TO: Fans, Friends, and Supporters of Georgia Tech Athletics
FROM: Dan Radakovich, Georgia Tech Director of Athletics
We are having a great time traveling around the state to visit with Georgia Tech fans during this year’s Spring Caravan. So far we’ve been to Augusta and Columbus, as well as last week’s appearance here in Midtown at the Georgia Tech Hotel & Conference Center. Our final stop is Tuesday at The Farm Golf Club in Dalton with the festivities beginning at 6 p.m. Admission is free, but fans are asked to register here in advance.
One of our major topics of discussion has been our move into the new McCamish Pavilion this fall. The seat selection process for our current season ticket holders is underway, with each patron receiving a date and time for making their selection. These are determined by A-T point priority.
Our process began earlier this week with some of our highest point customers, but the bulk of our season ticket holders will make their selection beginning Wednesday, May 30th at noon. There is a break of several days going into and out of the Memorial Day weekend. In order to give our fans insight into the selection times and dates related to various point levels, we have online (including 3-D)seating charts available as part of our McCamish Pavilion website.
Spring Sports Winding Down
Another academic year is behind us and now our various spring sports teams are slowly finishing their seasons. I need to send out a huge congratulations to Coach Danny Hall and our baseball Jackets for not only persevering a tough year of injuries, but battling to the last day to gain a spot in the ACC Tournament, going on this week in Greensboro, N.C.
Then, behind ace pitcher Buck Farmer, great relief by Alex Cruz, and two home runs by Jake Davies, Georgia Tech stunned the tournament field by knocking off No. 1-ranked Florida State 5-4 in the tourney’s very first game. The Jackets have Thursday off before playing Virginia Friday at 11 a.m. and Clemson Saturday at the same time. Remember, the tournament is pool play through Saturday with the winners of each pool advancing to Sunday’s championship game. Best of luck to the Jackets the rest of the week.
No matter how things turn out in Greensboro, the victory over FSU was a huge shot in the arm for Tech’s chances to squeeze into the NCAA Tournament, which begins next week. Many observers believe the ACC will place at least eight teams in the tournament field this year. An amazing 10 conference schools are currently in the top 40 in the RPI rankings.
Football Notes
As of Thursday, there are 102 days until our football team opens the season Labor Day evening at Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, Va., against the Virginia Tech Hokies. Make sure to check out RamblinWreck.com and our social media channels beginning this weekend as we start a countdown to kickoff.
Head coach Paul Johnson is excited about the 2012 version of the Yellow Jackets. Some 85 football players are in school this first summer session and are working hard.
ACC Update
There has been a great deal of chatter over the past week involving the Atlantic Coast Conference and some of our member schools. Allow me to say that Georgia Tech remains firm in its commitment to the ACC and we continue to work with the conference leadership to strengthen the league. The ACC is a great fit for Tech and we are excited about the future.
I wish each and every Tech fan has a safe and happy Memorial Day weekend!
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Men’s Tennis
All-Americans Kevin King and Juan Spir received bids to both singles and doubles at the NCAA Championships, which began Wednesday at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex in Athens, Ga. King and Spir, the nation’s No. 2-ranked doubles team, qualified automatically for the doubles championship, and played their opening round match Thursday evening. Both players received at-large bids to the singles championship. King advanced in his first-round match with a straight-set victory over Georgia’s KU Singh Wednesday, and Spir dropped a straight-set match to the Bulldogs’ Wil Spencer.
Women’s Tennis
Congratulations to women’s tennis head coach Bryan Shelton and his team on another strong season. The Yellow Jackets stunned eighth-ranked Alabama on their home courts and advanced to the Sweet 16 for the seventh time in the last eight years. Senior Jillian O’Neill advanced to the NCAA Singles Championship for the second time in her two years at Georgia Tech and the doubles team of O’Neill and sophomore Alex Anghelescu will begin play in the NCAA Doubles Championship later today (Thursday).
Also, please wish former Yellow Jacket Irina Falconi the best of luck as she begins play in the French Open next week.
Golf
The Yellow Jackets were unable to advance out of the NCAA Southwest Regional last weekend in Norman, Okla., finishing sixth and thus ending their 2011-12 season. Tech remains ranked No. 9 in the Golfweek/Sagarin Index. Head coach Bruce Heppler and the program received good news, however, Wednesday with the signing of the nation’s top-ranked junior golfer, Shjun Yut Hak, who will enroll later this summer.
Softball
Another big congrats to Coach Sharon Perkins and the softball team for earning a spot in their 11th straight NCAA Tournament after winning a third ACC Tournament Championship in the last four years. The Jackets went 1-2 in the NCAA Tournament, picking up a huge 9-1 victory over UT-Martin.
The softball team finished the season with a 37-23 record, an ACC Tournament Championship, an RPI of 21 and the 11th toughest strength of schedule in the country. Three Yellow Jackets were named to the All-ACC team — Kelsi Weseman (first team), Hope Rush (first) and Kate Kuzma (second). Weseman and Rush were named to the NFCA All-Southeast Region Second Team and Weseman also earned the honor of becoming just the third player in ACC Softball history to be named ACC Player of the Year in consecutive seasons.
Track
Some more head coaches to be commended include Grover Hinsdale and Alan Drosky of track and field, who have helped coach 11 different athletes to the NCAA East Regionals in Jacksonville, Fla. this weekend. The 11 athletes will compete in nine different events on the weekend, beginning today at 5:30 p.m. with Julienne McKee in the triple jump.
Among the group are school record holders Nikita Kirillov (pole vault) and D.J. McMillan (10,000m run). Each off these athletes will look to finish in the top of their events and move on to Des Moines, Iowa for the NCAA Championship, held June 6-9.
