BLACKSBURG – The Hokies started the season with their annual Hokie Belt Challenge, where the orange team took the top spot.
The athletes are divided equally into two teams, maroon and orange, where they compete against their teammates in a friendly competition throughout the course of the year. The team met Friday and Saturday to launch the start of the challenge. Day one consisted of long-course races, and day two included short-course races.
"The Hokie Belt Challenge is a competition the staff came up with to help build the culture of the team faster. What it's all about is teaching them what it means to be a Hokie," assistant coach Payton Brooks said. "They get scored on being on time, making sure they're wearing the right gear, making sure they don't miss any academic meetings, and if they're late to something, they lose points for their team. It's a way to keep them accountable and teach our culture through a fun atmosphere."
A few alumni dusted off their caps and goggles to join the Hokies for alum weekend at both meets. They competed in Alumni Relays to relive their days as Hokie swimmers.
The women's orange team took the lead, accumulating 207 points, almost doubling the 111 points earned by the women's maroon team. The men's orange team had a collective 186 points, defeating the men's maroon team, who finished with 108 points.
Women's highlights –
Freshman Fanni Gyurinovics placed first alongside junior Caroline Bentz, accumulating 24.5 points each, with freshman Grace Austin and junior Chase Travis earning 22 points behind them.
Men's highlights –
Freshman diver, Jacob Fisher, took the lead for the men's team, earning 27 points total. Behind Fisher in second place were swimmers AJ Pouch, Youssef Ramadan and Luis Dominguez, each with 24.25 points.
Up Next –
Next weekend, on October 1st at 11 a.m., the Hokies will host George Washington and Ohio at the Christiansburg Aquatic Center to kickstart their first dual meet of the season.
Gallery: (9-24-2022) S&D: Hokie Belt Challenge Meet