES MADE Newman Library
BEST SKI AND SNOWBOARDING SLOPES Snowshoe Mountain Resort BEST CLOTHING STORE VTThrift BEST PLACE TO GET VT GEAR Campus Emporium
BEST GROCERY STORE Kroger
BEST APARTMENT COMPLEX
BEST WINE SELECTION Blacksburg Wine Lab
BEST LAW FIRM The Creekmore Law Firm PC
BEST BEER SELECTION The Cellar Restaurant
BEST PLACE TO GET A CAR OR CAR SERVICED
Foxridge Collegiate Apartment Homes
South Main Auto Service
BEST BOOKSTORE Blacksburg Books BEST PLACE FOR FLOWERS Blacksburg Farmers Market & Market Square Park BEST JEWELRY STORE Capone’s Jewelry BEST PLACE TO BUY SPORTING GOODS Dick’s Sporting Goods
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March 29, 2022 PAGE 3
Blacksburg Boxing and Fitness voted best gym fifth year in a row This local gym cultivates a close-knit fitness experience with workouts and programs tailored to each member. SPENCER DAVIDSON lifestyles staff writer
Everybody is worth fighting for: These are the words that define and represent the winning spirit that carries local business Blacksburg Boxing and Fitness. Owner and Virginia Tech alum (class of 2011) Kevin Bowen gave insight into why his gym has won the Collegiate Times’ Best of Blacksburg for five consecutive years, expressing his gratitude toward winning another year. “It’s an awesome feeling, fifth year in a row, and every year it’s a blessing,” Bowen said. Bowen described how his philosophy of fitness has made Blacksburg Boxing and Fitness what it is today. “Our slogan is ‘Everybody’s Worth Fighting For,’ and we mean everybody,” Bowen said. “We have kids as young as 4, up to people as old as 80, so it’s a really good mix of everybody. We try to get to know everyone on a first-name basis so we can cater to them, rather than a one-sizefits-all program.” Bowen founded Blacksburg Boxing and Fitness in 2015 with his wife, Augusta Bowen, another Hokie alumna. He spoke about the difficulty of starting a business in Blacksburg, but also the pride it brings him. “This is the third business I started, and the first two were definitely learning experiences, and you know what they say, third time’s the charm,” Bowen said. “We opened six years ago as recent graduates, and I have my wife with me who’s a Hokie, too. What it means to be a Hokie is still with us — ‘Ut Prosim’ and everything — we love to be in a town like Blacksburg and still be successful here.” The COVID-19 pandemic proved to be a difficult time for the New River Valley’s local businesses, impacting places like Blacksburg Boxing and Fitness. However, Bowen applied the fighting mentality that he runs his business with to persevere and come out on top. “When we first opened, we had 1,000 square feet in the bottom left-hand corner of the building we were in, with 15 members,” Bowen said. “Right before COVID (started) in March 2020, we had the best January and February since opening. We expanded to 4,500 square
feet, with a staff of 20 plus 450 members. When COVID started, that all went away really quickly, and we’re blessed to have survived COVID. It’s hard to sell gym memberships when you’re closed.” Bowen expanded on why Blacksburg Boxing and Fitness remained so successful during the height of the pandemic. “We started virtual classes, then outdoor workouts, and we got a lot of support from Hokies and the town,” Bowen said. “Most people have some affiliation with the university, whether they’re students or staff, but we’ve really bounced back. 2022 is our best year ever — knock on wood.” An emphasis on mental health was a huge part of getting through the pandemic, and Blacksburg Boxing and Fitness turned out to be a safe haven for members who have struggled during this time. “I don’t think so, I know so,” Bowen said when asked whether he thought his business could have a positive impact on his members. “I won’t read any of the letters since they’re personal, but folks have opened up and wrote letters that made me cry, because of the dark places some folks have been at, and Blacksburg Boxing was their saving grace. That’s powerful stuff — that’s what makes my job worth it. Everyone’s got their own battles, and a place like Blacksburg Boxing is great for your physical and mental health and a great way to relieve stress.” Bowen expanded his approach to other disciplines of athletics to create a holistic experience for members who might not want to box, detailing the number of programs the gym has recently implemented. “We’re always doing new stuff,” Bowen said. “Our bread and butter is our boxing style, but recently, we’ve started offering Zumba, yoga (and) ladies’ lift. We have outdoor boot camps starting in a month. We have fully stocked weight rooms, and we have boxers who have started to go to tournaments and win belts, and for ages 8–14, two summer camp sessions in June and July. We’re still rocking and rolling with our online classes, and I don’t want to say anything good about COVID, but it made us creative on not just being a
ETHAN CANDELARIO / COLLEGIATE TIMES The exterior of Blacksburg Boxing and Fitness, March 26, 2022.
