28 Inside Hokie Sports WOMEN’S GOLF Attention Women’s Golf Alumni! Mark your calendars for a weekend reunion in Blacksburg the weekend of the home football game vs. NC State on November 18, 2023. Please join us for a scramble golf tournament, cocktail party, and tailgate. Official invites to follow. Please email Women’s Golf Representative, Whitney Herr – ’17 (whits1@vt.edu), for more details. SOFTBALL Softball Director, Whitney Showalter – ’10 (whitd@vt.edu) recently completed a Q&A session with Kylie McGoldrick Casey – ’15. Kylie was a four-year monogram-winner in softball in 2012-15, followed by being a volunteer coach and then working with the Athletic Foundation and assisting the Monogram Club. Q: Where has life taken you since graduating from Virginia Tech? Kylie McGoldrick Casey (KMC): Upon graduation, I was lucky enough to start my career working for the Hokies! I spent a short period of time volunteering with the softball team, and then started working with the Virginia Tech Athletic Fund. As much as I loved working for the Hokies, I missed my family and headed back to my hometown. This is when my career in medical device sales started. I still work in the industry today, but in a new role as a sales recruiter. More importantly when I moved home, I met my husband, Ryan Casey. We are blessed with a beautiful daughter, Kinley — our own little Hokie. She will turn one this May and be making her first trip to Blacksburg in the near future! Q: What was your most memorable moment at Virginia Tech? (KMC): There are too many to count! But there was one week many of us will always remember. It was our Spring Break trip in 2013 and we finished the week with wins over #9 UCLA, #14 Michigan, and #19 Arizona! It was a great week to be a Hokie! Q: What was the ah-ha moment that made you want to become a Hokie? (KMC): My first visit to Virginia Tech’s campus! My Dad and I were making our rounds that week. We went to UNC, the University of Tennessee, and then Virginia Tech. As the sun was about to set, we arrived at Virginia Tech and drove around the entire campus. The views were incredible. It felt like home. The next morning, we met up with the coaches and the team. It felt like family. My decision was made. Virginia Tech is where I would call home. Q: What does being a Hokie mean to you? (KMC): I am incredibly thankful to be a Hokie. It was and still is an honor to represent Virginia Tech. It all starts with the people. Teammates, coaches, the athletic department, our incredible donors, other fellow Hokies… they are all family! I love the tough mentality of being Hokie Strong and Virginia Tech provides an amazing education. Lastly, Hokies live out our core values. The Pylons are a special place, and it is important to me to embody our core values in all aspects of my life. Q: What is your favorite part about watching your team compete now? (KMC): I love following this team! They have energy, character, leadership, and confidence. They embrace the high-pressure moments. It’s exciting to watch a program continue to get better and better each year. Virginia Tech Softball will continue to dominate the diamond. FOOTBALL No question, the 2022 college football season left a little to be desired for all of Hokie Nation. However, one can’t help but feel a renewed sense of optimism after Coach Pry and staff had a great run on the recruiting trail. Looking at the commitments they have gotten, there is no questioning the staff’s focus on the state of Virginia and the Atlantic coast region. That coupled with their enthusiasm and what Hokie Nation brings to the table, we are seeing some old recipes resurface. Now it is time to get these young men in and let them put in the work! It has been said that “There is strength in numbers”. Although we are not sure exactly who to credit for that statement, we have seen this principle play out throughout history. The Virginia Tech Football Alumni are no different. We are making a push to build our database of football alumni. We currently have contact information for almost 400 football alumni. We have a target of 750! If you or your teammates haven’t updated your info, please let Chad Beasley – ’02 know (beasleychad@yahoo.com). As a part of the group, you will be updated on all the events scheduled for football alumni as well as any regional events being hosted by alumni around the country. We will be sending information out regarding events specifically for 2023. BASEBALL Former Virginia Tech outfielder and All-American, three-time allconference player and Virginia Tech Hall of Famer Matt Griswold – ’99 (matt@profish.com) played for the Hokies from 1996 through 1999 before signing a professional contract with the Baltimore Orioles. Club Baseball Director, Chip Runyon – ’02 (chip.runyon@beaconharborwealth.com), caught up with Matt about his Virginia Tech baseball experience and where life has taken him. Q: You had a successful prep career in Severna Park, Maryland. What about Virginia Tech made you want to leave your home state and play for the Hokies? Matt Griswold (MG): Well, having spent a large portion of my young life at family property along the Virginia coast near Chincoteague, I always considered myself at least “part” Virginian. I love the state, and combined with the great athletic program, the people of Southwest Virginia, the local scenery and area outdoor opportunities, it was a no-brainer for me choosing Tech. Q: After having an accomplished collegiate career, you signed with your “hometown” team the Baltimore Orioles. How big of a thrill was it to be a part of that organization and how was your professional baseball experience? (MG): Well, I literally prayed for it to happen pretty much every night starting at about age 6. I’ll never forget the day my dad and I went to Camden Yards to sign my contract. And although I didn’t quite make it as far as I planned on, it was still very cool to interact and practice with the heroes of my childhood like Cal Ripken and Brady Anderson. And I was happy to share the experience with friends and family. My top memory was the first game my parents were able to attend—I went 3-3 with 2 home runs, a double and 6 RBIs off the bench, after one of my teammates got hurt in the 3rd inning...they were very happy! Q: You’re now a Sales Representative for ProFish, a premier seafood company in the Washington metro area. What attracted you to the wholesale seafood industry as a career? (MG): I met one of the owners’ brothers at former college roommate Grant Noel’s wedding in about 2007. I never knew such a career existed! Seafood, the ocean, and fishing were always a huge part of my life since birth. It was a perfect fit for me. I love working with chefs and businessmen from all over the world on a daily basis, it’s a very unique group of people. Q: You were able to attend the VT 2022 Baseball Reunion Weekend last spring. What was it like to get back and see the program you were a part of with so many former teammates and coaches and, of course, show off your golf skills? (MG): Anytime you get to go to Blacksburg it’s a special event. Seeing old friends and teammates made it even better. The baseball facilities at Tech are first-class and neat to see, as is the Pete Dye River Course. It’s great watching the current team play, they give us all a huge sense of pride with all their success and having been lucky enough to spend our college careers there. Look forward to many more in the future! And I’m not gonna lie, birdying #18 in a tied-up match and taking Coach Phillips’ money felt really, really good. monogram.hokiesports.com
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