2021-22 UNC Pembroke Athletics Annual Report

Braves Make Big Splash In Return To Conference Carolinas
Competing as a member of Conference Carolinas for the first time since the 1991-92 athletic season, UNC Pembroke was tops among the 13 Conference Carolinas institutions in the final NCAA Division II Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup Standings. The Black & Gold amassed 183.0 points – the fourth-highest point total in the 27-year history of the award – and settled into the No. 113 position among the more-than 300 NCAA Division II institutions. That ranking matches the fourth-highest finish for the department, as well as its highest finish in the final standings since registering a top-100 showing in the 2011-12 standings. Nine Conference Carolinas teams were included in the final Directors’ Cup Standings. North Greenville was second among league squads in the No. 140 spot.

UNCP Picks Up Joby Hawn Recognition To Highlight Banner Athletic Season
A regular season championship by the men's basketball team, as well as runner-up finishes by three other men's sports, helped the athletics department rake in the Joby Hawn Cup for men's sports for the 2021-22 athletic season. The Braves finished in second place by percentage points in the race for the overall Joby Hawn Cup, trailing Mount Olive by just 2.2 percent. The Trojans bested the runner-up Braves by 9.5 percent in the women's Hawn Cup standings. The Joby Hawn Cup is the annual all-sports award for Conference Carolinas. Hawn Cup points are awarded in each sport based on the order of regular season finish and the number of participating teams in each sport.

Men’s Basketball, Golf, Soccer Grab Conference Carolinas Titles
UNCP continued a growing tradition for itself in 2021-22 with the addition of three more conference championships to its stable. The men’s basketball team used a school record 16-game win streak to fuel an historic season, as well as a dominant run to the Conference Carolinas regular season championship, while the soccer team used an 11-win regular season to wrap up the No. 2 seed in the Conference Carolinas Tournament, and then shut out both North Greenville and Mount Olive on the way to securing its first conference crown since the 2017 season. The golf team excelled under first-year head coach Hannah Luckett, and used a 36-stroke victory at the Conference Carolinas Championship to secure its first league title since the 2014 campaign.

Nine Teams Celebrated NCAA Postseason Appearances In 2021-22
Five of UNC Pembroke’s varsity athletic teams were represented by individual competitors in the NCAA postseason, while the baseball, men’s basketball, golf and soccer teams notched team appearances on NCAA Division II’s biggest stage thanks to prolific campaigns in 2021-22. The track & field squads sent individual competitors to the NCAA Men’s Indoor, Men’s Outdoor and Women’s Outdoor Track & Field Championships, while Joshua Chepkesir gave the men’s cross country squad an NCAA appearance for the fourth-straight season. The wrestling squad continued a time-honored tradition for itself by qualifying six student-athletes for the NCAA Championships – the 21st-straight season that the Braves have attained at least one qualifier for that event.

Six Student-Athletes Claim All-America Recognition
Nick Daggett picked up all-America honors for the fifth-straight year, cross country’s Joshua Chepkesir and track & field’s Orlandus Gamble earned national laurels for the second-straight season, and baseball’s Bobby Dixon, soccer’s Anna Grossheim and track & field’s Quanterra Harrison all picked up their first career all-America nod. Daggett is the first student-athlete in department history to earn all-America nods in five consecutive seasons. Gamble logged a sixth-place finish in the Long Jump at the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships to grab his honor, while Chepkesir did the same with an eighth-place finish at the NCAA Cross Country Championships. Harrison was 11th in the 400-meter Hurdles at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, while Grossheim became just the fourth student-athlete in soccer’s program history to claim an all-America award. Dixon is baseball’s 15th all-American in the last 14 full seasons.

Five Student-Athletes Pick Up CoSIDA Academic All-District Honor
Baseball’s Branden Kunz and Wellington Guzman, softball’s Jordan Adcox and Mary Sells, and men’s basketball’s Spencer Levi, were celebrated for their combined performances in athletic competition and in the classroom when they were decorated with Academic All-District honors by the College Sports Information Directors of America during their respective 2021-22 campaigns. To be nominated, a student-athlete must be a starter or important reserve with at least a 3.3 cumulative grade point average at his or her current institution. Nominated athletes must also have participated in at least 50 percent of the team’s games.