boxing gym.” With the many options for gyms in the area, there’s a reason Blacksburg Boxing and Fitness won Best of Blacksburg, and Bowen is confident he knows what makes his gym special. “Back to the people: It’s a place where you walk through the door, and we know just about everybody’s first name,” Bowen said. “When you go to McComas or Planet Fitness, you scan in, but when you show up here, we know you belong and have paid your dues. We try to treat people like family and (make) people feel special, and when we talk about community, we mean it. We participate in Relay for Life, The Big Event, canned food drives, and fundraisers for members in need. The folks really make it for us, and that’s why we’ve been so successful.” Not everyone is a boxer, but that doesn’t stop Bowen from welcoming everyone to his gym. Part of what makes his gym special is the community Bowen has built around fitness and wellness. “Try it out,” Bowen said. “We have a week free trial, and we encourage beginners. We have Boxing 101. You won’t feel silly about throwing some punches and beating something up and not getting in trouble — that makes you feel great. Everybody should be taking care of their bodies and their minds, and boxing is great in doing that. It doesn’t matter whether you’re trying to become the next heavyweight champ or throw some punches; you’re welcome here. We have
a lot of folks who hate the idea of going to bigger gyms. Everybody’s encouraging here instead of flexing in the mirror, and it’s a great vibe. You are not going to feel like you don’t belong in our gym.” Bowen has big plans for the future and doesn’t see it slowing down. Specifically, Bowen envisions fostering a competitive spirit in programs from the training for tournaments he offers, as a way to keep people coming back. “I hope that we continue to grow and keep the personal connection,” Bowen said. “I don’t want to be anywhere other than Blacksburg and I love to be hands-on with the people who walk into our gym. I hope that we will continue to grow with the type of classes we offer. The one place I hope we grow is our competitive athletes. Right before COVID, we were going to our first tournament, and now that we’re back to full-fledged training, I want to help our younger athletes see how far they can take it.” With everything Bowen said about his gym and the community, it is clear he cares about his members, the Blacksburg community, and Virginia Tech. He concluded the interview with one final thought to persuade people to join Blacksburg Boxing and Fitness. “If you’re on the fence, sign up for our free trial and I promise you won’t regret it, and — of course — Go Hokies,” Bowen said. @CollegiateTimes
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March 29, 2022 PAGE 5
Sub Rosa Studios voted Best Place to Get Tattooed Sub Rosa’s welcoming environment combines expertise and education to ensure a positive experience for clients of all kinds. LEXI SOLOMON managing editor
Sub Rosa Studios may be located on a charming stretch of Christiansburg’s Main Street, but the studio draws customers from all over the New River Valley — a fact that readers made clear when voting Sub Rosa “Best Place to Get Tattooed” in the 2022 Best of Blacksburg poll. Walk into the shop on any given day, and from the welcoming vibe and eye-catching artwork, it’s immediately apparent why Sub Rosa is so popular, offering a combination of talented artists and a genuine desire to educate that makes for a truly unique experience. As tattoo artist David Wicks explained, it’s not just the talent that makes it special — it’s the people. “As a collective, we work together,” Wicks said, emphasizing the tight bond among Sub Rosa’s staff. It’s common to see staffers joking among one another and tackling difficult pieces together, creating an easy rapport that makes clients, too, feel at home. In many shops, artists might operate under the mindset of working to individually be the best or do the most tattoos — but at Sub Rosa, artists work as a team to collectively ensure an enjoyable experience and beautiful end product for every client. This could entail anything from referring a customer wanting a particular style to a coworker to supporting former staffers in their ventures after leaving Sub Rosa. According to Wicks, this spirit of collaboration drives everything his colleagues do, even on difficult days. “Just to work with each other (and) inspire each other every day, that’s super important,” he said. “It makes us want to come in every day, it makes us want to
