2018 Hall of Fame Honoree: Andrea Kagie, Cherishing Memories
2/5/2018 12:17:00 PM | General, Women's Basketball, History, Special Events, Provident Credit Union Dons Honor Club
Our third in a series honoring our 2018 Hall of Fame following the release of Jessica Potter, today we would like to highlight women's basketball player Andrea Kagie, '97. Formal induction ceremonies are scheduled for Friday, Feb. 23 at the Father Hubert "Hub" Flynn Hall of Fame Dinner in the McLaren Center on the USF campus. The festivities will begin with a reception at 6:30 p.m., followed by the dinner program at 7:30 p.m. The inductees will also be honored at halftime of the USF-San Diego basketball game on Feb. 24.
When it comes to specific moments, former University of San Francisco women's basketball player Andrea Kagie has a hard time remembering them. There are so many people who will remember a time in high school or college, but Kagie won't remember unless reminded; what she reminisces in are the feelings and emotions of it all.
There is one moment however that Kagie will always remember. A moment that came to be known as "the shot heard around the Bay." Kagie and her team were playing against Portland at War Memorial at the Sobrato Center in the last regular-season home game. With only seconds left in the game, the Dons were down by two points.
"We fouled them, they shot and missed two free throws in a row, we got the rebound, we passed it down the court to Brittany [Lindhe], she shot a three-pointer to tie it at the buzzer," Kagie said. "That time out — that time from when the clock ran out to the start of the overtime period — the gym was electric. We had a ton of fans there and they were going crazy, and that stood out to me the most in that game."
Almost 23 years after that game, Kagie joins Lindhe, as well as fellow teammates Renee Demirdjian, Valerie Gillon and Jamie Shadian, in the Dons Hall of Fame. They made up the core group of players that had been together since their freshman year.
Freshman year was an eye-opener for Kagie, both in school and athletics. When Kagie first came to USF, she said her time was pretty much spent playing basketball, going to class, and studying in between.
"I was a little bit of a nerd so I don't any crazy stories of going out and doing anything like that," Kagie said. "I was a chemistry and math major so basically I had to get up early often for my labs because we practiced during the other times of the days so it was my only option. It was basically labs, class, sleep, practice and study. My life wasn't exciting, but it worked for me."
It wasn't difficult for her to be dedicated to both school and basketball because those were her two main focuses. Although it was easy for Kagie, being a student-athlete wasn't as easy-going as one might think.
Sacrifices had to be made at times for Kagie. There were times she wanted to go out with her friends, but had a test to study for or homework to do so she had to miss out on going out. Sacrifices were also made in school, but Kagie said the teachers she had made sure she was well accommodated.
"All of the teachers were great though because if we went on a trip when we had a test, they would send the test with our coaches so we could take the test on the trip if we needed to or we could make it up when we got back," Kagie said. "I also had friends to study with so when you have a support group like that, it isn't too hard."
As Kagie adjusted to school work in college, her and her other freshmen teammates had to do the same on the court — freshman year wasn't the best. According to Kagie, she thinks sort of a wake up call for her and her team, a way to say that wasn't how they wanted the year to go so they can make the next year better. And that's exactly what they did.
The Dons were a small team then — both in terms of physical size and numbers — but it was a different attitude from freshman to sophomore year for Kagie, and it was a chemistry fit for her team. Kagie feels her and her team were fortunate to have those who stayed with the program, as well as those who joined, because they all had the same focus. They knew what they wanted from basketball and how to get it.
After college, Kagie continued in both her athletics and academic career, starting first with basketball. When Kagie graduated from USF, she went on the play professional basketball in Denmark, Israel, Norway, Guatemala and England for eight years. As her professional basketball career came to an end, Kagie decided she wanted to go back to school and get her graduate degree.
"I got my chemical engineering degree at the University of Arizona in 2007, but I actually got a job in civil engineering in the water and wastewater industry," Kagie said. "Basically I design, upgrade or troubleshoot water and wastewater treatment plants as well as distribution systems."
With all the hard work Kagie had put in, on and off the court, she can't wait to join her teammates — and her closest friends — in the Hall of Fame.
The rich and storied tradition of USF Athletics will come alive on Friday, February 23 with the formal induction ceremonies at the Father Hubert "Hub" Flynn Hall of Fame Dinner at the McLaren Center on the USF Campus. The festivities will begin with a reception at 6:30 p.m., followed by the dinner program at 7:30 p.m. The inductees will also be honored at halftime of the USF-San Diego basketball game on Feb. 24
USF's Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2018, which will comprise the 44th group of inductees, includes Hans Friessen '72(men's soccer), Stefan Gartrell '06 (baseball), Andrea Kagie '97 (women's basketball), Jessica Potter '08 (women's golf), Huey Thomas '65 (men's basketball), and Fr. Joe Eagan, who will be inducted in the special service category.
With the inclusion of the new members, USF's Athletic Hall of Fame now includes 272 individuals and 21 teams.
