Inside HOKIE SPORTS | Vol. 11 No. 4 | March 2019

34 Inside Hokie Sports MONOGRAM CLUB: NAME & HISTORY Collegiate sports at Virginia Tech were initiated in 1892 at what is today Virginia Tech. In 1913-14 under direction of newly appointed President Joseph Eggleston, the “Monogram Club was formed, consisting of all students winning their letters in any form of athletics.” Thereby, the Monogram Club has been a part of the university for more than 105 years, whether in the form of an on-campus club for letter- winning student-athletes, or as the current club of letter-winning, student-athlete alumni. Why is the club called the “ MONOGRAM ” Club? One can speculate that, whether it was a VP, VPI, or one of two Virginia Tech logos, the “letter” awarded for athletics achievements containe d more than one actual letter of the alphabet. With a “monogr am” being a combination of two or more letters to form on e symbol, it is not unreasonable to provide this as a reason for the name Monogram Club. The Monogram Club is an organization of letterwinners in 22 NCAA sports at Virginia Tech and includes numerous key team support groups within athletics. The club honors first-time letterwinners with a Legacy Letter Jacket Ceremony twice annually and seeks to recognize all current and past letterwinners on its website. If you were a letterwinner in any current or past collegiate sport, come join in with club member s and celebrate with colleagues in all sports. NEW MONOGRAM CLUB STAFF Mr. Oscar Esquivel Jr. (Class of 2018; B.S. in human development) joined Virginia Tech Athletics as Monogram Club program assistant this spring. His activities as an undergraduate at Virginia Tech included the Corps of Cadets (freshman year); undergraduate teaching assistant in human development (sophomore); football operations/recruiting student assistant (summer of 2016); undergraduate student coaching assistant (senior year); and peer mentor in Student-Athlete Academic Support Services (senior year). Esquivel is the first native-born American in his family, originally from Somers, New York, and is the son of Oscar and Alix. He has a brother Michael (Virginia Tech junior in building construction) and a sister, Rachel (10). Esquivel said: “Virginia Tech was always my dream school. Every Saturday, I would be glued to the television to watch Virginia Tech football, thanks in part to Coach Frank Beamer. I wanted to play college football for the Hokies and play in Lane Stadium. Things did not work out in my favor on the field, but I still made it to Blacksburg, Virginia. Being from New York, I never visited Virginia Tech once growing up.My first time on campuswas during freshman orientation. When my family and I drove down Southgate Drive, I had a small tear in my eye, as I saw Lane Stadium for the first time. I knew this was home from that moment on. Never would I have guessed growing up that I would be on the same sidelines that Coach Beamer and other Virginia Tech football idols once stood on. Now to imagine I’d have an office in Lane Stadium in the future would be unfathomable, and yet here we are. It has come full circle, and I am living a dream that I hope never ends. I have the opportunity to be a part of the Virginia Tech Athletics Department and work with amazing people every day. When we say, ‘This is Home,’ we mean it. I’m blessed to be back! I may not have earned a letter or earned the jacket, but I knowwhat Virginia Tech Athletics means to student-athletes, former players, and to those who support our student-athletes and programs. I will do whatever in my power and ability to help the Monogram Club and Virginia Tech grow and be the best it can be day in and day out.” SPORT UPDATES SOFTBALL: The Virginia Tech softball team launched the 2019 season in style. During the week of the first tournament, five alumni of the program each recorded a voice message that was sent to the current team leading up to the first game of the season to show support. These surprise messages came from Kylie McGoldrick (Class of 2015), Megan Evans Schumeyer (Class of 2005, Virginia TechHall of Famer), Michelle Meadows (Class of 2000, Virginia Tech Hall of Famer), Crystal Beach (Class 2006) and Jennifer McKibben (Class of 1998). Each morning, the ladies on the team received a new message from a different alum, and the Hokies’ softball family grew a little closer, making a conn ection to those who wore the jerseys before them. Bea ch was Kelsey Bennett’s teacher in high school a nd having a shout-out message from someone who shared her jersey was a special moment for both. The team reported Jan. 12, and being able to utilize the new Softball Performance Center with a week of two-a-days before school started has paid dividends. The team is off to a hot start. After the first week of play, the team racked up honors—Virginia Tech Athlete of the Week (Keely Rochard), ACC Co-Pitcher of the Week (Rochard), A CC Player of the Week and National Player of the Wee k (Caitlyn Nolan). Hopefully, the trend continues. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the 1999 team that went undefeated at home and the program’s 24th season overall. Next spring will be a big celebration of 25 years of memories, wins, and softball family. TRACK & FIELD/CROSS COUNTRY: The track and field and cross country programs have exciting things going on, both for the current programs and also alumni. Recent renovations to Rector Field House make it one of the premier indoor track facilities in the country, and the programs played host to the ACC Indoor Championships on Feb. 21-23. The field house includes a new throws area, a re-surfaced track, and numerous additions that make it a top-notch track and field venue. RECENT T&F/XC REUNIONS: This past September, the cross country program held its annual Alumni Meet with approximately 35 alumni attending, most of whom ran the alumni race. A post-meet dinner was held in the new throws area of Rector, which provided the perfect setting for past and current student-athletes to mingle and fellowship. On Jan. 18-19, the program held its annual track and field reunion in conjunction with the Hokie Invitational meet. The weekend provided the opportunity for about 60 alumni to return, enjoy time reuniting with old teammates and enjoy watching an indoor meet at Rector. The highlight of the weekend was the alumni 4x400-meter relay. The Virginia Tech track and field programs work closely with the Monogram Club to help provide great opportunities to return to campus, reunite with teammates, and engage with the current programs. To get the latest news and information on track and field alumni events, contact Brian Walter (bwalter@vt.edu ). MONOGRAM CLUB HOKIES IN THE NEWS—VOLLEYBALL Volleyball letterwinner Joy Horner Kauffman (Class of 1993) is making a difference. Kauffman was a member of the 1989-91 volleyball teams and graduated magna cum laude with a B.S. in human nutrition & foods (international nutrition) in 1992. She was in ODK, Mortar Board National Honor Society and Phi Sigma Biological Sciences Honor Society. After years of working to make the lives of people healthier in the U.S., she expanded her talents into the international sphere. She is the founder and president of FARM STEW International. This nonprofit’s