June 16, 2017
THE FLATS – Golfer Roberto Castro, baseball catcher Matt Wieters and basketball guard B.J. Elder, each All-Americans who led their Georgia Tech teams to the brink of an NCAA championship, headline a class of six former Georgia Tech sports icons who have been elected to the 2017 Georgia Tech Sports Hall of Fame class.
Georgia Tech Sports Hall of Fame
The 2017 class, one of the most accomplished collectively in the history of the Hall of Fame, also includes the nation’s top punter of his time in Durant Brooks, 11-time track and field All-American Ashlee Kidd and tennis All-American Roger Anderson. These outstanding individuals will be inducted into the Georgia Tech Hall of Fame on Friday, Sept. 22 at the College Football Hall of Fame.
“As an alumnus and former student-athlete, it is an incredible privilege and honor for me to congratulate six outstanding Yellow Jackets on being selected for induction to the Georgia Tech Sports Hall of Fame,” said director of athletics Todd Stansbury. “In addition to the great success that they achieved at Tech, they have also achieved great success in their lives beyond Georgia Tech and serve as shining examples of the young people that we strive to develop athletically, academically and in life. I’m looking forward to celebrating their success with the Tech family on Sept. 22 at the College Football Hall of Fame.”
The inductees will also be honored during Tech’s football game against Pittsburgh on Saturday, Sept. 23, at Bobby Dodd Stadium.
Following are brief bios on the 2017 Hall of Fame class:
Roger Anderson, Tennis (2000-03)
The top player on Georgia Tech tennis teams that reached the NCAA Championship field in 2001, 2002 and 2003, Roger Anderson earned ITA All-American honors in 2003 and was named to the All-Atlantic Coast Conference team in 2001, 2002 and 2003. The native of Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, played in the NCAA singles championship in 2002 and remains No. 5 on Tech’s all-time list for singles victories with 90. He was named the ITA Senior Region Player of the Year and won the ITA’s Rafael Osuna Sportsmanship Award in 2003. Anderson currently lives in Orlando, Fla., and is an on-court coach with the United States Tennis Association.
Durant Brooks, Football (2006-07)
One of only three players in Georgia Tech football history to capture a national award, Durant Brooks won the Ray Guy Award as college football’s top punter in 2007 after being named one of three finalists for the honor in 2006. The Macon, Ga., native was named a first-team All-American in 2007 as a senior and a second-team All-American as a junior in 2006, and earned first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors both years. He still holds the Tech career record for punting average, and his mark of 45.31 yards per punt is nearly four yards greater than the next closest figure. Brooks ranked fourth nationally in punting average both of his seasons at Tech. Nearly half of his 144 punts were downed inside the 20, and more than a third traveled 50-plus yards. He was selected to play in Senior Bowl following his senior season, and was taken in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins. Brooks currently lives in Norcross and is a sales engineer for Bardi Heating, Cooling and Plumbing.
Roberto Castro, Golf (2003-07)
An integral part of four Tech teams that went played in the NCAA Championship, including a runner-up finish in 2005, as well as two other top-8 finishes, Roberto Castro earned All-America honors from the Golf Coaches Association each of his four years on the Flats, including first-team honors as a sophomore and second-team as a senior. Castro led Tech to a pair of ACC co-championships in 2006 and 2007, and the Yellow Jackets won seven tournaments during his four years. Individually, he won the Puerto Rico Classic his senior year and posted 20 top-10 finishes in his career. His career stroke average of 71.89 was the fourth-best in Tech history when he graduated, and is seventh-best today. In his senior year, he won the Byron Nelson Award as the nation’s top senior golfer, and also the NCAA’s Top VIII Award, given to eight of the nation’s top student-athletes across all sports. Castro was twice named an All-America Scholar by the GCAA, a CoSIDA Academic All-American and Academic All-ACC (2006 and 2007), and he graduated with highest honors in industrial engineering. Castro, who lives in Atlanta, turned pro following his graduation in 2007 and is a seven-year PGA Tour veteran.