be here, having that support and that support system.” When Sub Rosa opened in 2016, the initial goal was simple: offer high-quality tattoos and piercing services to the New River Valley community. But as Sub Rosa’s staff and clientele have expanded, so has the studio’s mission. Now, according to Wicks, Sub Rosa also aims to provide a safe haven for artists, bringing in new talent to join seasoned veterans on staff. Wicks, for example, has been with the studio from the start and brought over 30 years of experience to the table. “I did everything I could to be an artist every day, even after coming home, working a long day (as) an engineer,” he said when asked about the beginning of his career. “Back then, I started drafting stuff — using a ruler and a pencil, it drove me nuts — so being able to break out and be an ‘artist’ artist was something that made me happy.” The biggest difference between the tattoo industry of the 1990s and the tattoo industry of 2022, Wicks explained, is the internet. “Social media and the internet really changed the game in tattooing; it really opened it up a lot,” he said. With instant access to millions of tattoo ideas ranging in styles, quality and size, social media reshaped the way artists like Wicks had to work — and the challenges they had to face in explaining possible tattoo options to clients. “Styles and custom work (are) in the forefront of it rather than walk-ins,” Wicks said. “You see these (Pinterest) tattoos when they’re these little tattoos that are really cute and they’re really small, but people don’t really know the real thing about tattoos and how they age. Tattoos have a shelf life, and the smaller it
COURTESY OF WILLOW BROOKE The staff of Sub Rosa Studios outside of their shop in Christiansburg, Virginia.
goes, the less detail you should have, and how the tattoo is made is super important. It’s gonna change the shelf life of your tattoo, how long it’s gonna look good and how long it’s gonna last, you know, looking that new look.” As with any major change, the advent of the internet brought both its upsides and downsides to the industry. Social media allows shops of all sizes to advertise to a larger audience — a significant difference from the tattoo magazines and in-shop portfolios that previously served as potential clients’ only options to view an artist’s work. The ability to quickly search up possible tattoos, however, can pose its own kind of problem. “The internet has (changed the industry) but it’s also made it difficult,” Wicks said. “It’s changed it in a bad way, in a way, because a lot of people are seeing these people with these tattoos on their face, and they’re really tiny, and you see the tattoos of the writing above the eyebrows, and it’s really tiny and … you see these guys from World War I with these tattoos on their arm that are blobs of ink because they’re so small and that’s what’s gonna happen to those tattoos. And it’s really because the internet doesn’t explain that, you know, you see it (and think), ‘Ooh, that looks so cool.’” When clients request tattoos that may not age well, the artists at Sub Rosa value being honest and realistic about a client’s expectations. For this team, it isn’t just about what you walk out the door with after your tattoo is done — they care about how you’ll live with the tattoo they’ve created long after their work is finished. “I’ll look at (some people) right in the face and say, ‘Hey, this isn’t a good idea,’” Wicks said. “‘I know it looks good online and you see a million people with these things, but at the end of the day … this is what the shelf life’s gonna end up being with this tattoo. And you’re gonna end up being disappointed and we’re gonna be sad for you because you’re gonna be upset with us.’” If the idea of getting something permanently inked on your body sounds scary, the staff at Sub Rosa understand — and they’re here to help. When thinking about tattoo ideas, Wicks highlighted the importance of carefully considering the longevity of the design and how it might represent you as a person over the years. “It’s not a pair of shoes,” he said. “It’s not a brand-new blouse. It’s something that’s gonna go out of style and it’s gonna still be there.” For many potential clients, it isn’t the idea of permanence that’s frightening — it’s the worry
of being judged by others. Sub Rosa’s team works to challenge these stereotypes through education and honest conversation. “A tattoo doesn’t define a person,” Wicks said. “Getting a tattoo or having a tattoo doesn’t define you … And that’s the one misconception I want people to understand is just because you have full sleeves doesn’t mean you can’t be the mayor, or the brain surgeon, or a lawyer or the judge … I’ve tattooed all peoples and people in all walks of life.” Those who aren’t interested in tattoos and simply want to better understand the industry are equally welcome at Sub Rosa. “Even if you’re not getting a tattoo, you’re not gonna get a tattoo done, or you never want a tattoo done but you’re really curious about it, you wanna come in and know about it, there’s not one artist here that wouldn’t be willing to sit down and talk to you and explain to you about that,” Wicks said. Although Sub Rosa won for “Best Place to Get Tattooed,” the shop’s piercing services are equally stellar. Kari Monaco has worked as Sub Rosa’s piercer since March 2018, but their expertise makes it feel as though they’ve been piercing far longer than that. Monaco offers