Six Hokies make VaSID Academic All-State team

BLACKSBURG – Six Virginia Tech student-athletes earned Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID) Academic All-State recognition, as announced by the organization Wednesday. 
 
Ryan Fishback (men’s tennis), Elizabeth Kitley (women’s basketball), Rebecca Mammel (women’s track and field), Sarah Shackelford (women’s swimming and diving), Jordan Tilley (women’s lacrosse) and Kobe Valociek (men’s golf) were among the 214 student-athletes across 36 schools recognized. Honorees must have a grade point average of at least 3.25 and be a sophomore or higher.

Fishback, a junior studying Biochemistry, earned VaSID Academic All-State honors for the second straight season in men’s tennis. The Geneva, N.Y., native was named to the All-ACC Academic Team for the second time in his career, while securing the NCAA’s Elite 90 award, which recognizes the competitor at each NCAA Championship with the highest GPA, for the second straight year. The 2023 Arthur Ashe Leadership Award winner was awarded All-ACC second team recognition in both singles and doubles, and was selected to the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships, advancing to the Round of 32 in singles. Fishback was honored as a First-Team Academic All-American by College Sports Communicators (CSC) in 2023.

Kitley, a Human Nutrition, Foods & Exercise major, was named the ACC Scholar Athlete of the Year in women’s basketball for the second year in a row this past March. That honor accompanied a spot on the All-ACC Academic team and a multitude of on-court honors. The Summerfield, N.C., native was named the ACC Player of the Year for the second straight season, while becoming a Second-Team Associated Press All-American. In addition to leading the Hokies to their first ACC tournament title and Final Four appearance in 2023, Kitley became the program’s all-time leader in points, field goals, blocks and double-doubles.

 

Mammel, who graduated in May with a degree in human nutrition, foods and exercise, earned the nod after making the All-ACC academic team for both indoor and outdoor. She was the 2023 USTFCCA Southeast Region Women’s Field Athlete of the Year after capturing an ACC title in the weight throw and setting a meet record in the same event. The Tecumseh, Mich., native placed seventh at indoor nationals to earn First-Team All-America honors. Mammel backed up her indoor season by winning the hammer at the ACC outdoor championships.

 

Shackelford, a biomedical science…