User ID: Password:

September 9, 2013

From the Hokie Club

By: Brian Thornburg

HOKIES DIG TOURNAMENT WIN

Playing in front of the new video scoreboards at Cassell Coliseum, the Virginia Tech volleyball team opened the 2013 season by winning three of four matches and claiming the championship of the Hokie Invitational played Aug. 30-31.

The Student-Athlete Experience

“Thank you, Hokie Club members! Your support and encouragement has made my experience at Virginia Tech one of a kind! I am so very blessed to be a Hokie!”

-Megan Beckwith | r-Junior, Volleyball

“Special thanks to the Hokie Club for all of their support! I have had an amazing experience at Virginia Tech!”

-Jordan Fish | Junior, Volleyball


The Donor File

Shane Caudill

Hokie Club Level: Golden Hokie

Hokie Club member since: 2000

Currently Resides: Richmond, VA

What year did you graduate? 1997

Family: Sara Caudill (wife)

Q&A

Q: Being a member of the Hokie Club and supporting Virginia Tech athletics is important to me and my family because…

A: We enjoy giving back. We enjoy knowing that our support, no matter how large or small, makes a difference. Athletics is very often a major factor on people’s perception of your school. I don’t think there is any doubt that our athletics success has greatly enhanced, in a positive manner, the overall perception of Virginia Tech. What has been built at Virginia Tech is very special. I’m proud to say we have played a part in that success.

Q: Do you have a specific moment when you realized that you were a fan of Virginia Tech athletics and knew, without a doubt, that you were a Hokie?

A: All kidding aside, I’m not sure if I had a choice. I’m a third generation Virginia Tech graduate. I’ve always known how to get to Virginia Tech, even before I could drive. I bought season football tickets on my own as a senior in high school. It’s just in my blood. Although I will say I really began following Virginia Tech football in 1986, particularly after the 42-10 beat down we gave UVa that year. I was 11 years old, and my hero was Erik Chapman!

Q: Do you have any game-day or tailgating traditions or superstitions? If so, what are they?

A: I think our best tradition is a more recent event that we started for our football tailgates. One game per year is designated as the chili cook-off tailgate. My dad and my wife, Sara, each cook up a pot of chili, and everyone at our tailgate and neighboring tailgates gets to vote for the best chili. We have a trophy that goes home with the winner. Last year, Sara and my dad even had additional competition, as we had one of our tailgating buddies enter a third pot into the contest. So far, the trophy has gone home with Sara each year. There is a lot of good-natured ribbing between the competitors, and everyone has a blast trying out and tasting some great chili recipes.

Q: When you drive into Blacksburg for a game, are there any “must-do” things for you and your family?

A: The first thing I always want to do is race to our tailgate spot as quickly as possible and get set up! So our biggest “must-do” item is getting to Blacksburg as early as we can to start tailgating. We haven’t won all the games we’ve been to over the years, but we’ve never lost a tailgate.

Q: Virginia Tech has had a lot of successful teams and wins over the years. Do you have a favorite team / season or game that stands out the most?

A: I’m lucky to have started at Virginia Tech in the fall of 1993, the very first year of the Beamer Bowl era. So I’m going to cheat a little and list several of my favorite years and games – the 1993 team and the game at UVa and the Independence Bowl win over Indiana; the 1995 team and the games versus Miami, at UVa, and the Sugar Bowl win over Texas; the 1999 team, Michael Vick and that great defense; the 2004 team, led by Bryan Randall, winning our first ACC Championship; the 2010 team and defeating FSU for the title in the ACC Championship Game. Hopefully, the 2013 team will have some magic in store for us this year.

Q: My all-time favorite Virginia Tech football player is (player’s name) and my favorite memory of him is …

A: There have been so many over the years … Tyrod Taylor, Bryan Randall, Corey Moore, Maurice DeShazo, Lee Suggs, the entire secondary from the 1995 team, Ox [Ken Oxendine], Macho [Harris], Danny Coale, Michael Vick, David Wilson, Cornell Brown. But my favorite is probably Jim Druckenmiller. He was the quarterback while I was a student at Virginia Tech, and the 1995 comeback win against UVa and the Sugar Bowl win over Texas are games that I will never forget. Honorable mention goes to Jermaine Holmes for “the catch” against UVa in 1995. I will never forget that play as long as I live.

Q: My all-time favorite Virginia Tech student-athlete from another sport is (player’s name) and my favorite memory of (player’s name) is …

A: Again, I have so many favorites that it is hard to choose. I’m going to pick a coach instead. I’m a huge fan of wrestling coach Kevin Dresser. I’ve been lucky to hear him speak on several occasions, both in Blacksburg and in Richmond, and I just like what this guy is all about. He rebuilt the wrestling program from the ground up and has made them a force. He’s passionate about his sport and Virginia Tech, and I’m glad that we have him on our side.


The Hokie Club New Members and Upgrading Members

The following represents Annual Fund donors (gifts from $100 to $10,000 annually) who have either joined as new Hokie Club members or have upgraded their Hokie Club memberships from January through mid-August of 2013. We want to celebrate these commitments of helping improve Virginia Tech athletics by recognizing them and by saying “Thank You!”

