Inside HOKIE SPORTS | Vol. 12 No. 4 | March 2020

inside.hokiesports.com 31 In a Friday social at the Courtyard Marriott, Tech head coach Mike Young and Ace Custis (coordinator of basketball relations) joined the group. It was nice for Coach Young to take time out of his busy schedule the night before the game to meet former Hokies from all generations. On Saturday, former players attended the basketball game against BC, and alumni were introduced to Hokie fans at halftime, as they walked onto Carilion Clinic Court at Cassell Coliseum. Former players then convened for a group photo in the auxiliary gymnasium. The auxiliary gymnasium brought back fond memories for many of the players– they usually practiced there, and the coaches kept the heater on during all practices! After the game against BC, the current members of the team and alumni had a “meet and greet” on Carilion Clinic Court. The event provided a great opportunity for past players to meet the current team, learn a bit about each of the players, and share stories. On Saturday evening, the players gathered for dinner to share more stories, memories, and jokes with much laughter. At the end of the evening, the players parted ways, with hopes of returning to campus for another gathering sooner rather than later. For more information about the program, please contact Monogram Club men’s basketball representative Quinton Nottingham (notti@vt.edu) . MEN’S GOLF First-year Virginia Tech head men’s golf coach Brian Sharp and a talented, experiencedmen’s golf team returned to tournament play in late February.TheteambeganthespringseasonattheDoradoBeachCollegiate in Puerto Rico, finishing fourth out of 15 teams in a rain-shortened event. Coach Sharp stated, “I feel like we have the talent throughout the nine- man roster. We just need to find the right combination of five starters and get them all playing well at the same time.” InadditiontotheDoradoBeachevent,theteamwillplayinfourevents in a six-week span, all in preparation for the conference tournament, which begins April 17. The newly formatted ACC Championship will have the 12 teams play a 54-hole stroke play qualifier, with the best four teams advancing to match play to determine the winner. For more information about the men’s golf program, please contact Monogram Club men’s golf representative Mike Ligon (ligonm01@verizon.net ). FOOTBALL SPRING GAME WEEKEND Football alumni will have several events on Spring Game weekend. Here is a list: • The annual Claiborne Boys dinner will be held Friday night at 6 p.m. • The football alumni will hold their annual meeting that Saturday. During this meeting, the group will be discussing the strategy for the board and a vision for the organization, as the group continues to grow. Details will follow in the coming days in regards to location and time of this meeting. 2020 ALUMNI SUMMER CAMP PRACTICE Rest easy, guys. You won’t be asked to suit up! Rather, Tech head coach Justin Fuente and staff would like to welcome back football alumni to a luncheon and summer camp practice. Historically, this has been great event to bring the family “home” to enjoy an up-close look at the team’s progress. A date and details will be sent to the group ASAP, so plans can be made for those traveling from out of town. Children will be welcome! 2020 FOOTBALL SEASON REUNIONS During the 2020 football season, past football alumni will be invited back from the following teams for their significant “celebrations,” with details to follow on all reunions: 10 Years—The 2010 Tyrod Taylor-led Hokies finished the season at 11-3 after a tough loss to Stanford in the 2011 Orange Bowl. 20 Years—On the heels of the heartbreaking national championship loss to Florida State, the 2000 Tech football team was able to regroup and capped an 11-1 season with a win against the Clemson Tigers in the 2001 Toyota Gator Bowl. 25 Years—Some would argue that the 1995 Hokies were the team that put Tech (and Hokie Nation) on the national map. With names like Druckenmiller, Still, Jennings, Thomas and Edmonds on offense; and Price, Brown, DelRicco, Semones, Yarborough, and Gray anchoring Bud Foster’s defense, this team capped a 10-2 season with a HUGE come-from-behind win versus the favored Texas Longhorns in the 1995 Nokia Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, Louisiana. 40 Years—The 1980 Bill Dooley-coached Peach Bowl team finished the season with an 8-4 record and ranked 31st in the country with Hokie greats such as Sidney Snell, Cyrus Lawrence, Tony Paige and Billy Hite. 50 Years—The 1970 team will celebrate its 50th reunion in conjunction with the annual Claiborne Boys fall reunion to welcome back the teams that played under then-coach Jerry Claiborne (1961-70). To connect with the Virginia Tech football alumni group and stay informed on all upcoming events, please contact Chad Beasley (beasleychad@yahoo.com ). MONOGRAM CLUB SPRING GAME WEEKEND As the Tech football team prepares for its upcoming Spring Game on April 18, the Monogram Club is preparing for its 2020 Spring Weekend . The weekend is comprised of many club events, all centered around the Hokies’ Spring Game. One of the events that members are most excited about this year is the Monogram Club Annual Golf Tournament , which will take place on Friday, April 17 at the Pete Dye River Course. The tournament is open to all club members, all other student-athlete alumni, and guests and they will compete in teams of four players. Part of the reason for the excitement is that, starting this year, all proceeds from the tournament fees and sponsorships will go toward the new MonogramClub Endowed Scholarship Fund . The club will grow this fund through events and donations until its value and growth are on track to be able to endow a scholarship for Virginia Tech Athletics. This is an important goal for the club, as it will allow the club to give back to Virginia Tech and support current and future student-athletes. In addition to the golf tournament, there will be many other Monogram Club events taking place during the Spring Game weekend. These include the annual membership meeting, the club luncheon, the Spring Game on-field recognition, and more. Following the Spring Game, members, all former student-athletes, athletics staff, and their families and guests will have the opportunity to enjoy food, drinks, and fellowship at the Annual Reunion Reception . The reception is sponsored by current Pittsburgh Steeler and former Hokie running back Trey Edmunds and will be attended by Tremaine and Terrell Edmunds as well. A full list of Spring Game weekend events, as well as event tickets and sign-ups, can be found by searching “2020 Spring Game Weekend” on EventBrite.com. If one has any questions about the weekend, or for other Monogram Club information, please contact Zack Treser , Monogram Club program assistant (zackt11@vt.edu ). More than 20 former men’s basketball players returned to Blacksburg for a reunion that coincided with the Hokies’ game against Boston College on Feb. 8.