an expansive array of piercings, high-quality and reasonably-priced jewelry and anodizing options to allow clients to customize a piece to almost any color. More importantly, getting a piercing at Sub Rosa isn’t just an in-and-out, meaningless operation — it’s an experience. Monaco draws clients in with witty humor, easy conversation and endless patience, providing thorough explanations of aftercare procedures and constantly researching new techniques and discoveries in the industry. Like Wicks, Monaco didn’t go straight into piercing, originally balancing a variety of jobs that included working behind the counter at various studios. She came to Sub Rosa after one of the studio’s owners came into Monaco’s job at Panera and offered her a spot at the shop. “They said they needed help here, so I started working counter for a little while, being almost shop manager — cleaning the shop, booking appointments, checking people out, going over aftercare if need be, that kind of stuff,” they said. Watching happy clients discover themselves through body modifications prompted Monaco to begin a career as a piercer herself. “I was always interested in piercings, having them myself, but also seeing people come in and out continued on page 6
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continued from page 5
with stuff that really helped their confidence — I wanted to be a part of that,” she said. In Monaco’s time at Sub Rosa, they’ve cultivated a tight bond with clients of all kinds, though students comprise their main clientele. “I’ve had clients ranging from 16 — my oldest client was probably 80 years old,” Monaco said. “The majority of my clientele are definitely college kids — people who are really learning about themselves. When you start college and those young adult years, you’re really starting to learn about yourself and figuring out not only who you wanna be, but how you wanna look.” Both Wicks and Monaco emphasized the idea of the Sub Rosa family: the concept that any client immediately becomes part of the team in their own way. Making clients feel like they’re family is a crucial part of the Sub Rosa experience, too. Staff are eager to talk through the tattooing process with potential customers and happily provide their contact information for clients to message them with questions and concerns. “I think Sub Rosa is kind of special in the way where we try to be a really inclusive space for people; we try to be a really safe space for people,” Monaco said. “And I don’t think
we really have that old-school tattoo shop vibe. We may have flash on the walls and that kind of stuff, but we really try to be a lot more welcoming and we try to let people know that we’re not only here to help, but if you walk through this door, you’re gonna become part of the Sub Rosa family as well.” As with tattoos, it’s important to have realistic expectations when considering getting pierced. Not every piercing is suited for every person’s anatomy — but Monaco encourages clients to not let this deter them from coming in for a piercing. As a professional piercer, they can offer an expert opinion on clients’ ear anatomy and what piercings are safe to perform. “Just because not every piercing works for everybody doesn’t mean that there’s not a piercing for everybody,” Monaco said. “That’s what I’m here for. I’m here to tell you what’s safe, and I’m here to just work alongside you and figure out what is gonna work best for you.” Sub Rosa’s location, situated between Virginia Tech and Radford, allows artists plenty of opportunities to work with students from both universities. “I think I’m in a really cool position, since we’re around a couple colleges, where I get to watch clients grow,” Monaco said. “I’m growing as well, but I get
to see people get really awesome collections of piercings. I’ve watched students start school and graduate. I think my favorite experience is growing alongside the community here.” The New River Valley’s tight-knit small business community has also benefited the studio. “It can really push you and drive you, and the community is tight,” Wicks said. “From one end of the spectrum to the other, I’ve seen just incredible people do incredible things with their business here.” Though body modifications can often be a spur-of-the-moment decision, every tattoo and piercing given at Sub Rosa is done with a profound appreciation for the deeper meaning behind them. For Monaco, piercings are an important act of self-empowerment and self-expression. “I think just taking your own body and making it what you want is the biggest part, because we’re all living in the same world, but we’re all having separate experiences, and I think piercings can really help reflect that,” she said. “I think you can build on yourself and really turn yourself into who you want to be but also, in turn, make yourself feel like who you really are.” Wicks chose to focus on the memories a tattoo can carry when asked about what makes tattooing special. “The moments,” he said.