New Members

Todd Anthony Wake Forest, NC
Sanjeev Banja Glen Allen, VA
Michele Bannon Mechanicsville, VA
Robert Bennett Raleigh, NC
Donna Boone Ashburn, VA
Christopher Bradford Arlington, VA
Robert Brooks Virginia Beach, VA
Brett Buckland Boones Mill, VA
William Butz Glen Allen, VA
Scott Campbell Lynchburg, VA
Sarah Carlson Louisville, KY
Judy Cavanaugh Herndon, VA
Guy Chapman Richmond, VA
Lisa Cohe Augusta, GA
Gary Creasy Roanoke, VA
Long David Roanoke, VA
William Dixon Radford, VA
Jeananne Dixon Blacksburg, VA
Matt Donlon Midlothian, VA
Jeffrey Doughty Arlington, VA
Nancy Dye Roanoke, VA
Angelique Edwards Princeton, WV
Drew Forte Winchester, VA
William Glidden, Jr. Yorktown, VA
William Goodson, Jr. Great Falls, VA
Crystal Guffee Winchester, VA
R. J. Hall Fairfax, VA
William Hill, III Lindenhurst, IL
Stacie Hogan Portsmouth, VA
Alex Horton Woodlawn, VA
Jeff Hubbard Virginia Beach, VA
An-Ming Hwang Centreville, VA
John Jones Manassas, VA
Heather Jones North Chesterfield, VA
Maegan Keane Arlington, VA
Ricardo Manrique Smithfield, VA
Dale McCoy Marietta, GA
John McNulty Williamsburg, VA
Kevin Moomaw Orkney Springs, VA
Bonnie Murphy Norfolk, VA
New River Soccer Association Christiansburg, VA
Caitlin O'Connell Casanova, VA
Nicholas Overholt Rocky Mount, VA
Bill Pafford Damascus, VA
Warren Palmer Blacksburg, VA
Howard Pardue Fontana, CA
Suzanne Parker Florence, SC
Sharon Parrish Newport News, VA
Ricky Payne Roanoke, VA
Joey Phillips Blacksburg, VA
Cathy Price Blacksburg, VA
Todd Rauchenberger Smithfield, VA
Andrew Rivenbark Portsmouth, VA
Karl Roulston Woodstock, VA
James Rountree, Sr. Martinsville, VA
John Seabrook, Jr. Centreville, VA
Travis Sheets Vass, NC
Barry Shiflett Raleigh, NC
Jon & Beth Smith Culpeper, VA
William Stephens Fredericksburg, VA
Lynn Surum Atlanta, GA
Howard Sykes, Jr. Virginia Beach, VA
Kate Thompson Richmond, VA
Gerald Trainor McLean, VA
William Tuttle Chesapeake, VA
Kristy Wade Mechanicsville, VA
Elton Wade, III Mechanicsville, VA
William Webb Richmond, VA
Connor White La Grange, IL
Christopher Wilcox Hampton, VA
Garland Williams Lynchburg, VA
Stephanie Williams Reston, VA
Jamie Williams Radford, VA
Gary Williams, Jr. Reston, VA
John Willingham Winchester, VA
Mark Woods Wilmington, NC
Mallory Wyatt Mechanicsville, VA
Kareem Zaki Galax, VA
Samatha Zanotti Chantilly, VA

UPGRADING MEMBERS

J.C. Barnold Olney, MD
Adam Bartlett Richmond, VA
Robert Bishop, Jr. Alpahretta, GA
August & Kim Briele Salem, VA
Steven Brodie Thomason, GA
Karen Brown Chesapeake, VA
Regina Buck Aldie, VA
Ray & Jenny Clarke Huntersville, NC
Claude Eley, Jr. Smithfield, VA
A.J. Engelberg, Jr. Springfield, MO
Judy & James Evans Concord,VA
Michael Everett Christiansburg, VA
Leroy Gravatte, III Springfield, VA
Walter Ickes, Jr. Georgetown, KY
Thomas Johnston, Jr. Richmond, VA
Ahsanul Khan Corvallis, OR
Katherine Lee Tustin, CA Robert Litton Fort Worth, TX
Vickie & Todd Lonker Cary, NC
Glynn LoPresti Ashburn, VA
Philip Louer Riner, VA
Myrtle Beach Hokie Club Myrtle Beach, SC
E.A. Overstreet, III Bedford, VA
Bill Pafford Damascus, VA
Jim & Gail Patterson Christiansburg, VA
Barry Pearson Virginia Beach, VA
Frank Pleva Mathews, VA
Bryan & Dina Purcell Washington, DC
Charles Renner, Jr. Bowie, MD
Lisa Stewart Danville, VA
Paul Torgersen Blacksburg, VA
Glenn VanLandingham Ashburn, VA
Mark Wales Bay City, TX
Justin Yalung Christiansburg, VA

We are pleased to welcome these new members into the Hokie Club. We are also excited that so many of our existing Hokie Club members have upgraded their memberships. Annual Fund donations are key to our success and we would like to thank these members for their support of Virginia Tech athletics!


Lu Merritt | Senior Director of Development for Intercollegiate athletics