BLACKSBURG – Virginia Tech's Julia Fixsen, Kenna Stimmel, and director Dave Cianelli were selected for top accolades from the 2022-23 VaSID (Virginia Sports Information Directors) organization, as announced on Friday. Fixsen was named Women's Field Athlete of the Year, Stimmel named Field Rookie of the Year, and Cianelli earned Women's Coach of the Year with a second place finish at the ACC Outdoor Championships.
Fixsen is also the 2023 USTFCCCA Southeast Region Women's Field Athlete of the Year and NCAA Outdoor Pole Vault Champion. She won the national championships with a clean sheet through 4.45m. Fixsen won the ACC Outdoor Championships clearing 4.38m.
Stimmel earned First Team All-America honors at the NCAA Outdoor Championships finishing eighth in pole vault clearing 4.30m. She placed fifth at the East Regionals with a height of 4.22m, and fourth at the ACC Championships clearing the bar at 4.18m. Stimmel opened the outdoor season ranked fifth in the nation after clearing 4.45m at the Weems Baskin Relays.
Virginia Tech women's team placed second at the ACC Championships with 84.5 points winning the hammer throw, triple jump, and pole vault events at the conference meet. The pole vault squad qualified four athletes for he NCAA Outdoor Championships all earning All-American honors placing within the top 15, including the NCAA Pole Vault Champion Julia Fixsen. The Hokie women were also represented in the throws, jumps, and mid-distance events at the NCAA Championships, finishing tied for 25th with 11 points.
Lindsey Butler, Cierra Pyles, Essence Henderson, and Rebecca Mammel received First Team accolades from the organization.
VaSID names 44 all-state teams in 23 sports each year, an Academic All-State squad and an all-sports champion in both the University and College Divisions. Membership in VaSID is open to all media relations professionals working at a university or conference in Virginia.
2022-23 VaSID Women's Track and Field
Coach of the Year: Dave Cianelli - Virginia Tech
Field Athlete of the Year: Julia Fixsen - Virginia Tech
Field Rookie of the Year: Kenna Stimmel - Virginia Tech
Track Athlete of the Year: Margot Appleton - Virginia
Rookie of the Year: Sarah Akpin - Virginia
First Team
Lindsey Butler - Mid Distance
Kenna Stimmel - Jumps
Julia Fixsen - Jumps
Cierra Pyles - Jumps
Essence Henderson - Throws
Rebecca Mammel - Throws
Second Team
Barbora Malikova, Star Price, Lindsey Butler, Hannah Ballowe - 4x400m Relay
Star Price - Mid Distance
Sara Killinen - Throws