Hokie ClubIn her first year (2025) as an assistant coach, Rachel Baxter, the former Virginia Tech track & field pole vaulter, coached four individuals to All-American honors in the pole vault and two vaulters to ACC individual titles.
During the 2025 outdoor season, Baxter led the pole vault squad through the postseason, helping Lyndsey Reed to a personal-best 4.42m (14'6") for the ACC individual title and Conner McClure to silver at the ACC Championships. At the NCAA Southeast Regional, Baxter pushed four Hokies through to punch their tickets to the NCAA Championships, facing less than favorable conditions for the qualifying round. At the NCAA Outdoor Championships, Baxter coached Chiara Sistermann to Second Team All-American honors and Benjamin Conacher to a fourth-place finish and First Team All-American honors. Earlier in the season, Conacher cleared a personal-best height of 5.61m (18'4.75"), and then reached 5.58m (18'3.75") at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
During the 2025 indoor season, Baxter assisted with the development and recovery of former pole vault national champion Julia Fixsen. Fixsen cleared a personal-best 4.58m (15'0.25") to become the second female vaulter in program history to clear 15 feet, second to only Baxter. Fixsen went on to capture the ACC individual title and First Team All-American honors. All four female pole vaulters that qualified for the ACC Championships scored points for Virginia Tech. On the men's side during the indoor season, Baxter assisted with the coaching of Maddox Hamm, who cleared a personal-best 5.61m (18'4.75") and collected silver at the ACC Championships and First Team All-American honors at the NCAA Championships, which is where he reached his personal-best. Three of the five men's pole vaulters scored points for Virginia Tech at the ACC Championships to push the team through to the team title.
As a student-athlete at Virginia Tech (2018-2022), Baxter was a seven-time All-American, four-time ACC Champion, eight-time All-ACC honoree and was the first pole vault national champion in program history. She currently still holds the program record and ACC record of 4.62m (15'1.75").