Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG – Student-athletes and staff gathered inside the Center For the Arts on Tuesday evening for Virginia Tech's annual award show, The Gobblers, presented by the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. The Gobblers serves as an end of year celebration of Virginia Tech's Athletics achievements both on an off the field of competition.
Below are the student-athletes and staff members who were presented awards in run of show order.
SPORTS MOMENT OF THE YEAR
The Gobbler for Sports Moment of the Year recognizes an inspirational or memorable performance by a student-athlete or team, on or off the playing surface.
Wrestling's Aaron Seidel steps in for Dillon Campbell after season ending injury
In early August, freshman Aaron Seidel broke his hand sidelining him at the start of the season. Redshirt freshman Dillon Campbell assumed the starting position and rose to as high as Number 10 in the country before suffering a season-ending injury in late January. He would then rally Aaron Seidel into the starting lineup and give invaluable support as the true freshman finished third in the nation in his respective weight class.
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
These two honors go to one man and one woman student-athlete that did not miss a beat in their rookie campaign making an immediate impact for their team.
Collin Gaj, wrestling
Collin Gaj’s impressive rookie campaign included seven top-10 victories including wins over the No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, and No. 5 ranked wrestlers. The 149-pound true freshman ended the season as an ACC Champion, and NCAA All-American, finishing fifth at Nationals in March and claiming a 26-10 overall season record.
Jordan Lynch, softball
Jordan Lynch was crucial to the Hokies' success in 2025, finishing the season as one of three Hokies to start all 56 games. She completed her rookie season third on the team with a .381 batting average, along with 10 home runs and 43 RBIs. Her 18 doubles last season tied the single-season record. She was an NFCA Division I Freshman of the Year top 25 finalist and a Third Team All-ACC selection. She picked up right where she left off to start the 2026 campaign – leading the Hokies with a .467 average, 49 hits, 11 doubles and four triples as of March 25, 2026.
BREAKTHROUGH OF THE YEAR
This award goes to a student-athlete who has increased his or her athletic performance dramatically.
Bree Carrico, softball
Carrico has emerged in the 2026 season as one of the Hokies and one of the ACC's top pitchers as a red-shirt freshman. As of March 25, 2026 through 32 games, Bree Carrico leads the Hokies and the ACC with a 1.42 ERA. She also leads the team in wins with eight and has held opponents to a team-low .160 opponent average. On March 24, Carrico was awarded National Freshman of the Week honors by D1 Softball, as well as ACC Freshman of the Week. She recorded a career-high 10 strikeouts against Longwood, earned a save in each of the Hokies' wins over then-No. 14 South Carolina, and earned the win after just allowing one hit in 5.0 innings pitched in Tech's 9-3 win over No. 12 Georgia.
NUTRITION AWARDS
These awards (one man and one woman) are selected by the Hokie Fuel staff.
Reese Hazelton, volleyball
Reese has tackled her nutrition the same way she tackles her volleyball and life: openly, passionately, and whole heartedly. Reese has worked through common, yet serious, fueling pitfalls that many college athletes struggle with. Reese has chosen to be open about her journey with under fueling and to share her story with anyone who may benefit from hearing about her experience. Reese’s message of the power of performance nutrition & self-care have had an immeasurable impact on her team, the entire Hokie community, and even future generations of Hokies.
Stuart Pirtle, track & field
Stuart has been highly intentional with his nutrition throughout this indoor and outdoor track season. He has consistently worked to meet the demands of high training loads as a decathlete, refined his supplementation strategy, and optimized his recovery. Nutrition is a small piece of the puzzle, but Stuart sees it as a non-negotiable to perform his best. Performance aside, Stuart brings positive energy, curiosity, and kindness, which says a lot to who he is as a person.
SAAC MEMBER OF THE YEAR
The Gobbler for SAAC Member of the Year is given to a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. SAAC is a leadership group consisting of student-athletes representing all teams that meet throughout the year to positively impact the student-athlete experience.
Zach Glesius, men's soccer
A senior goalkeeper from Avon Lake, Ohio, Glesius is the 2025-2026 SAAC president, after serving as a Men’s Soccer Representative for the past 3 years. Zach is also the ACC SAAC representative for Virginia Tech, and serves on the board for men’s soccer with the ACC. Zach has played a crucial role in each project SAAC has worked on during his time here. He worked tirelessly to make student athletes feel heard, put on events such as Hokies for Hokies and the Gobblers, and led the charge raising money to buy Christmas gifts for over 200 children throughout the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest Virginia. He is graduating this month and heading to medical school.