“I have tattoos on me that are older than you … and those mean a lot to me. Some of them are done by guys who have passed away by now, they’re gone, they’re never coming back, they’re never gonna do another tattoo again. And the times I get them done and where I was when I had them done. It’s like a timeline; it’s like a little scrapbook.” Most of all, Wicks and Monaco expressed their gratitude to Sub Rosa’s supporters. “I know that Virginia Tech (and the Collegiate Times) are based in Blacksburg,” Monaco said, “and even though there’s other shops that are literally walking distance from y’all, I think it’s super, super incredible that everybody still took us into account, and I think that just reflects how much we love doing what we do here and how much we love supporting and being a part of this community.” Sub Rosa Studios is located at 41 W Main St. in Christiansburg, Virginia. They can be found online at @subrosastudiosva on Instagram and under Sub Rosa Studios Va on Facebook. The shop is open from 12 to 8 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday. Call ahead or message for artist availability for walk-ins. @CollegiateTimes
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A sign advertising things to do in downtown Blacksburg, March 26, 2022.
ETHAN CANDELARIO / COLLEGIATE TIMES
OPINIONS
T
Providing feedback to job applicants should be common practice Employers should give applicants the common courtesy of following up with a rejection letter.
he class of 2022’s tenure at Virginia Tech is coming to an end. Some may be planning to go to grad school while others may be traveling after graduation, but most are looking to begin their careers, sending out resumes to potential employers. On paper, this doesn’t seem so frightening, but sending out resume after resume and continually hearing rejections — or worse, hearing nothing at all — is a nightmare. Seniors are still balancing school and extracurricular activities and trying to make the most out of their last year at Tech, all while buffing up their resumes and setting up interviews. Employers should respect the effort that young professionals are putting into finding jobs by honoring their applicants with a reply, even if that reply comes as a rejection letter. According to The Balance Careers, many employers don’t provide feedback due to time constraints, and some want to avoid difficult conversations and potentially upsetting candidates even further. Although
these are viable reasons, applicants should still be given at least a simple “no,” instead of waiting for an email to arrive in their inbox that never will. Lindsey Hall, a senior at Virginia Tech majoring in cognitive and behavioral neuroscience, has sent out many job applications to potential employers. “It’s definitely frustrating when you don’t hear anything back,” Hall said. “I spent all that time applying; the least they could do is send something back.” Along with this, sending a rejection letter gives the applicant the chance to ask for feedback. This would help them later on in the process of applying for jobs, as applicants would then know what they need to work on. “I’ve applied to a lot of places over the past few months, and not even half of them have gotten back to me,” Hall said. “So, I assume a lot of them are ‘nos,’ but it would be nice to actually get an email back.” According to Indeed, most employers look at resumes for an average of six to seven seconds — that is, if your resume isn’t
being scanned by a machine that looks for keywords and tosses it out if those keywords aren’t found. Of course, this is not the case for all employers, but even those who thoroughly dissect an applicant’s resume and interview them may still not offer a true rejection, instead just opting to ghost them. “Even if it’s an automated email, it would be better than nothing,” Hall said. There is also the chance that the entrylevel job you’re looking for is asking for two to three years of experience in the desired field or position to even be considered for the job. Not only are these jobs poorly labeled “entry level,” but it discourages applicants from even applying. If someone does decide to be brave and apply for such a job, and receives no response whatsoever, it further discourages young professionals in the process of looking for jobs. Although many people typically wouldn’t apply for jobs that they don’t fit the qualifications for, again, it doesn’t help when jobs labeled “entry level” require mid-level experience. Employers are looking for motivated,
dedicated and passionate young professionals to hire for these roles, but they in turn should be passionate and dedicated to their applicants and respect the time put into polishing resumes, sending portfolios and preparing for interviews. It’s understood that employers are tight on time due to the demands of their job, but this should help employers respect the time the candidate took while applying for the job. Sending an applicant feedback should not be something that is overlooked, even if the answer is still a “no.” Applicants have the right to know whether or not they got the job point-blank rather than playing a guessing game.
