On Tuesday, the Virginia Tech Sports Hall of Fame announced its Class of 2021, which will induct seven new members due to their crowning efforts.
This year’s class comprises four All-Americans, two Olympians and even a Super Bowl Champion; but each one of these athletes demonstrated their abilities to the fullest during their time in Blacksburg.
The members of the Class of 2021 are: Queen Harrison-Claye, Kristi Castlin, Xavier Adibi, Jamon Gordon, Macho Harris, Jackie Davoud Hendrick, and Tyronne Drakeford.
Queen Harrison-Claye participated in the Virginia Tech Track and Field program from the 2006-10 seasons where she won three NCAA Championships. She even served as a member of the U.S. Olympic Team in the 2008 Beijing Olympics as she competed in the 400m Hurdles.
As a Hokie, she led Virginia Tech to four ACC team championships (two indoor and two outdoor) and helped the Hokies post their program-best score at the 2010 NCAA Championships; where she accounted for 20 of the 33 points.
Her legacy still has a foothold in Blacksburg as she currently holds onto six school records. The two indoor records she owns are the 60m hurdles (7.94) and 4x200-meter relay (1.36.43); while her four outdoor records are the 100-meter hurdles (12.46), 400-meter hurdles (54.55), 4x400-meter relay (3.32.05), and SHR (54.27).
On top of her accomplishments on the track, she is one of the most decorated athletes in program history. Harrison-Claye took home six All-American honors during her time in Blacksburg as well as the 2010 Bowerman Award, which is given to the most outstanding male and female track and field student-athlete on an annual basis.
Harrison-Claye won’t be the only 2006-10 member from the Virginia Tech Track and Field program to be inducted in the Class of 2021 as Kristi Castlin will also have her collegiate legacy cemented in Blacksburg.
With seven All-American honors, she stands amongst the top of all Virginia Tech athletes with the most individual All-American honors.
During her time in Blacksburg, she won three ACC Championships in hurdles, once in the 60-meter indoor event and twice in the 100-meter outdoor event. Her times in the 60-meter hurdles (8.01) and 100-meter hurdles (12.81) still rank second all-time in program history.
Since leaving Blacksburg, she has still found success on the track as a member of the U.S. Olympic Team in the 2016 Rio De Janeiro Olympics; where she took home the bronze medal in the 100-meter hurdles finals with a posted time of 12.61. To this date, Castlin is the only female Hokie to medal in the Olympics.
The Virginia Tech Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2021 will induct one of the more successful defensive football players in program history in Xavier Adibi.
While attending Virginia Tech from the 2003-07 seasons, Adibi was a member of two ACC Championship teams during the 2004 and 2007 campaign.
As a member of the 2006 All-ACC Second Team, it was somehow his first All-ACC honor, yet his efforts still went somewhat unseen as he had the second most tackles on the Hokies (82), and also had three sacks and three interceptions on the year.
Adibi saw his most productive season come in 2007 when he led all Hokies in tackles with 115, while also recording three sacks and two interceptions. The success on the field earned him a spot on the All-ACC First Team plus an All-American honor, becoming just the second linebacker to complete that feat in program history.
Following his collegiate career at Virginia Tech, Adibi went on to be selected at the 118th overall pick by the Houston Texans in the 2008 NFL Draft. His five-year career in the league included stops at Houston (2008-10), Minnesota (2011) and Tennessee (2012).
On the topic of defense, the Virginia Tech Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2021 will also recognize one of the more talented defenders on the hardwood in Jamon Gordon.
Participating on the Virginia Tech Men’s Basketball Team from the 2003-07 seasons, he helped lead the Hokies to an appearance in the 2007 NCAA Tournament, which at the time was their first appearance in March Madness since 1996.
While helping the Hokies get a berth into the NCAA Tournament, Gordon earned the honor of being selected as the 2006-07 ACC Defensive Player of the Year and a spot on the 2006-07 All-ACC Third Team.
During his career in Blacksburg, Gordon led the team in assists during all four seasons while also leading the team in steals as a sophomore and senior, and in rebounding during his junior year.
Gordon’s 94 steals during the 2006-07 season is still the current single-season steals record at Virginia Tech.
After looking at two players who capped off their successful careers in 2007, Harris’ work on the football field in 2008 helped him round out a great career and string together some of Virginia Tech’s most successful seasons.
During his time with the program, he helped the Hokies win two ACC Championships during the 2007 and 2008 campaigns.
During his senior year in Blacksburg, Harris saw a significant progression in his game where he led all Hokies with 6 interceptions and 8 pass deflections. He also added 46 tackles during the 2008 season which helped him earn the honor of First Team All-American at the cornerback position.
The two-time All-ACC honoree currently holds the record for the most interceptions returned for touchdowns with four, while also having the third-most interceptions in program history with 15.
Following his career in Blacksburg, Harris went on to be drafted 157th overall spot by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2009 NFL Draft. In 2010, he was traded from the Eagles to the Washington Football Team and played one season there before moving onto the Canadian Football League in 2012.
As we flip on over to pool, the lone Virginia Tech Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2021 aquatics athlete in Jackie Davoud Hendrick who helped the Hokies dominate in the late 1990’s.
When VT was a member of the Atlantic 10, Davoud Hendrick was a five-time conference champion while she also took home two titles in the 1-meter event and three titles in the 3-meter event.
During her last two seasons with the program, she repeatedly performed at a high level on the board by earning the honor of the Atlantic 10’s Most Outstanding Diver.
After coming up short with second place finishes in the 1997 and 1998 Atlantic 10 Diving Championships, Davoud Hendrick and the Hokies were finally able to prevail in 1999 by taking home their first Atlantic 10 Diving title.
Davoud Hendrick exited the program with the school record in the one-meter for 11 dives (439.05 points in 1998) and three-meter for 11 dives (483.85 points in 1997). Despite her 3-meter diving record being broken after 14 years, she still holds onto the 1-meter diving record to this date.
As we take one last venture over the gridiron, the third football defensive player to be selected into the Virginia Tech Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2021 is Tyronne Drakeford.
As a member of the 1990-93 Virginia Tech Football program, Drakeford earned the honors of being selected to three All-Big East Teams, which included two First Team selections in 1992 and 1993.
As a junior in the 1992 season, Drakeford recorded seven interceptions including one of them being returned for a touchdown. That mark has Drakeford tied for third with the most interceptions hauled in during a single season in Blacksburg.
His 16 career interceptions at Virginia Tech have him placed at second all-time for the most interceptions in Blacksburg while he led all Hokies in interceptions for three consecutive seasons during the 1990-92 campaigns.
Following his playing days at Blacksburg, Drakeford went on to be selected at 64th overall spot by the San Francisco 49ers in the 1994 NFL Draft. He played with the San Francisco 49ers from the 1994-97 seasons, where he was a member of the Super Bowl XXIX winning team in 1995.
After his time in San Francisco, Drakeford went to New Orleans from 1998-99, then to Washington in 2000, before returning to San Francisco in 2001.
