Inside HOKIE SPORTS | Vol. 13 No. 5 | May 2021

28 Inside Hokie Sports represent Hokie Nation again! Our team is looking strong as we get closer to the postseason and all preparations are going well! For the 2021 Summer Olympic Games, Virginia Tech has multiple alumni continuing their athletic careers on the professional stage. Hanna Green (’17), training with the Oregon Track Club in Eugene, is a potential USA Olympic qualifier in the Women’s 800m. Vincent Ciatte i (’17) also trains with the Oregon Track Club and is a potential USA Olympic qualifier in the Men’s 1500m. Rachel Pocratsky (’19) trains with the DC Track Club and is a potential USA Olympic qualifier in the Women’s 800m and/or 1500m. Drew Piazza (’17) trains with Team New Balance Boston and is a potential USA Olympic qualifier in the Men’s 800m. Neil Gourley (’17) trains with former Virginia Tech Distance Coach (current Oregon Distance Coach) Ben Thomas and Neil is a potential Olympic qualifier in the Men’s 1500m for Team Great Britain. Irena Gillarova (’17) trains out of the Czech Republic and is a potential Olympic qualifier in the Women’s Javelin for Team Czech Republic. In 2020, we created a new website for Track and Field alumn i called the Hokie Track Club . This website features alumni spotlights, meet recaps, behind-the-scenes at championship meets, meet results, alumni gatherings & events and more! Please help grow our alumni community by visiting www.hokietrackclub.com ! Go Hokies! ( Katie Kennedy (’18), T&F/XC Director of Operations, katiek4@vt.edu) . SWIMMING AND DIVING The H2Okies concluded a highly successful season despite COVID. The Men’s team and Women’s team finished 11th and 21st at NCAA’s. The men’s 11th place finish was the highest finish in program history. These fine squads will be sending numerous athletes on to the European Championships (May 17-23) and U.S. Olympic Trials (June 4-7 & 13-20). Virginia Tech swimmers competing for Olympic teams from their indicated countries in the European Championships include: Reka Gyorgy , ’20 (Hungary); Antani Ivanov , ’22 (Bulgaria); & Sam Tornqvist , ’21 (Sweden). Women U.S. Olympic Trial Qualifiers include Emma Atkinson (’24), Caroline Bentz (’24), Abby Larson (’22), Sarah Shackelford (’23), Jenna Thompson (’23), Chase Travis (’24), Joelle Vereb (’21), & Ashley Worden (’23). Men U.S. Olympic Trial Qualifiers include Cobi Lopez Miro (’23), Blake Manoff (’22), Keith Myburgh (’22), AJ Pouch (’23), Ryan Vipavetz (’23) & Forest Webb (’23). The H2Okies continue to have periodic Alumni Zoom calls with the coaching staff. The most recent was April 22. Notices of these calls are sent out via emails and Facebook ( John Schmidt (’79) jschmidt01@ cebridge.net ). 2021 CLUB MEMBERSHIP MEETING On April 17th, the Monogram Club held the Annual Membership Meeting virtually with a full agenda of actions and news. Thanks to Retiring Club Officers The Virginia Tech Monogram Club Board of Directors is composed of 18 Sport Directors and 4 Officers. Three officers with significant service time recently stepped down from their positions as of the annual meeting. Angie Edwards (’92) served as Vice President since 2015 alongside two different club presidents. She is a former track & field athlete and is currently a professor of sports management/business at Concord University. From 2015 to 2021 Sharon McCloskey (’79) served as Secretary and has been instrumental in providing expert advice based on her many years of experience within the Athletic Department. Sharon earned her monogram in 1979 as a women’s basketball manager and joined the athletics staff in 1984. She retired from the Athletic Department in 2015 and was recognized by the university as Senior Associate Athletics Director Emerita. She will continue to serve the Monogram Club Board in an expanding advisory capacity. Quinton Nottingham (’89) served as both the Club’s Treasurer and Men’s Basketball Director in the period of 2015-21. “Q” played basketball for the Hokies from 1986-89; is Associate Professor of Business Information Technology at Virginia Tech; and will be looked to as a continuing conduit of information for alumni athletes in basketball. The Club thanks Angie , Quinton , and Sharon for their imminent contributions to the Club and how they have given their time and efforts to provide the framework and foundation for future success. Athletic Department News Those in virtual attendance heard from AD Whit Babcock and Senior Associate AD Brad Wurthman , both of whom referenced expanding activities as related to alumni athletes and external affairs of the department. Insights about the future of the Monogram Club included: enhanced Club branding efforts and communication; focused efforts from the Athletic Department toward club enhancement; expanded option for Club members to purchase single-game football tickets in the lower level of the South End Zone; and provision of premium parking spots in Lot 1 to host Club Tailgates at home games this season. Monogram Club Endowed Scholarship President Brian Walter (’90) announced exciting news about the Monogram Club Endowed Scholarship initiative. “For Those to Come” is an effort to establish student-athlete scholarships through an endowment provided by the club and alumni athletes. The club plans to utilize the annual spring game golf tournament and other events for fundraising efforts. Directors & Officers Elections were held for club officers and sport directors. The following officers were elected to serve 2021-23 terms: President – Brian Walter (’90); Vice President – Mike Saunders (’66); Secretary – Blair Nelson (’04) and Treasurer – Pete Dawyot (’70). In continuation of the 3-year cycle for Director elections, the following were re-elected: Baseball – Chip Runyan (’02); Golf-Women– Whitney Herr (’17); Tennis-Men– Preston Lemon (’09); Track & Field/Cross-Country– Brian Walter (’90); & Lacrosse – Kristen Longo (’05). It is also indicated that alumni-athlete candidates are being sought for Directors of Basketball- Men and Basketball-Women. Board Activities Despite pandemic-restrictions, the Board of Directors has been busy this past year, working with coaching staffs and the Athletic Department to engage our alumni with various virtual events. As we look forward, the Board is planning a full schedule for the upcoming 2021-22 athletic year, including home game tailgates, reunions, the Homecoming Tunnel Event, and many other engagement opportunities. WELCOME PETE DAWYOT–TREASURER Peter Dawyot (’70) joins the Monogram Club as Treasurer as of elections at the Annual Membership meeting (April 2021). He previously served as President in 1998 of the current Club and as Treasurer of the on-campus Club in 1969. Pete played football as a lineman for Jerry Claiborne in 1967-69. He was a team-elected Tri- Captain of the 1969 team and the winner of the Williams Award for Leadership. He graduated in 1970 with a BS (Business Admin) and minor in Finance and went on to receive an MBA at Virginia Tech in 1972. Pete currently lives in Salem, VA with his wife Sandy. They are both Golden Hokies and get to most football and basketball home games. Pete spent 20 years in trust investments at 3 major southeast banks. In 1992, Pete and 3 partners started Catawba Capital Management, a registered investment advisory firm, and Pete holds a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation. He can be reached at dawyot3@comcast.net and welcomes calls at 540-387-4256. 2021-22 MONOGRAM CLUB BOARD OF DIRECTORS Chad Beasley (’02); Pete Dawyot (’70); Carl Gellis (’65); Michelle Hall (’92); Whitney Herr (’17); Elissa Hill (’04); Charlie Howe (’06); Preston Lemon (’09); Mike Ligon (’82); Kristin Longo (’05); Blair Nelson (’04); Nolan Nichols (’14); Chip Runyan (’02); Mike Saunders (’66); John Schmidt (’79); Whitney Showalter (’10); Mary-Catherine Steigerwald (’10); & Brian Walter (’90). Continued from page 27