Tech Sideline has assembled this year's team of students from the Virginia Tech Sports Media & Analytics (SMA) program. Meet our students, and find out what they'll be doing for us this year!
Jake Lyman, SMA '22
Podcast Host
Twitter: @LymanJake
Instagram: @jakelyman12
Jake Lyman has been with Tech Sideline for four years now as a beat writer for Olympic sports and men's basketball, and more recently, has hosted the Tech Sideline Podcast since the fall of 2021. Jake is a student in the Sports Media and Analytics program at Virginia Tech, scheduled to graduate in December of 2022. Jake has other experience as a broadcaster with the ACC Network Extra and has spent two summers in St. Cloud, Minnesota as the play-by-play voice of the St. Cloud Rox in the Northwoods Collegiate Baseball League.
Katie Adams, SMA '23
Podcast Host
Twitter: @Katie6Adams
Instagram: @katie6adams
Katie is a current student in the Sports Media and Analytics Program at Virginia Tech, with a minor in Organizational Leadership and Event and Experience Management, with plans to graduate in May 2023. She grew up in Richmond, VA before moving to Blacksburg in 2015. Katie was raised in a sports-driven household and is a 4th generation Hokie. She has spent time working in athletics throughout her college career with the Hokie Club, VT Student-Athlete Development, and VT Football Recruiting. Katie appears on the Tech Sideline Podcast as a host or in the “4th chair”.
Giovanni Heater, SMA '25
On-air Talent, Head of Graphics
Twitter: @gioheater
Instagram: @giovanniheater
Giovanni Heater is a Sophomore at Virginia Tech in the Sports Media and Analytics program, set to graduate in May of 2025. "Gio" was born and raised in Syracuse, New York and currently serves as the Broadcast Coordinator of Special Content on the leadership team for Virginia Tech’s student media network, 3304 Sports. He began broadcasting in high school, founding “The Northstar Network” at Cicero-North Syracuse High School. Last summer, he called basketball play-by-play for the Syracuse Stallions of the TBL and called play-by-play of the TBL Summer League in Las Vegas, NV. Gio has called play-by-play of Hokies football, basketball, baseball, softball, lacrosse, soccer, and volleyball while also working as a Production Assistant for the ACC Network. This past summer, Giovanni was back with the Syracuse Stallions and was a baseball broadcaster for the Syracuse Salt Cats of the NYCBL, and this year, he is the voice of Galax High School Football on WCGX 96.5 The Cat.
Nick Brown, SMA '24
Head of A/V Production
Twitter: @Nickbrown33
Instagram: @Nick33Brown
Nick Brown grew up in Blacksburg attending Virginia Tech football and basketball games every season and this grew his passion for sports. He is a junior at Virginia Tech studying in the Sports Media and Analytics program while also minoring in finance. He is expected to graduate in the Spring of 2024 and will look to pursue a career in play-by-play or financial planning. Nick is the play-by-play voice of his alma mater Radford High School football and is now the newest head producer of the Tech Sideline Podcast.
Chris Hirons, SMA '23
Baseball and Women's Basketball Beat Writer
Twitter: @ChrisHironsVT
Chris is enrolled in Virginia Tech's SMA program with plans to graduate in May of 2023. He began work with TechSideline in September 2021 as Virginia Tech's women's basketball beat writer and then was named TSL's baseball beat writer in Jan. 2022. For most of the spring, Chris exclusively chronicled the baseball team's rise from the basement of the Coastal to Super Regional host in 2022 and the women's basketball team's run to the 2022 NCAA Tournament for TSL. Chris also took over the writing side of 3304 Sports, Tech's hub of student-sports journalism, once TSL's David Cunningham graduated in May 2020. As a co-editor for 3304, Chris oversees more than 20-to-25 writers each semester, while providing feedback and teaching classmates the intricacies of sports writing.
Jack Brizendine, SMA '24
Wrestling Writer, A/V Production Assistant
Twitter: @jackpbrizendine
Instagram: @jack.brizendine
Jack is a current student in the Sports Media and Analytics program at Virginia Tech and plans to graduate in May 2024. He has worked at Tech Sideline for two years, covering wrestling and transcribing TTL notes. Jack is also an associate editor for 3304 Sports, the student sports media program on campus, covering football and women’s basketball. He spends his summers as a bartender for the Richmond Flying Squirrels.
Carter Hill, SMA '25
Writer
Twitter: @cbhill_03
Instagram: @cbhill_03
Carter is currently a student in the Sports Media and Analytics Program at Virginia Tech with plans to graduate in May 2025. Although born in Williamsburg, Virginia, Carter has lived in Blacksburg since August of 2013, graduating locally at Blacksburg High School back in May 2021. An avid sports fan, Carter grew up idolizing Virginia Tech Athletics, and now has been fortunate enough to have covered his dream school for The Tech Lunch Pail, Fifth Quarter and 3304 Sports, the student sports media outlet on campus, where he currently serves as the Podcast Coordinator. Carter also works behind the scenes writing feature stories and press releases for HokieSports, hosts his own Virginia Tech podcast with fellow TSL-er Jack Brizendine and has broadcasted seven different sports for 3304 Sports in addition to summer collegiate baseball this past summer with the Tarboro River Bandits in the Premier Collegiate League.
Abby Neilson, SMA '26
Tech Talk Live Notes, (future) On-air Talent
Twitter: @abbyneilson15
Instagram: @abbyneilson_
Abby is a freshman in the Sports Media and Analytics program at Virginia Tech and plans to graduate in May 2026. She is from Seattle and is the first in her family to attend Virginia Tech. Abby graduated from Lake Washington High School in 2021, where she spent 3 years on the yearbook staff, one of which as an editor. Abby recently completed a gap year, which she spent coaching swim team. This is her first year working at Tech Sideline. Abby is also involved in 3304 sports, the student sports media group on campus.