STRENGTH & CONDITIONING AWARDS
An award selected by each team's strength coach, this award goes to the student-athlete that unquestionably embodies the standards, morals and principles that our department stands for. They must be hard working, consistent, mentally and physically tough, and a model for fellow teammates to emulate.
| RECIPIENTS | |
| NAME (TEAM) | NAME (TEAM) |
| Griffin Steig (Baseball) |
Christian Gurdak (Men's Basketball) |
| Leila Wells (Women's Basketball) |
Kemari Copeland (Football) |
| Benjamin Baker (Men's Golf) |
Valentine Delon (Women's Golf) |
| Emma Rowland (Lacrosse) |
Yanis Belatrache (Men's Soccer) |
| Anna Weir (Women's Soccer) |
Bree Carrico (Softball) |
| Kaden Miller (Men's Spirit) |
Katya Savaleva (Women's Spirit) |
| William Hayon (Men's Swimming & Diving) |
Emily Claesson (Women's Swimming & Diving) |
| Ilyas Fahim (Men's Tennis) |
Arina Gamretkaia (Women's Tennis) |
| Jack Helmich (Men's Track & Field) |
Kaitlyn Cook (Women's Track & Field) |
| Isabella Mishler (Volleyball) |
Jaden Bullock (Wrestling) |
ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM AND SCHOLAR ATHLETES
The All-Academic Team is made up of student-athletes who have the highest cumulative GPA for their team during the calendar year. Scholar Athletes ate student-athletes who received not only the highest cumulative GPA for their team, but also received a 4.0.
| ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM | |
| NAME (TEAM) | NAME (TEAM) |
| Hudson Lutterman (Baseball) |
Ben Hammond (Men's Basketball) |
| Viktor Idhammar (Men's Cross Country) |
Noah Jenkins (Football) |
| Rahul Rajendran (Men's Golf) |
Nathan Cox (Men's Swimming & Diving) |
| Mac Church (Wrestling) |
Kayl Petersen (Women's Basketball) |
| Lila Waters (Women's Cross Country) |
Katherine Lemke (Women's Golf) |
| Jessica Greenberg (High Techs) |
Elizabeth Mendoza (Women's Tennis) |
| Ainsley Ranstead (Volleyball) |
|
| SCHOLAR ATHLETES | |
| Cayla Bauman (HokieVision) |
Eric Gayner (HokieVision) |
| Kaden Miller (Cheerleading) |
Owen Wescott (Cheerleading) |
| Ally Orr (Athletic Training) |
Zach Glesius (Men's Soccer) |
| Frank Thompson (Men's Tennis) |
Lukas Baroke (Men's Tennis) |
| Caroline Doffermyre (Lacrosse) |
Emma Rowland (Lacrosse) |
| Gabrielle Ciocca (Women's Soccer) |
Lauren Hargrove (Women's Soccer) |
| Kylie Aldridge (Softball) |
Emma Lemley (Softball) |
| Mia Corrado (Women's Swimming & Diving) |
Mariana Pestana (Women's Track & Field) |
THE SKELTON AWARD
The Skelton Award is named after Dr. Bill and Peggy Skelton. The late Dr. Skelton served in the Corps of Cadets and graduated from Virginia Tech in 1940. He later worked as a dean of the Virginia Cooperative Extension division at Tech. The late Peggy Skelton was a faculty member and director of the Cooperative Extension Family Resource Program in the College of Home Economics at Virginia Tech. Both were charter members of the Ut Prosim Society and its President's Circle and combined for more than 100 years of support to the university in various capacities. The award goes each year to a rising junior, senior or fifth-year male and female student-athlete who has participated in intercollegiate athletics for at least two seasons at Tech and who holds an overall grade-point average of 3.40 or better.
Noe Uwimana (Men's Soccer)
Anna Weir (Women's Soccer)
FRANK BEAMER STAFF EXCELLENCE AWARD
This award highlighted one athletics staff member that had the drive to positively impact our student-athletes and moved Virginia Tech Athletics forward to reach excellence.
Bob Lofton (Facilities)
Since joining Virginia Tech Athletics in 2019, Lofton has become an invaluable member of our team. A former teacher who brought his adaptability and people-first mindset into athletics, he now oversees operations across Cassell Coliseum, Hahn Hurst Basketball Practice Facility, and wrestling, handling every challenge thrown his way with professionalism and excellence. Since becoming full-time in 2022, he has consistently gone above and beyond, making a lasting impact through his reliability, versatility, and commitment to supporting our student-athletes and staff.
COACH OF THE YEAR
The Coach of the Year award recognizes a head or assistant coach who has demonstrated exceptional leadership, commitment to student-athlete development, and an approach to coaching that garners athletic success for their program. This award honors a coach who not only elevates the performance of their team, but also fosters a culture of integrity, accountability, and excellence both on and off the field of play. This coach’s influence extends beyond wins and losses and reflects the values and mission of the Virginia Tech Athletic Department.
