GT Athletics Keeps Rollin...Rollin...Rollin

Techfoul over at Stingtalk gave me the idea of looking at the overall success of the tech programs. link here. Well, while we have our frustrations at time to time over GT sports, let's review the state of our athletic programs:

Football
Just played in our 7th straight bowl game, still have the highest or 2nd highest bowl winning % of all-time, had virtually every graduating starter either get drafted by the NFL or sign with NFL teams as free agents, had our best recruiting class in years, won recruiting battles with Notre Dame, FSU, Auburn, Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Nebraska, Miami and more, return a talented sophomore QB, the ACC's leading rusher, have a coach that understands what GT is about and how to sell that to smart athletic kids, we are building depth at key positions, we just added Miami / VaTech / BC to make this truly a premiere conference...

Baseball
Ranked in the top 25 by all polls, and as high as 15, a 10 game winning streak, a chance to win the ACC and host a regional, are among 4 teams that have made to an NCAA regional 18 of the last 19 years, beat UGAg 2/3 including at the Ted, bringing in top 5 recruiting classes every year, a perennial contender every season, send players to the bigs, have a talented coach who really can take us to the next level.

Basketball
Just made the Final Four for the 2nd time in history and played in the NC game for the first time ever, finished the season ranked #3, have a stud of a coach that brings in talent and can flat out coach and motivate, are returning the majority of our team and bringing in a top 15 recruiting class, have a junior PG leading the way, are projected in the top 5 for next season, have 8 current players in the NBA, along with countless others playing around the world,

Women's Softball
Ranked in the top 25 most of the season, recruiting well.

Golf
Annually ranked in the top 25, currently #6 in the nation, seeded #4 in the upcoming regional NCAA tourney, 3 players made the All-ACC Squad, have a nice group of pro's to follow,

Volleyball
Finish the season ranked #8, won the ACC regular season, bringing in talented young players, have a great young coach, might have a member on the Olympic team,

Lacrosse
Heck, these guys just won the SELC Championship beating a bunch of higher ranked teams.

Track and Field
We have a potential Olympian high jumper on our squad - the national champion Chaunte Howard. We have the indoor / outdoor ACC Performer of the Year Brendon Mahoney.

Swimming / Diving
Our teams finished in the top 35 in both men's and women's nationals, something no other combined men's / women's GT teams have ever done in their 3 year existence. We had an All-American in the 1500 freestyle, Sam Morgan. On the women's side, Vesna Stojanovska became the 1st GT women's swimmer to earn All-American honors.

CONCLUSION
We are in the strongest hoops conference year-in and year-out, our football conference can truly be considered premiere - winning the bowl championship even without Miami / VT / BC, going 5-1. With them we raise up another notch. We have coaches in place in each of the major sports that seem to combine an eye for talent, skills in player development, an understanding of what GT stands for, and MORALS. We attract the brightest, hardest-working athletes in the country. We are one of the top 5 public universities in the nation, one of the best engineering schools in the country, we are in the a great city.

So is this advertisement for Dave Braine? No, but I think it is fair to say he has picked up on Homer Rice's legacy very well. Yes, we have our frustrations with this game or that game, but when you look at the big picture, we are usually in the hunt. We have balance in our winning across programs. We are not Duke with its hoops / football lopsided focus. We are not the Miami football / hoops lopsided focus. We are Georgia Tech, and we're in the running in all of 'em.

No doubt, you have to bee proud to be a Tech grad.