ABBY DURRER • senior • communication science & social inquiry
PAGE 8 March 29, 2022
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SPORTS
Virginia Tech wins on the road vs. No. 12 Notre Dame A six-run ninth inning gave the Hokies a win against Notre Dame. DEVIN SHEPARD sports editor
The Hokies’ baseball team headed to South Bend, Indiana, on Friday to take on one of the best teams in the country, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Coming off a three-game winning streak, Virginia Tech looked to keep momentum going against the best team they’ve played all year. They did just that, winning 10–5 on Friday. Sophomore Griffin Green made the start in this one for the Hokies, and graduate student John Michael Bertrand made the start on the mound for Notre Dame. Both teams went scoreless in the first inning, with both Green and Bertrand striking out two. Virginia Tech superstar outfielder Jack Hurley started out the scoring in the top of the
second with a homer to left field, putting the Hokies up 1–0. After a scoreless third inning, Hurley RBI-ed on a groundout, putting Virginia Tech up by two. However, the Fighting Irish would answer back with a Jack Brannigan two-run homer in the bottom of the fourth to tie up the game. In the fifth, Conor Hartigan scored off a Nick Biddison bunt, putting the Hokies back in the lead. But Notre Dame would answer back with another two-run homer, this time from senior outfielder Brooks Coetzee III, forcing Virginia Tech to pull Green for reliever Drue Hackenberg. In the bottom of the sixth, an RBI single from Zack Prajzner further stretched the Irish’s lead, putting them up 5–3. Both teams went scoreless in the seventh, but the Hokies would pull another Hurley
homer in the top of the eight. Going into the ninth, down 5–4, it looked like Virginia Tech might just lose another tough one. However, the inning started off solid, with leadoff man Biddison getting hit by a pitch. Star center fielder Gavin Cross would fly out on the next at bat, but then the Hokies’ offense would come alive. Tanner Schobel hit an RBI double, tying the game. Notre Dame would intentionally walk Hurley, and Eduardo Malinowski would walk as well. With the bases loaded, Cade Hunter hit an RBI single to give Virginia Tech the lead. Sam Tackett would be hit by a pitch, bringing in another run. Then, an error by the Fighting Irish defense would bring in three more runs for the Hokies, putting them up, 10–5. Virginia Tech would close out the game without much danger. After their biggest win of the season, the
Hokies would look to keep that momentum going through the rest of the weekend. However, bad weather would force the rest of the series to be canceled. Virginia Tech now sits at 14–6 on the year and 3–4 in the ACC. They’ll head to Lexington, Virginia, to take on VMI this Tuesday, March 29.
@CTSportsTalk
Men’s and women’s swim teams break records in NCAA Championships The men’s team finished in 11th place while the women finished in 23rd in Atlanta. CLAIRE CASTAGNO sports editor
The Virginia Tech men’s and women’s swim teams traveled to Atlanta, Georgia, to compete in the NCAA Championship meet. The women competed from March 16 to 19 and the men competed from March 23 to 26. The men’s team placed 11th out of 37 teams with 143 points and the women’s team finished 23rd out of 39 teams with 37 points. The women’s team broke three school records at the meet — Emma Atkinson in the 200 back, Sarah Shackelford in the 100 free and the 400 free relay team of herself, Anna Landon, Reka Gyorgy and Atkinson. Atkinson swam 1:49.86 in her 200 back final, good for sixth place and an All-American title. “Emma’s time in the 200 back was really impressive, only two seconds behind the world record holder,”
said coach Sergio Lopez Miro to HokieSports. The 400 free relay placed 14th in the finals, swimming 3:13.16 and breaking the school record by almost a second. “Overall, it was a great meet,” Miro said. “Finishing in the top 25, again, is a great thing for us.” The men’s team also broke its fair share of school records. Forest Webb broke a school record in the 100 back, swimming 45.36 in the prelims. In finals, he swam 45.72 and earned 16th place. Youssef Ramadan broke his own school record in the 100 fly finals; he swam 43.90 and came in third. Ramadan did a lot for Virginia Tech in Atlanta, making finals in all his events and helping three relay teams score in the top 16. Ramadan scored the most points for the Hokies. AJ Pouch finished 15th in the 100 breast final and swam the second-fastest
Virginia Tech’s Carles Coll Marti, March 25, 2022.
time in school history of 51.87. The men finished 10th in both the 200 medley relay and 800 free relay, and both earned All-American Honorable Mentions. The 800 free relay consisting of Carles Coll Marti, Antani Ivanov, Luis Dominguez and
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Mario Molla Yanes clocked in at 6:11.85 and beat the school record by three seconds.
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