To ring in the New Year, 10 sports put together the top 10 sporting moments of 2024.
10 – Auburn Volleyball Wins Sixth Straight State Title Sherry Millirons led the program to its sixth consecutive volleyball state championship—and ninth overall—after a sweep of Rappahannock in November. Millirons was named the Class 1 Coach of the Year and has guided the Eagles to 538 match victories, the third most in VHSL history.
9 – Ryan Blaney Walks Off at Martinsville In a win-or-go-home circumstance for the second year in a row, Ryan Blaney knew what he had to do in Martinsville: turn the fastest laps of his life to secure a spot in the NASCAR Championship the following weekend. Driving the No. 12 car, Blaney sealed his fate in late October.
8 – Year of the Running Backs Malachi Coleman and Gideon Davidson were two dynamic running backs who helped carry their teams to 10-plus-win seasons. Fleming’s Coleman broke and reset every rushing record at William Fleming High School with 2,295 yards. He will join the Syracuse Orange next fall. Davidson, who rushed for over 2,300 yards at Liberty Christian, was a key part of the offense that helped the Bulldogs win back-to-back Class 3 state titles. Davidson will don orange next fall as well—at Clemson.
7 – Megan Duffy Hired at Virginia Tech With Kenny Brooks’ departure to Kentucky shortly after the NCAA tournament, Virginia Tech Athletic Director Whit Babcock began the search for a new women’s basketball coach. He found the perfect fit in Marquette’s Megan Duffy. Her résumé speaks for itself—she has never had a losing season as a head coach.
6 – Northside Basketball Goes Back-to-Back in State Titles In 2023, Northside won its first basketball state title since 2019. Going back-to-back is never easy, but the Vikings, under head coach Bill Pope, achieved the feat. A magical afternoon in Richmond culminated in a 73-58 victory over Lake Taylor, earning another trophy for the Northside case.
5 – Grayson County Wins State Semifinals After Tragic Flooding In September, Hurricane Helene swept through Southwest Virginia, devastating communities like Grayson County. The Blue Devils football team came together to serve their community and inspire others, making history as they advanced through the season. In the Class 1 state semifinals, they scored three touchdowns in the final minutes to defeat Rye Cove and secure a spot in the state title game.
4 – Roanoke College Football Inaugural Season A dream became reality in early September as the Roanoke College football team took the field at Salem Stadium for the first time. While the test-run year involved playing only JV teams, the Maroons finished undefeated with five wins, igniting excitement for football in Salem.
3 – Liz Kitley Drafted by Las Vegas Aces After Liz Kitley suffered an ACL tear in the final game of the regular season, the future was uncertain for the best player in Virginia Tech history. Despite the setback, Kitley was invited to the WNBA Draft in New York City, where she was selected 24th overall by the Las Vegas Aces.
2 – Christiansburg Softball Wins First State Title The Christiansburg High School softball team made history this season. After claiming district and regional titles, they captured the Class 3 state title in a battle against Turner Ashby. The game went into extra innings, but two hits in the top of the eighth and solid defense in the bottom of the inning secured the school’s first-ever state championship.
1 – Cole Hocker Wins 1,500-Meter Olympic Gold As the track and field portion of the Paris Olympics came to a close, Blacksburg resident Cole Hocker lined up for the 1,500-meter finals. In a stunning finish, Hocker outpaced Josh Kerr in the final 20 meters, bringing a gold medal back to the New River Valley, where he trains at Virginia Tech.