Inside HOKIE SPORTS | Vol. 12 No. 5 | May 2020

28 Inside Hokie Sports Kitty Newton Photo KitKatNewt1@gmail.com “The Farmhouse... Eating Great Food here for over 30 Years.” – Coach Frank Beamer thefarmhousechristiansburg.com 285 Ridinger Street, Christiansburg, VA 24073 • (540) 251-7600 Prime Rib • Steaks • Seafood • Outdoor Courtyard • Private Dining • Weekend Brunch Virginia Tech women’s golfer Sarah Spicer and men’s track and field athlete Bashir Mosavel-Lo took home the top honor recognized by the Virginia Tech Athletics Department when both were announced as winners of the 2020 Skelton Award for Academic Excellence in Athletics in late March. Their academic successes, along with their successes on the field and in the community, led to both receiving the award. The Skelton Award is named after Dr. Bill and Peggy Skelton. The late Dr. Skelton served in the Corps of Cadets and graduated from Virginia Tech in 1940. He later worked as a dean of the Virginia Cooperative Extension division at Tech. The late Peggy Skelton was a faculty member and director of the Cooperative Extension Family Resource Program in the College of Home Economics at Virginia Tech. Both were charter members of the Ut Prosim Society and its President’s Circle and combined for more than 100 years of support to the university in various capacities. The award goes each year to a rising junior, senior or fifth-year male and female student-athlete who has participated in intercollegiate athletics for at least two seasons at Tech and who holds an overall grade-point average of 3.40 or better. Each recipient receives a scholarship of $5,000. “Our father and Peggy Skelton grew up on rural farms, learning early the value of solid work efforts, high ethical standards, a sense of community, and service to others,” John Skelton and Jean Skelton said in a combined statement. “They appreciated the opportunities that came their way in life and at Virginia Tech and wished to ‘pay it forward.’ It was their hope, as is ours, that the Skelton Award will recognize the diligent work, efforts, and commitment of our Hokie Spicer, Mosavel-Lo named recipients of 2020 Skelton Award for Academic Excellence in Athletics student-athletes and will inspire them to carry forward the spirit of our university’s motto, Ut Prosim [‘That I May Serve’].” Spicer, a redshirt junior fromBahama, North Carolina, has competed in 15 rounds for the Hokies during her career, with a career average of 77. She currently is pursuing a degree in economics, with a minor in statistics. “In my time in Blacksburg, I have encountered so many Hokies that are dedicated in their pursuits and truly embrace the spirit of Ut Prosim,” she said. “Dr. and Mrs. Skelton were two clear examples of Hokies devoted to helping and supporting the community, so receiving an award in their honor is truly one of the greatest distinctions I could imagine being given. “I am incredibly appreciative of being chosen as this year’s recipient, and I want to continue giving back and supporting others, as the Skeltons and so many other Hokies have done. I will always cherish this award, and I hope that my future actions will make the Skelton family and the entire Hokie community proud.” Mosavel-Lo, a junior from Richmond, Virginia, was the ACC champion in the 800-meter run at the 2019 ACC Outdoor Track and Field Championships, and he went on to earn second-team All- America honors in the event. He was slated to compete on the men’s distance medley relay team at this year’s NCAA Indoor Championships before the NCAA cancelled all spring and winter sports championships because of the effects of the coronavirus. Mosavel-Lo is pursuing a degree in industrial and systems engineering. “It means so much to me to receive this award,” he said. “The start to 2020 has been a difficult time for everyone, and now more than ever, we should come together as a community. Receiving this award only reinforces my desire to bring people closer together and be a leader wherever I may go.” Virginia Tech Athletics cancelled its AD Honors Celebration in light of the worldwide pandemic, but still honored numerous student- athletes for their work in the classroom and in competition. For a complete list of honorees, please check out the following website: vthoki.es/2020Skelton. by Jimmy Robertson