March 2, 2007

GREENSBORO, N.C. - The 2006-07 Atlantic Coast Conference Women's Indoor Track & Field awards were announced Friday as voted on by the league's 12 head coaches. Virginia Tech's Dave Cianelli, who led the Hokies to the conference indoor title this season, earned Coach of the Year honors. Georgia Tech's Ashley Kidd was named Track Most Valuable Performer, while Miami's Brenda Faluade earned Field Most Valuable Performer. Clemson's Liane Weber garnered Freshman of the Year honors.

Cianelli, who is in his sixth year as Director of Track & Field and Cross Country, led the Hokies to their first women's and Olympic Sport league title since joining the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2004-05. Under the tutelage of Cianelli, the Hokies tallied 136 points and 10 top-three finishes while claiming three individual event victories in the 60m dash, pole vault and shot put.

Cianelli's award puts him on a short list with football coach Frank Beamer (2004, 2005) and men's basketball coach Seth Greenberg (2005) as Tech's ACC Coach of the Year winners, and he has done so while being able to work with one of the nation's most accomplished coaching staffs.

In 2006, Greg Jack was named the National Throws Coach of the Year, and began 2005 with a promotion to associate head men's track and field coach. Former Hokie and NAIA Region XII Coach of the Year Ben Thomas is the cross country coach and his assistant is Stacey Vidt, a former NCAA all-region cross country runner for the Hokies. Cianelli hired Lawrence Johnson, formerly of Southern Illinois, to be Tech's sprints coach in January 2005. Bob Phillips is in his 20^th year as the volunteer coach of the pole vaulters.

The Hokies will host the Virginia Tech Last Chance Invitational on Saturday beginning at 11 a.m., in Rector Field House.