Five Student-Athletes Capture Conference Carolinas Scholar-Athlete Of The Year Laurel
In recognition of their outstanding academic and athletic achievements, five UNCP student-athletes emerged as their respective sport’s Conference Carolinas Scholar-Athlete of the Year. The award, which is voted on by the league’s student-athlete affairs committee, is awarded to one junior or senior student-athlete in each sport who has maintained a 3.25 cumulative grade point average or better, while also being named to an all-conference squad. Joshua Chepkesir and Valarie Samoei helped UNCP sweep the cross country awards in the fall, while men’s basketball’s Spencer Levi and swimming’s Gillian Manning earned the honor in the winter season. Golf’s Georgia Page added to her impressive academic resume by securing the laurel for women’s golf in May.

Braves Combine For More Than 350 Conference Academic Honor Roll Laurels
Celebrated annually as a point of pride for the department, UNCP’s student-athletes amassed more than 350 Conference Carolinas Presidential Honor Roll laurels during the 2021-22 academic year, sending 161 to the league’s distinguished listing in the fall, and then placing 167 on the spring honor roll. The bi-annual award recognizes student-athletes who have earned a 3.20 grade-point average on a 4.00 scale following each semester. A total of 110 student-athletes were lauded in both announcements. UNCP has now sent 100 or more student-athletes to a conference academic honor roll for 13-straight years. The 2021-22 academic year marked the ninth time in the last 10 years that 150 or more student-athletes have graced a conference academic honor roll. A total of 33 football players were named to the Mountain East Conference Commissioner’s Honor Roll in the fall as well.

Conference Weekly Honors Were Bountiful For The Braves
Weekly honors from both Conference Carolinas and the Mountain East Conference proved to be plentiful for UNC Pembroke’s student-athletes again in 2021-22. UNCP’s 16 varsity athletic teams combined to rake in 52 conference weekly honors, including multiple honors by 14 squads. The swimming and volleyball programs both finished the campaign with seven weekly accolades from Conference Carolinas, while the football team was decorated with weekly laurels from MEC headquarters on four occasions. A total of 27 different student-athletes picked up at least one conference weekly honor, including eight that were honored multiple times. Cross country/track & field’s Joshua Chepkesir finished the athletic season with five, while golf’s Georgia Page, swimming’s Gillian Manning and volleyball’s Katie Pressley all picked up four conference weekly awards.

Future Is Bright As Freshmen Make Headlines For Six Squads 
Rookies were just as apt to register prolific performances as their veteran counterparts in 2021-22 as nine freshmen across eight sports combined to pick up an impressive 14 freshman of the month honors from the league office, while five student-athletes were lauded as Conference Carolinas Freshman of the Year in their respective sports. Women’s basketball’s Zaria Clark staked claim to a quartet of freshman of the month accolades before being named the league’s freshman of the year, while cross country’s Jackline Kosgei, soccer’s Anna Grossheim and volleyball’s Katie Pressley logged freshman of the year honors after tallying one freshman of the month honor. Baseball’s Ethan Ott picked up Conference Carolinas Freshman of the Year nods despite not pocketing a monthly honor.

Braves Rake In Heap Of All-Conference Honors In 2021-22
UNC Pembroke’s student-athletes combined to rake in an astounding 128 all-conference laurels in 2021-22, as well as five player of the year crowns and a quartet of freshman of the year honors. The Black & Gold had multiple All-Conference Carolinas honorees in 15 sports, including six awards in soccer, while football had nine student-athletes decorated with All-Mountain East Conference recognition. The track & field program combined to post 23 All-Conference Carolinas awards during the indoor season, and then added 31 all-league honors during the outdoor season. The baseball (5), men’s cross country (5), wrestling (5), golf (4), men’s basketball (3), women’s cross country (3), softball (3), volleyball (3) and women’s basketball (2) squads also boasted multiple all-conference honors as well.

