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JUNE 2022 27 Left: Cathcart capped off her field hockey career in 2006 by helping the Cavaliers advance to the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Tournament. CONTINUED SUCCESS: FIELD HOCKEY STANDOUT ELIZABETH "BIFFY" CORNELISON CATHCART Above: Cathcart stepped back from her professional career with Deloitte Corporate Restructuring Group in order to spend more time with her husband, Chris, and their three children, Charlie (7), Ann (5), and Margaret "Peetie" (6 months). (Photos courtesy Biffy Cathcart) E lizabeth "Biffy" Cornelison Cathcart (Col '06) grew up as a multi-sport athlete, playing soccer, swimming and performing ballet, but when she found field hockey, she immediately felt connected to the sport. Cathcart grew up in a military family — with her father serving as an officer in the Navy — and was raised in Virginia Beach, Va. While Cathcart was focused on ballet during her younger years, by the time she entered middle school, she decided to give soccer and field hockey both a try. "Soccer was a sport at the time that most kids started playing very young, so naturally it was more competitive at the middle school level," Cathcart recalled. "But with field hockey, I was on the same playing field as my teammates and was able to experience success in the sport." When it was time to begin to look at col- leges, the University of Virginia was already on her radar because her older sister was attending UVA and Cathcart had become familiar with Grounds. While having family at the University was an additional positive factor that Virginia offered her, the Univer- sity's prestige and reputation solidified her desire in wanting to attend one day. So when Jess Wilk, who at the time was the program's head coach, began to reach out to her, Cathcart was overjoyed. Reflecting on when she accepted her offer to join the Virginia Field Hockey team, she remembers feeling "beyond proud" as she placed a UVA sticker on the back of her car. When Cathcart arrived on Grounds, she sought to have the full UVA experience. Knowing that she wanted to enter the finance world after college, she enrolled in the College of Arts & Sciences to pursue a major in economics. Balancing school, field hockey and Greek life would be over- whelming for most, but not for Cathcart. By pouring herself into these activities, she found that she was able to get the most out of her college experience. With the introduction of head coach Mi- chele Madison ahead of the 2006 season, Cathcart decided that she was not ready to hang up her uniform just yet. Madison's arrival on Grounds was extremely positive for Cathcart because Madison pushed her harder than ever before and showed her that she had more to give. But most im- portantly, Madison brought joy back to the game for Cathcart. "Michele created such a legacy," she said, "and I feel very proud to be a part of that first season." That fall, the team would have their best season yet, making an appearance in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in Cath- cart's time at UVA, where the team beat Iowa 1-0 before falling to Wake Forest in the Elite Eight. The first ACC win in her career, defeat- ing UNC 2-1 during her last season, remains her favorite memory at UVA. During her fifth year, Cathcart was one of only two Cavaliers to start all 22 games that season and was named to the Virginia Sports Information Di- rectors Association second-team all-state. Following her last season, Cathcart moved to the Washington, D.C., area to begin her professional career in the financial industry as an analyst at Access National Bank. Later, she joined Deloitte Corporate Restructuring Group, where she remained for nine years. "Many of the skills I gained as a student-athlete directly transferred to my professional career, such as working with others to accomplish a similar goal, pursu- ing excellence and maintaining composure in stressful situations," she shared. In addition to her successful profes- sional career, Cathcart's drive and com- mitment that she learned while being a UVA student-athlete have translated to an unwavering commitment to the Washington, D.C., community. Through the Junior League of Washington, she spent several years volunteering with Horton's Kids, an organi- zation that empowers more than 500 D.C.- area youth in grades K-12 to improve their academic outcomes, develop important character traits and access healthy meals. As a result of her dedication to helping children, she was asked to be on the board of the Junior League of Washington from 2014-16. Separately, Cathcart has served as a volunteer for the Women's Leadership Committee of the Trust for the National Mall. Today, much of her volunteer work occurs at her local church and children's schools. Taking a step back from her professional career has allowed Cathcart to spend more time with her husband, Chris, and three children, Charlie, Ann, and Margaret "Peetie." Though it was not a simple deci- sion, she is extremely grateful to be able to focus on her family and has found it to be the right choice for them. "Even though I don't get back to UVA as often as I'd like, I still feel like I am a part of the athletic community in so many ways," Cathcart reflected. When looking back at her days at UVA she stated, "It was a privilege to represent UVA on the field hockey field, and I am thrilled to be able to continue to support the program through the Virginia Athletics Foundation." — Charlotte Bowen