GREENSBORO, N.C. – Virginia Tech track and field's pole vaulter Torben Laidig has been recognized as the 2018 ACC Men's Outdoor Track and Field Scholar-Athlete of the Year, announced by the league office on Wednesday morning.
This will be the second time that Laidig has won this prestigious reward. He will also be the second Hokie this year, joining Vincent Ciattei who won the award in the indoor season.
Seventeen Hokies were named to the All-ACC Academic Team, with eight on the men's side and nine on the women's.
Laidig became part of a history-making trio at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, taking the bronze medal in the men's pole vault with a mark of 5.55 meters (18 feet, 2.5 inches). Laidig led three Hokies among the top eight, marking the first time in school history and the first time since 1985 that three pole vaulters from the same program earned first-team All-America honors at the NCAA finals.
Laidig had earlier taken the silver medal at the ACC Outdoor Championships with his season-best vault of 5.60 meters (18 feet, 4.5 inches). The native of Schwabish Hall, Germany, closed his collegiate career as the ACC men's pole vault co-record holder at 5.70 meters (18 feet, 8.25 inches) – which he first set last season – and a two-time NCAA outdoor medalist after taking the silver in 2016.
Named to the 2018 Google Cloud Track and Field and Cross Country Division I Academic All-America first-team, as voted on by members of College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), Laidig graduated this spring semester with over 150 hours, double majoring in biochemistry and biology. He has been a member of Virginia Tech's Dean List eight times, including six of those eight semesters with a 4.0 GPA.
A redshirt senior, Laidig has been a member of the ACC Academic Honor Roll for four straight years. He has been a member of the ACC All-Academic Team the last four years and a member of the USTFCCCA All-Academic Team each of the past two seasons.
Minimum academic requirements for selection to the All-ACC Academic Team are a 3.0 grade point average for the previous semester and a 3.0 cumulative average during one's academic career. Athletic achievements during the most recent season are also considered in selecting the All-ACC Academic Team.
The ACC Honor Roll, which recognizes each conference student-athlete with a grade point average of 3.0 for the current academic year, will be released in July.
MEN
Greg Chiles, Virginia Tech, Sr.; Consumer Studies
Vincent Ciattei, Virginia Tech, Sr.; Engineering Science & Mechanics
Austin Kolko, Virginia Tech; Sr.; Economics
Torben Laidig, Virginia Tech, Sr., Biochemistry/Biology
Bashir Mosavel-Lo, Virginia Tech, Fr.; General Engineering
Matthew Reinhart, Virginia Tech, Jr.; Industrial Design
James Steck, Virginia Tech, Gr.; Curriculum & Instruction
Diego Zarate, Virginia Tech, Jr., Criminology & Psychology
WOMEN
Stefanie Aeschlimann, Virginia Tech, Fr.; University Studies
Laurie Barton, Virginia Tech, So.; Human Nutrition, Foods & Exercise
Rachel Baxter, Virginia Tech, Fr.; University Studies
Sarah Edwards, Virginia Tech, So.; Interior Design
Sara Freix, Virginia Tech, So.; Biological Systems Engineering
Lisa Gunnarsson, Virginia Tech, Fr.; General Engineering
Lindsay Herra, Virginia Tech, Sr., Human Nutrition, Foods & Exercise
Katie Kennedy, Virginia Tech, Sr., Public Relations
Emma Thor, Virginia Tech, So.; Industrial Systems Engineering