UNCP Collects Communications Staff Of The Year Laurel
UNC Pembroke Associate Athletics Director Todd Anderson and Associate Athletic Communications Director Morgan Sheehan were crowned by their peers as the inaugural Conference Carolinas Athletic Communications Staff of the Year in late June. The duo works together to provide athletic communication services to 16 varsity sports on the UNC Pembroke campus. The athletics communications office serves as the intermediary between UNCP's 16 varsity athletic programs and the local and national media, showcasing the accomplishments of all UNCP student-athletes, coaches and administrators on the field, in the classroom and in the surrounding community. The Athletic Communications Staff of the Year was voted on by the Athletic Communications Committee in Conference Carolinas.

Student-Athletes Make Waves In The Classroom Again
UNC Pembroke’s more-than 400 student-athletes exhibited their academic prowess again in 2021-22 after combining to register a 2.847 grade point average – the fourth-highest mark in department history. Nine of UNCP’s 16 varsity athletic teams posted a 3.0 cumulative GPA or better during the Fall 2021 or Spring 2022 semester, while eight teams combined to tally a 3.0 across both semesters. A total of 209 student-athletes earned at least a 3.0 GPA during the spring semester, while 224 individuals accomplished that feat during the Fall 2021 term. Student-athletes combined to notch 177 honors list and 111 chancellor’s list laurels in 2021-22, and 22 of those honorees posted a perfect 4.0 GPA across both semesters.

Nearly 70 Student-Athletes Earn Degrees At Winter, Spring Commencements 
A total of 67 current and former student-athletes earned their bachelor's or graduate degrees during the 2021-22 academic year, including 51 that earned their degrees at the conclusion of the spring semester. The athletics department presented the graduation candidates with stoles to commemorate their time as a student-athlete for the Black & Gold. The department’s bi-annual student-athlete graduation breakfast was suspended in 2020-21 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but is expected to make its return during the 2022-23 academic year. Graduating student-athletes have been recognized on stage during each of the department’s last two annual Golden Braves programs. 

Golf Cruises To Conference Championship, NCAA Tournament Berth
Junior Georgia Page logged one of the best 54-hole performances in program history to lead the golf team to a dominant 36-stroke victory at the Conference Carolinas Championship in early April. Page was one of five Braves to finish among the top 10 at the event that earned the quintet all-tournament team laurels. The victory helped the Black & Gold rake in the league's automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament – marking the first team appearance for the program since the Black & Gold logged a ninth-place finish at the 2012 NCAA Super Region 2 event. The program has been represented in six previous NCAA Tournaments, including team appearances in 2011 and 2012.

Georgia Page Named Conference Player Of The Year, Elite 23 Award Winner
Georgia Page showcased her work ethic on the links and inside the classroom to solidify an impressive junior campaign, as the Sydney, Australia, native picked up Conference Carolinas Player of the Year honors, as well as staked claim to the league’s Elite 23 Award which is presented annually to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade point average at their respective championship site. Page maintained a team-best 76.5 stroke average in 2021-22 season and logged six top-20 finishes, including a 2-stroke win at the Conference Carolinas Championship. In the classroom, Page maintained a perfect 4.0 cumulative GPA while pursuing her master’s degree in business administration.

Men’s Basketball Captures League Crown, Makes 8th NCAA Tournament Appearance
A record 16-game win streak, including an 11-game run of success on the road, helped the men’s basketball team match a school record with 27 victories on the way to earning the program’s eighth NCAA Tournament berth. The Black & Gold posted a 27-4 record which translated into the best winning percentage (.871) in the 83-year history of the program, and wrapped up the Conference Carolinas regular season championship with a 91-72 win at Erskine in mid-February. It was the sixth conference title for the program over the last five full seasons, as well as the fourth regular season league crown across that span. It was the first Conference Carolinas championship for the club since the 1990-91 season.

Record 16-Game Win Streak Carries Men’s Basketball To Historic Season
A tough road setback to Emmanuel in late November proved to be a turning point for the men’s basketball team as the Braves responded with a program-record 16-game win streak that spanned the next 79 days. The Black & Gold shot nearly 49 percent from the field and averaged 89.4 points per game over the winning skein, and eclipsed a 55-year-old school record with their 13th-straight win at Francis Marion in late January. That result also marked the seventh-straight road win for the Black & Gold – its longest in 49 seasons. The Braves will carry a 10-game regular season road win streak into the 2022-23 campaign.