Tony Robie, head coach of the wrestling program
Tony Robie began working for Virginia Tech in 2006 as an associate head coach to a barren program with the potential to be great. Progressively he helped build the Hokies into one of the top programs in the ACC and a mainstay in the top-10 nationally, and was named interim head coach in 2016, earning the official title in 2017. Ten full seasons into his tenure at the helm, Robie is still leading the Hokies into new territory. Named ACC Coach of the Year six times, he continues to set the standard. Under his leadership, the Hokies have brought home nine ACC team titles, and 5 top 10 team national finishes, while producing 30 All-Americans, 31 individual conference champions, and 5 national title contenders, including two National Champions with Mekhi Lewis in 2019 followed by Caleb Henson in 2024. Known for his athlete-first approach and ability to maximize potential on and off the mat, Robie has built a culture rooted in toughness, accountability, and pride. His impact extends beyond wins and rankings, shaping student-athletes into leaders and representing Virginia Tech with distinction. Off the mat, he treats his student-athletes and staff like family, evidenced by his willingness to donate a kidney to the father of Hokie wrestlers Sam and Dom Latona, a testament to how he cares for those around him.
ACC TOP VI FOR SERVICE
An ACC award that honors those who have fully embraced our university motto and have dedicated countless hours to serving the community selflessly.
Lacrosse
Lucas Austin, football
Zach Glesius, men's soccer
Linda Ziets-Segura, women's tennis
Christian Jackson, men's track & field
Softball
Over the past year our student-athletes have dedicated roughly 2,000 hours to serving the community, continuing a strong tradition of giving back through initiatives like Wheelchair Tennis, Micah’s Backpack, Hokie for a Day, and the Special Olympics. New initiatives like sending letters to senior citizens across the country, and local daycare visits, our student-athletes engaged with hundreds of local elementary and daycare children, building meaningful relationships throughout the NRV area. From supporting Micah’s Backpack to raising over $7,000 through Adopt-a-Family to provide holiday gifts for members of the Boys & Girls Club, Hokie student-athletes continue to live out UT Prosim.
CHAMPIONSHIP PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR
The Gobbler for Championship Performance of the Year goes to an extraordinary postseason performance, in an ACC or NCAA championship competition.
Wrestling, ACC regular season and tournament champions
For the first time since 2017, the Hokies won both the conference team title as well as the ACC tournament team title. The Hokies went undefeated against conference competition as the only unscathed team in dual meets and won the tournament title with 8 finalists and 5 individual champions.
HOKIE SPIRIT AWARD
The Gobbler for Hokie Spirit recognizes one student-athlete who embodies the core values of Virginia Tech Athletics: integrity, service, honor, excellence, and strong together. This student-athlete demonstrates pride in their university by living out the mission of Ut Prosim through their involvement in a wide variety of campus and athletics organizations and programs.
Jimmy Mullen, wrestling
Mullen embodies what it means to be a Hokie. A relentless competitor on the mat and a selfless teammate off it, Mullen brings unmatched energy, toughness, and pride to the Virginia Tech wrestling program and entire athletic department every single day. His work ethic sets the standard in the room, pushing those around him to rise to a higher level while never seeking the spotlight for himself. He is the ultimate teammate, and his positive and outgoing personality brings light into every space he enters. His kindness, dependability, and passion in everything he does have made him beloved by his peers and Hokie Nation as a whole.
BEST UPSET
The Gobbler for Best Upset recognizes a Virginia Tech team that stunned the opposition and silenced the haters, delivering an upset.
Men's basketball defeats No. 21 Virginia in triple-overtime
The men’s basketball program defeated No. 21 Virginia on New Year’s Eve in a three-overtime thriller. The Hokies were buoyed by Ben Hammond who scored a career-best 30 points, including 20 after regulation. With his 30-point performance, he became the first Hokie to score 30 against the Cavaliers since Erick Green in 2013. Freshman Christian Gurdak recorded the first double-double of his career with 17 points and 19 rebounds in the contest. It was the first ranked victory of the season for the Hokies.
BEST PERFORMANCE
The Gobbler for Best Performance goes to the best competition performance of the year.
Aaron Seidel dominates at ACC Wrestling Championships
A true freshman, Seidel dominated the 133-pound weight class at the 2026 ACC Championships. Two tech falls vs. No. 4 Tallmadge from Pitt (17-2) in the semifinals and No. 2 Knox from Stanford (18-3) in the finals led to Seidel’s first ACC title and the tournament’s Most Outstanding Wrestler award.
