Fixsen, Stimmel and Cianelli deserve top VaSID honors

BLACKSBURG Virginia Tech Julia Fixsen, Kenna Stimmel, and director Dave Cianelli was selected for the 2022-23VaSID (Virginia Sports Information Directors) organization’s top awards, as announced Friday. Fixsen was named Female Athlete of the Year, Stimmel Field Athlete of the Year and Cianelliearned Women’s Coach of the Year with second place at the ACC Outdoor Championships.

Fixsenis is also the 2023 USTFCCCA Southeast Region Women’s Field Athlete of the Year and the NCAA Outdoor Pole Vault Champion. He won the championship with a clear 4.45 meters. Fixsen won the ACC Outdoor Championships with 4.38m.

Stimmel earned First Team All-America honors at the NCAA Outdoor Championships by finishing eighth in the pole vault clearing 4.30 meters. He finished fifth at East Regionals at 4.22m and fourth at the ACC Championships at 4.18m. Stimmel opened the outdoor season by placing fifth in the nation after clearing 4.45 meters at the Weems Baskin Relays.

The Virginia Tech women’s team finished second at the ACC Championships with 84.5 points, winning the hammer throw, triple jump and pole vault at the conference meet. The pole vault team qualified four athletes for the NCAA Outdoor Championships, all of whom earned All-America honors with top-15 finishes, including the NCAA pole vault champion. Julia Fixsen. The Hokie women were also represented in the throws, jumps and middle distance events at the NCAA Championships, finishing tied for 25th with 11 points.

Lindsey Butler, Close Pyles, Essence Hendersonand Rebecca Mammel received First Team endorsements from the organization.

VaSID annually names 44 all-state teams in 23 sports, an Academic All-State team and an all-sport champion in both the varsity and college divisions. Membership in VaSID is open to all media relations professionals working at a university or conference in Virginia.

2022-23VaSIDWomen’s athletics
Coach of the Year: Dave Cianelli – Virginia Tech
Athlete of the Year: Julia Fixsen -Virginia Tech
Rookie of the Year: Kenna Stimmel -Virginia Tech
Track athlete of the year:Margot Appleton – Virginia
Rookie of the Year: Sarah Akpin – Virginia

The first team
Lindsey Butler – Middle distance
Kenna Stimmel – Jump
Julia Fixsen – Jump
Close Pyles – Jump
Essence Henderson – Throws
Rebecca Mammel – Throws

Another team
Barbora Malikov, Star price, Lindsey Butler, Hanna Ballowe – 4x400m relay
Star price – Middle distance
Sara Killinen – Throws