Soccer Captures League Tournament Crown, 5th NCAA Tournament Berth
The soccer team scored a pair of first-half goals to help support a dominant defensive effort, and the Braves cruised to the program’s second conference tournament crown with a convincing 3-0 win over top-seeded Mount Olive in the championship game of the Conference Carolinas Tournament in mid-November. The victory helped the Black & Gold rake in the league’s automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament – the fifth postseason appearance for the program in the last 13 seasons – while also snapping a 21-game unbeaten streak for the Trojans. Six players picked up all-conference laurels for the Braves, including Conference Carolinas Freshman of the Year Anna Grossheim who went on to collect all-America honors for the Black & Gold.

Swimming Shocks Division I Campbell To Highlight Unblemished Inaugural Home Season
The swimming team climbed to the top of the podium in 10 of the evening's 14 events and the Braves romped to the program's first victory over an NCAA Division I opponent with a 132-130 win over Campbell in the home debut for the program in late September. The victory over the Camels marked the first of three home wins for the Braves who competed in front of sellout, and often boisterous, crowds all season. The Braves cruised to a 139-point victory over Converse in early December, and capped their inaugural home campaign with a convincing 150-112 triumph over visiting Roanoke in mid-January.

Devin Jones, Akia Pruitt Earn Invitations To Professional Camps
Two former student-athletes moved one step closer to their professional dreams over the course of the 2021-22 athletic season. Akia Pruitt, who logged 1,613 points and 1,011 rebounds for the men’s basketball team from 2016-20, was named to the training camp roster for Raptors 905, the NBA G League affiliate of the Toronto Raptors, in late October. Devin Jones, a defensive back and return specialist for the Black & Gold from 2017-21, earned an invitation to rookie minicamp with the National Football League's Carolina Panthers in mid-May. Jones is the football program's all-time leader in kick return yards (2,121), kick returns (93) and kick return touchdowns (4).

Chepkesir Nabs All-American Status At NCAA Cross Country Championships
Three-time national qualifier Joshua Chepkesir became just the second two-time all-American in the NCAA Division II era of the UNCP cross country program when he covered the 10K course at Abbey Golf Course in Tampa, Fla., in just less than 31 minutes on the way to an eighth-place finish. The junior from Eldoret, Kenya, joined Rio Olympian Pardon Ndhlovu as the only two-time all-Americans for the Braves since transitioning to NCAA Division II status prior to the 1992-93 campaign. Chepkesir’s finish was the highest for a Conference Carolinas student-athlete in more than a decade. Chepkesir claimed his first all-America honors with an eighth-place finish at the 2019 NCAA Championships as well.

Outdoor Track & Field Squads Register Runner-Up Finishes At Conference Championships
Joshua Chepkesir out-paced the rest of the field in a pair of distance events and finished second in one other, while Quanterra Harrison was tops in the 100-meter Hurdles, as both the men’s and women’s outdoor track & field teams registered a runner-up finish at the Conference Carolinas Outdoor Track & Field Championships in late April. The squads combined to tally 22 top-3 finishes at the two-day event, while also bringing home a pair of relay titles as well. The men’s 4x100-meter Relay team out-paced the rest of the field by 0.18 seconds, while the men’s 4x400-meter Relay squad was more than a second faster than the rest of the field in that event.

Track & Field Sends Representatives To NCAA Indoor, Outdoor Championships
The track & field squads were represented at both the NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field Championships during the 2022 season. It was déjà vu for Orlandus Gamble who returned to the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships and brought home an all-American award for the second-straight year, this time finishing sixth in the High Jump at the event. Joshua Chepkesir and Quanterra Harrison represented the Braves at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, and Harrison brought home another all-America accolade for the Black & Gold after finishing 11th in the 400-meter Hurdles. It was the first all-America honor in the 28-year history of the women’s program.

Volleyball Posts Historic Season Under First-Year Head Coach Carly Wehling
The volleyball team flourished under the leadership of first-year head coach Carly Wehling in 2021. The Braves posted a program record 12 victories at home, and used an eight-match win streak in September to fuel a 23-11 record. The 23 victories marked the most for the club since a magical 1994 campaign, while its 13 wins against Conference Carolinas foes established a new program superlative as well. UNCP ranked among the league’s top two teams in four statistical categories, and advanced to the conference tournament semifinal round for the second-straight season. The eight-match run of success in September was the longest winning skein for the program since the 1994 season as well.