B.J. Elder, Basketball (2001-05)
The top scorer on Georgia Tech’s 2004 NCAA runner-up team, B.J. Elder was of the most prolific three-point shooters in school history. The 6-foot-4 Elder was named a Wooden Award finalist that season, in which he placed seventh among ACC scorers at 14.9 points per game and shot 78 percent from the foul line. Elder was an honorable mention All-America selection by the Associated Press and was also named All-District 4 by the USBWA, All-District 5 by the NABC and was one of the final 20 candidates for the Wooden Award All-America team. The Madison, Ga., native was voted to All-ACC Freshman team in 2002 and placed third in ACC Freshman of the Year voting. He went on to twice earn All-ACC honors. Despite a hamstring injury that forced him to miss nine full games his senior year and hampered him throughout the remainder of the season, Elder finished his collegiate career with 1,616 points to rank 13th on the Yellow Jackets’ all-time scoring list. He finished fourth all-time in 3-point field goals with 222, twice connecting on seven in a single game. Elder went on to enjoy a successful 10-professional career in Europe, retiring following the 2014-15 season. He earned his bachelor’s degree in management from Tech in December of 2012, and currently lives in Conyers, Ga., and coaches the Clarkston High School boys team.
Ashlee Kidd, Track and Field (2004-07)
A seven-time All-American who twice was named the Atlantic Coast Conference most valuable performer, Ashlee Kidd still holds four sprint records at Georgia Tech, including the indoor 200- and 400-meters, and was a member of teams that set school records in the outdoor 4×100 and 4×200 meters. Kidd achieved All-America status seven times, including first-team honors twice in 2007 for the indoor and outdoor 400 meters. She earned All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors 16 times and won ACC championships on 11 occasions, including the indoor 400 meters for four consecutive seasons. Kidd set the ACC Indoor Track and Field Championship record for the 400m in 2006 which stood until 2015. She won the U.S. Junior National championship in the 400m following her freshman campaign in 2004, earning her a spot on the U.S. Junior National Team. Kidd also won a Gold medal in the 4×400 meter relay for the United States at the NACAC Under-23 Track and Field Championships in 2005-06. On the international level, Kidd qualified for the IAAF World Junior Championships after winning the 400 meters at the U.S. Junior National Championships in 2004, and she captured a Bronze medal in Grosseto, Italy at the IAAF World Junior Championships that same year. Kidd currently lives in Smyrna, Ga.
Matt Wieters, Baseball (2005-07)
A finalist or semifinalist for three different national awards during his collegiate career, Matt Wieters earned All-America honors in back-to-back years at Georgia Tech — first-team as a sophomore (2006) by Baseball America and second-team by ABCA/Rawlings, as well as first-team as a junior (2007) by both Baseball America and Rivals.com, second-team by NCBWA and third-team from Collegiate Baseball. The Goose Creek, S.C., native made the All-Atlantic Coast Conference team all three years he was at Tech — first-team in 2005 and 2007, and second-team honors in 2006. Recognized as a Freshman All-American by both Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball in 2005, Wieters eventually became a finalist for the Johnny Bench Award (Top Collegiate Catcher) in 2007 and a national semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award (Outstanding Amateur Player) in 2007, a year after being named a semifinalist for the Brooks Wallace Award (College Player of the Year) in 2006 as a sophomore. Wieters wrapped up his career at Tech with a .359 batting average, 35 home runs and 198 RBI in 185 games played. He is tied eighth place all-time in Tech history with 54 career doubles, and ranks ninth all-time in career RBI and 13th all-time in Tech history with a .3594 career batting average. He also ranks 15th overall in Tech history with 418 total bases. He led the Jackets in RBI in both 2006 (71) and 2007 (59), while also pitching in 59 games, recording five wins, 16 saves and a 3.83 ERA. More importantly, Wieters led the Yellow Jackets to a pair of NCAA Super Regionals in 2005 and 2006, and to the College World Series in 2006. Tech also won the 2005 ACC regular season and tournament championships. Wieters, who now lives in Atlanta and is a nine-year Major League Baseball veteran, currently plays for the Washington Nationals after spending eight years with the Baltimore Orioles.
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