Individual reservations for the Father Hubert "Hub" Flynn Hall of Fame Dinner are priced at $75 while a table of 10 may be purchased for $725.
When it comes to specific moments, former University of San Francisco women's basketball player Andrea Kagie has a hard time remembering them. There are so many people who will remember a time in high school or college, but Kagie won't remember unless reminded; what she reminisces in are the feelings and emotions of it all.
There is one moment however that Kagie will always remember. A moment that came to be known as "the shot heard around the Bay." Kagie and her team were playing against Portland at War Memorial at the Sobrato Center in the last regular-season home game. With only seconds left in the game, the Dons were down by two points.
"We fouled them, they shot and missed two free throws in a row, we got the rebound, we passed it down the court to Brittany [Lindhe], she shot a three-pointer to tie it at the buzzer," Kagie said. "That time out — that time from when the clock ran out to the start of the overtime period — the gym was electric. We had a ton of fans there and they were going crazy, and that stood out to me the most in that game."
Almost 23 years after that game, Kagie joins Lindhe, as well as fellow teammates Renee Demirdjian, Valerie Gillon and Jamie Shadian, in the Dons Hall of Fame. They made up the core group of players that had been together since their freshman year.
Freshman year was an eye-opener for Kagie, both in school and athletics. When Kagie first came to USF, she said her time was pretty much spent playing basketball, going to class, and studying in between.
"I was a little bit of a nerd so I don't any crazy stories of going out and doing anything like that," Kagie said. "I was a chemistry and math major so basically I had to get up early often for my labs because we practiced during the other times of the days so it was my only option. It was basically labs, class, sleep, practice and study. My life wasn't exciting, but it worked for me."
It wasn't difficult for her to be dedicated to both school and basketball because those were her two main focuses. Although it was easy for Kagie, being a student-athlete wasn't as easy-going as one might think.
Sacrifices had to be made at times for Kagie. There were times she wanted to go out with her friends, but had a test to study for or homework to do so she had to miss out on going out. Sacrifices were also made in school, but Kagie said the teachers she had made sure she was well accommodated.
"All of the teachers were great though because if we went on a trip when we had a test, they would send the test with our coaches so we could take the test on the trip if we needed to or we could make it up when we got back," Kagie said. "I also had friends to study with so when you have a support group like that, it isn't too hard."
As Kagie adjusted to school work in college, her and her other freshmen teammates had to do the same on the court — freshman year wasn't the best. According to Kagie, she thinks sort of a wake up call for her and her team, a way to say that wasn't how they wanted the year to go so they can make the next year better. And that's exactly what they did.
The Dons were a small team then — both in terms of physical size and numbers — but it was a different attitude from freshman to sophomore year for Kagie, and it was a chemistry fit for her team. Kagie feels her and her team were fortunate to have those who stayed with the program, as well as those who joined, because they all had the same focus. They knew what they wanted from basketball and how to get it.
After college, Kagie continued in both her athletics and academic career, starting first with basketball. When Kagie graduated from USF, she went on the play professional basketball in Denmark, Israel, Norway, Guatemala and England for eight years. As her professional basketball career came to an end, Kagie decided she wanted to go back to school and get her graduate degree.
"I got my chemical engineering degree at the University of Arizona in 2007, but I actually got a job in civil engineering in the water and wastewater industry," Kagie said. "Basically I design, upgrade or troubleshoot water and wastewater treatment plants as well as distribution systems."
With all the hard work Kagie had put in, on and off the court, she can't wait to join her teammates — and her closest friends — in the Hall of Fame.
The rich and storied tradition of USF Athletics will come alive on Friday, February 23 with the formal induction ceremonies at the Father Hubert "Hub" Flynn Hall of Fame Dinner at the McLaren Center on the USF Campus. The festivities will begin with a reception at 6:30 p.m., followed by the dinner program at 7:30 p.m. The inductees will also be honored at halftime of the USF-San Diego basketball game on Feb. 24
USF's Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2018, which will comprise the 44th group of inductees, includes Hans Friessen '72(men's soccer), Stefan Gartrell '06 (baseball), Andrea Kagie '97 (women's basketball), Jessica Potter '08 (women's golf), Huey Thomas '65 (men's basketball), and Fr. Joe Eagan, who will be inducted in the special service category.
With the inclusion of the new members, USF's Athletic Hall of Fame now includes 272 individuals and 21 teams.
Individual reservations for the Father Hubert "Hub" Flynn Hall of Fame Dinner are priced at $75 while a table of 10 may be purchased for $725.
The Athletic Department has announced the formation of an athletic alumni association whose mission will be to engage and connect former students across different sports, generations and geographical areas in an attempt to build and foster an on-going association with USF Athletics.
All former students who have competed for a minimum of one year in an intercollegiate sport are eligible, as are team managers and spirit squad members who compiled at least three years of service as an undergraduate
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