Lock-Down Defense Propels Women’s Basketball To Breakthrough Season
The women’s basketball team showcased the nation’s fourth-best field goal percentage defense on the way to registering a memorable 2021-22 campaign. A 5-game win streak in February, coupled with an impressive 11 wins at home, keyed the Black & Gold to its most overall victories since the 1991-92 campaign, while its 17-7 mark against Conference Carolinas foes marked the best conference record in the 48-year history of the program. The Black & Gold limited opponents to just 56.4 points per game along the way, which ranked 16th among the more than 300 NCAA Division II squads. The club also matched a 17-year-old school record with its home win total.

Opening Day No-Hitter Sparks Another 30-Win Season For Baseball
A combined no-hitter on opening day – the first no-no for the Braves in 13 years – set the stage for a 38-win season for the baseball team that culminated with the program’s fifth trip to the NCAA postseason. Newcomer Trystan Kimmel and closer Darren Bowen combined to deliver the no-hitter at USC Aiken and spark the Black & Gold on a run that gave it its 15th 30-win campaign in the last 17 full seasons. UNCP posted 23 league wins and a runner-up finish to conclude its first season as a member of Conference Carolinas, and sent five players to all-conference accolades, including senior Bobby Dixon who was eventually lauded with all-America laurels from the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA).

Bowen Selected In 13th Round Of MLB Draft By Seattle Mariners
Darren Bowen joined an elite list of current and former UNC Pembroke baseball players in July when the St. Pauls native was selected in the 13th round (396th pick) of the 2022 Major League Baseball (MLB) First-Year Player Draft by the Seattle Mariners. Bowen became the 15th player in program history to be drafted by an MLB organization, joining such names as Mike Carruthers (selected in both the 1966 and 1968 drafts) and Torrey Pettitford who was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 1994 edition. Bowen is the fourth MLB draftee to have played collegiate ball under head coach Paul O'Neil. UNCP has now had players selected in consecutive drafts for the first time since the 1968 and 1969 seasons.

Luckett, Richards Collect Conference, District Coach Of The Year Laurels
First-year golf head coach Hannah Luckett and second-year men’s basketball skipper Drew Richards were both lauded with Conference Carolinas Coach of the Year honors in 2021-22, while Richards also picked up Co-District Coach of the Year recognition from the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC). Luckett led the golf team to a trio of top-3 finishes in 2021-22, including a 36-stroke victory at the 2022 Conference Carolinas Championships. Richards paced the men’s basketball squad to a program-record 22 league wins, including a 16-game win streak against conference foes, and the Black & Gold matched another program record with 27 overall victories as well.

O’Neil, Richards Pick Up Milestone Wins Amid Impressive Seasons
Baseball skipper Paul O’Neil notched his 750th career victory with an 8-4 win home win over Southern Wesleyan on February 19, while men’s basketball head coach Drew Richards logged his 50th career coaching win on the shoulders of UNCP’s 74-70 triumph over then-No. 25 Flagler in the NCAA Tournament. O’Neil has compiled a 698-429-1 clip in 22 seasons at the helm of the UNCP baseball program after previously logging 84 victories at Shenandoah. Richards led the Lander Bearcats to a 23-8 mark and an NCAA Tournament berth as a first-year head coach in Greenwood, S.C., during the 2019-20 campaign. He previously served five seasons (2014-19) as an associate head coach for the Braves.

Wrestling Sends Six To Nationals, Falls Just Short In Quest For Region Title
All-American Nick Daggett and newcomer Zach Shaffer completed unblemished runs through their respective tournaments en route to climbing to the top of the podium, but the UNC Pembroke wrestling team finished just short in their bid for a second NCAA Super Regional title in late February at Lumbee Guaranty Bank Court. Six student-athletes – Daggett, Shaffer, Jovaun Johnson, Jake Piccirilli, Rahsaan Vereen and Bryce Walker – advanced through to the NCAA Division II Championships by virtue of top-3 finishes at the event. The six national qualifiers tied for the third-most in the history of the program, but it was the sixth-straight season that the Black & Gold was represented by multiple student-athletes at the NCAA Championships event.

