BY NATHAN WARTERS
MEDIA GENERAL NEWS SERVICE

Former Virginia Tech softball pitcher Angela Tincher is one of eight recipients of the NCAA Today’s Top VIII Awards. The award recognizes athletes for their success in athletics, academics and in the community after they’ve completed their eligibility.

The honorees will be recognized at the NCAA Honors and Delagates Celebration on Jan. 15 at the NCAA Convention in Washington D.C.

Tincher, who led the Hokies to the College World Series for the first time in school history, is the second Tech athlete to be recognized with the Top VIII honor. Former football player Andre Davis, now with the NFL’s Houston Texans, was the first back in 2002.

“We’re extremely proud of Angela for winning this award,” Hokies softball coach Scot Thomas said in a release. “It’s the highest achievement you can get as a student-athlete through the NCAA, and it’s a credit to her and it’s a tremendous achievement for our program.

“It’s a representation of what she’s about, what her family is about and how she grew as a player and student-athlete here. Hokies everywhere should be really proud of her.”

Tincher will go down as one of the most decorated athletes in Tech history. After her outstanding senior season that saw her go 38-10 with 679 strikeouts and a 0.63 ERA, she was named USA Softball player of the year and earned Academic All-American of the Year honors.

She was a first-team All-American, won the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award and was the recipient of the NCAA’s Postgraduate Scholarship.

Tincher, who graduated summa cum laude with a degree in finance, signed to play professionally in Japan’s top division and had her jersey number retired at Tech.