Cavalier Corner

October 2021

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6 CAVALIER CORNER cavalier sports A ttending Virginia was a no-brainer for Wally Andrew. His father played football at UVA in the 1940s with legends like Bill Dud- ley. Andrew started going to games as a child, and the first he witnessed was a win over Duke, followed by a 28-game losing streak. That unfortunate record for losing streaks is now held by another school. However, he saw the first win after the long skid and knew UVA was where he wanted to go. During his college career (1967-71), Andrew was a student-athlete, participating on the track and cross-country teams where he ran the mile and 800 meters. The track student-athletes ran on old Lambeth Field on a cinder track at that time. Andrew was part of the first team to cross Emmet Street and run on a new synthetic Tartan Track at Lannigan Field in its current location. Their cross country course spanned what is now Klöckner Sta- dium, the School of Law and Darden School of Business, and finished back at University Hall. At the time, the cross country team was better known for its high GPA than its per- formance. The squad placed third in the ACC meet in his third year against scholarship- laden schools. Andrew looked up to head coach Lou Onesty and thought he was a wonderful guy. Upon finishing college in 1971, Andrew entered the School of Medicine and gradu- ated in 1975. He met his wife, Kathy, who graduated from the School of Education and Human Development, in 1972, during his first year of medical school while she was an undergraduate. She then taught for a few years before returning to get her mas- ter's degree in guidance and counseling. They both completed graduate school at the same time and immediately got married. Andrew was accepted in the orthopedic residency program at Columbia in New York. They had a wonderful experience despite the big-city adjustments. While in New York, the Andrews were able to slip away in 1976 to attend the ACC Men's Basketball Tourna- ment win in Landover, Md. They returned to Charlottesville for An- drew's fellowship at UVA in hand surgery and sports medicine under Frank McCue, the longtime team doctor who was af- fectionately known as Doc. Andrew had a wonderful year with Doc and felt fortunate that his two former mentors, Lou Onesty and Doc McCue, were both incredible teachers and both had buildings named after them — Onesty Hall and McCue Center. Following his fellowship, Andrew joined Raleigh Orthopaedic Clinic, beginning a 35-year career. Specializing in hand surgery and sports, he served as one of the team orthopedists for NC State University. He recalled an interesting situation he expe- rienced when NC State played Virginia, as he cheered on the outside for the Wolfpack but cheered hard on the inside for Virginia while sitting on the NC State basketball bench. For Andrew, who retired in 2016, Raleigh has been a good city in which to live and raise a family. The Andrews have two children who also attended UVA and married fellow Hoos. Their daughter Ashley was a 2000 graduate who studied sports medicine and worked under mentor Joe Gieck. Ashley's husband, William Silverman, is a 2002 UVA gradu- ate. The Andrews' son Douglas and his wife, Katherine Gibson, are also UVA alumni and graduated in 2002. Both families have three children, and the Andrews feel thankful that they are all in Raleigh as well. He and Kathy are working hard to direct their six grand- children to Charlottesville to continue the family traditions. Over the years, Andrew has stayed con- nected with UVA, serving a nine-year term on the board of the UVA Medical Alumni As- sociation, including one year as president. He really enjoyed working with Barry Collins, executive director of the association and UVA Medical School Foundation, and asso- ciate dean for medical alumni affairs. One of Andrew's favorite memories — and what he considered a high point during his time at UVA — was the annual white coat ceremony for incoming first-year medical students. During the ceremony, each stu- dent is presented with a white coat to wear through their career. As medical alumni president, he spoke at that ceremony with the overall message being "the white coat is what makes you cooler than the law school and business school students." Over the years, the Andrews have also participated in Cavalier Travels packages such as an Ireland golf trip with Barry Parkhill and Kevin Conley, and South Africa trip with Kevin Conley. They have loved their experiences and are due for a postponed Northern Ireland trip in 2022. There are many wonderful memories at- tending UVA games, but men's basketball tournament wins are among the favorites. The Andrews have attended the 1976 win in Landover, Md.; the 2014 win in Greensboro, N.C.; the 2018 win in Brooklyn, N.Y.; and the 2019 NCAA championship in Minne- apolis. Andrew places the 2019 NCAA win as the ultimate highlight considering the number of years he felt part of the ups and downs of Virginia athletics. "I give Barry Parkhill 100 percent credit for single-handedly bringing basketball at UVA to respectability and beyond," he said. He and Barry were fraternity brothers at UVA and have remained close friends. Supporting the Virginia Athletics Foun- dation and UVA Medical Association with financial gifts has been a natural decision for the Andrews, after their entire fam- ily received so many positive experiences from UVA. He felt good about his time as a student-athlete and later with the medical association board, and feels lucky to be able to help continue the UVA legacy. "It is amazing to me the quality of the students that continue to be attracted," An- drew said. "I love seeing the direction we are headed, the profiles of the incoming classes and amazingly talented people attending UVA each year. I am certain it will continue." — Jess Armistead wahoo nation Wally Andrew Wally Andrew and his wife, Kathy, met at UVA and were mar- ried immediately after they finished graduate school. (Photo courtesy Andrew family)

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