Congratulations to Stonewall Jackson's Lady Raider Field Hockey program!  Two of the team members selected for 1st Team, and four members selected for 2nd Team for 2009.

Virginia Tech running back Ryan Williams, author of one of the most prolific seasons by a freshman running back in NCAA history, has been named ACC Rookie of the Year for 2009 in voting by the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association. He also was named the Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Williams, a redshirt freshman from Manassas, Va., received 34 of the 40 ballots cast. He began the preseason as an understudy to Darren Evans, who set the ACC’s freshman rushing record and received votes for Rookie of the Year last season. But when Evans sustained a season-canceling knee injury in August, Williams was thrust into important action. He responded with one of the best rushing seasons regardless of class distinction in ACC history.

"This something that is totally unexpected, but feels great," Williams said. "I have to give a lot of credit to the offensive line and the wide receivers and the fullbacks because they helped pave the way for a lot of the stats I got this year."

Williams’ current total of 1,538 yards is the fourth highest in the ACC’s 57-year football history. His average of 128.16 per game stands fifth. If he maintains that average in the Hokies’ bowl game, he’ll finish with 1,666; that total would trail only the 1,790-yard season by Virginia senior Thomas Jones in 1999 and North Carolina senior Don McCauley’s 1,720-yard campaign of 1970.

His current total is the eighth highest by a freshman in NCAA history. He has a chance to pass Tony Dorsett of Pittsburgh and Herschel Walker of Georgia on that list. Williams has set the record for total touchdowns by an ACC freshman (20) and has tied the league standard for rushing scores by any player (19). McCauley ran for 19 TDs in 1970 and Georgia Tech sophomore Robert Lavette equaled that figure 12 years later. McCauley holds the overall standard with 21 scores in that same 1970 season.

Ryan Williams also became the first Tech freshman to make the All-ACC first team since joining the league in 2004 and the first freshman Tech player to be named first-team all-conference since Michael Vick was named first-team All-Big East in 1999.

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Students, parents, teachers or coaches...  Please see this letter to learn about a new GPA calculator that will help determine an athlete's NCAA eligibilty for colleges.