FOUNDERS AWARD
The inaugural Founders Award recognizes an individual whose vision, leadership, and lasting impact have helped shape the foundation and future of Virginia Tech Athletics. This honor celebrates a leader whose commitment to excellence, service, and student-athlete success has left a meaningful mark across the department and university community.
Whit Babcock, Director of Athletics
Babcock has served as Virginia Tech Director of Athletics since January 2014. He is the second-longest tenured athletics director in the ACC and sixth nationally, and during his 12-year career in Blacksburg his leadership has elevated the department to new heights. From record numbers of conference championships and All-ACC performers to strategic coaching hires, landmark fundraising milestones and modernized facilities, he has created a championship culture with a focus on delivering a first class student-athlete experience. His leadership earned national recognition, including Under Armour Athletics Director of the Year honors in 2017-18. This June, as he will transition into his next role as Athletic Director Emeritus and Special Advisor to the university President, he leaves a legacy defined by competitive success, transformative fundraising and a steadfast commitment to creating memorable experiences for student-athletes and fans.
MALE & FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
An honor for one man and one woman that led their team to notable athletic success throughout the season.
George Couttie, men's track & field and cross country
Couttie’s 2026 indoor season was marked by historic performances that earned him the title of ACC Men’s Indoor Track and Field Performer of the Year. He finished runner-up in the mile at the NCAA Indoor Championships, earning First Team All-American honors, and placed 11th in the 3,000 meters, securing Second Team All-American recognition—his second consecutive Second Team All-American finish in the event. Couttie ranked second nationally in the mile, breaking his own Virginia Tech record, and set the Virginia Tech 3,000-meter record. He also contributed to Virginia Tech’s distance medley relay record, which ranks No. 3 all-time. At the Hokie Invitational, Couttie broke the NCAA Record in the indoor 2,000 meters. He earned First Team All-ACC honors with a second-place finish in the 3,000 meters at the ACC Championships. He carried momentum from a standout fall cross country campaign, earning All-America honors with a 10th-place finish at the NCAA Cross Country Championships, All-Region honors with a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Southeast Regional, and All-ACC recognition with a fourth-place finish at the ACC Cross Country Championships.
Carleigh Wenzel, women's basketball
Wenzel had a standout season with the Hokies that led to being named a WBCA Coaches' All-America finalist and All-ACC Second Team recognition. She led the team with 15.1 points per game and hit the 1,000-point career scoring milestone during her redshirt junior season. She also topped the squad in free throw makes and attempts, making 139 of 181, landing top 50 nationally in both categories. Wenzel finished the season with 63 three-pointers, and dished out 112 assists. During the ACC campaign, she went on a 16-game double figure scoring streak.
THE GOLDEN GOBBLERS
An honor for two student-athletes (one man and one woman) that have excelled in competition, in the classroom and in serving others, and embody the true definition of a Hokie.
Eddie Ventresca, wrestling
Ventresca cemented his place in Hokies wrestling history again by becoming just the second two-time All-American at 125 pounds in program history. A two-time NCAA qualifier and 2025 ACC Champion, Ventresca battled back from injury to deliver one of the most impressive comeback seasons in the country, finishing fifth at the NCAA Championships and reaching the national semifinals for the first time in his career. Known for his grit, toughness, and relentless pace, Ventresca has consistently answered the call in the biggest moments and played a key role in Virginia Tech’s back to back ACC Titles. A Roxbury, New Jersey native, Ventresca’s impact reaches far beyond his accomplishments on the mat, boasting a 4.0 Fall GPA, and volunteering his time with the local Blacksburg community. As a veteran leader in the room, he has set the standard for discipline, resilience, and work ethic while helping mentor the next generation of Hokies. Through every challenge, Ventresca has represented Virginia Tech with pride and toughness, embodying the spirit of Ut Prosim through leadership, perseverance, and service to the program.
Kylie Aldridge, softball
Over her college career, Aldridge has proven herself as a valuable asset to our Blacksburg community. Aldridge's reach stretched beyond the softball program, making an impact both on and off the field. A member of Next Level Leadership Academy, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and participant in community outreach initiatives, is a one-of-a-kind leader with infectious passion and energy. She is incredibly high achieving on the field, earning a spot on the 2025 All-ACC Second Team and National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-Region Third Team, and her 2026 season is shaping up to be just as impressive! Her academic excellence speaks for itself, being named to the Easton All-America Scholar Athlete list, the All-ACC Academic team, and the ACC Honor Roll, all on numerous occasions. Beyond her success on the field, in the classroom, and in the community, she is the ultimate teammate and a perfect representative of what it means to be a Hokie.