Daggett Wraps Up Career With Another All-America Run At NCAA Championships
Goldston native Nick Daggett capped a phenomenal collegiate career with a sixth-place finish at the NCAA Division II Championships in mid-March to lead the Braves to a 33rd-place finish at the event. Daggett, who posted 25 more wins in 2021-22 en route to wrapping up his career with a 123-37 record, registered an unprecedented five NCAA postseason appearances in the Black & Gold, while also amassing four all-America honors and four NCAA region titles as well. His victory count, which ranks seventh among a list of the program’s 100-wins fraternity, includes 70 bonus-point victories (26 pins) and a 55-13 clip in dual meets. He also earned a trio of all-conference awards, including first-team All-Conference Carolinas recognition in 2021-22.

Braves Stake Claim To NACMA Unity Award, Six “Best Of” Honors
The athletics department's external operations team bested out a pair of NCAA Division I finalists for the National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators (NACMA) inaugural Unity Award in June, while also hauling in a sextet of "Best Of" honors from the organization. The Unity Award was created to recognize a NACMA team for their efforts in creating a marketing campaign or initiative that is associated with diversity and inclusion. UNCP raked in the honor for its efforts in promoting Never Walk Alone Day in February. The external operations team also raked in three gold, one silver and a pair of bronze medals as part of the NACMA "Best Of" Awards program honors outstanding achievements in marketing and promotions. UNCP has now claimed 25 NACMA "Best Of" Awards over the last five athletic seasons.

Department Extends Partnerships, Posts Record Sponsorship Growth
Athletics department officials announced the extension of partnerships with McDonald’s and the Town of Pembroke in 2021-22, while also inking new partnerships with Chick-fil-a of Lumberton and The View/The Commons off-campus housing complexes. Currently boasting 24 active partnerships with area businesses and corporations, the department showed a 25 percent increase from pre-pandemic sponsorship numbers last season, while its net annual cash value from sponsorship agreements reached an unprecedented amount of nearly $359,000. The athletics department is currently in negotiation to add five additional sponsors in time for the 2022-23 athletic season.

UNCP Hosts Ninth Annual Golden Braves Awards
Nine teams were celebrated for making NCAA postseason appearances, including three that brought home conference championships, as the UNC Pembroke athletics department lauded its student-athletes at the ninth annual Golden Braves awards show in late April. Golf's Georgia Page was decorated with Most Well-Rounded Female Student-Athlete, while wrestling's Nick Daggett took home the award on the men's side. Sean Hill (football) and softball's Emily Biddle were named the Athletic Performance Student-Athletes of the Year for their work in the weightroom. Dallas "Mac" Campbell and his wife, Sylvia, picked up Braves Club Member of the Year honors for the second time, while facilities supervisor Chris Scott was presented with the Changing Lives Through Education Award.

Brummitt, Ryan Named Athletes Of The Year To Highlight Welcome Back Event
All-American and current minor leaguer River Ryan was decorated with Male Student-Athlete of the Year accolades, while All-American and 2021 national player of the year finalist Tatum Brummitt raked in Female Student-Athlete of the Year laurels, as the UNC Pembroke athletics department welcomed back its nearly 400 student-athletes in August as part of an event inside the Givens Performing Arts Center (GPAC). Track & field's Orlandus Gamble and swimming's Gillian Manning took home Male and Female Newcomer of the Year recognition, while baseball skipper Paul O'Neil picked up the Dan Kenney Coach of the Year crown. The awards put a wrap on the 2020-21 Golden Braves program which was presented in a virtual format in April 2021.

UNCP Athletics Announces 42nd Hall Of Fame Class
Student-athletes representing five different sports, including one that went on to make a name for himself as a legendary high school football and baseball coach in nearby Hope Mills, were officially inducted into the UNC Pembroke Athletics Hall of Fame as part of Homecoming Week in late October. Former baseball player Randy Ledford, who turned in a stellar playing career in Pembroke before eventually coaching Fayetteville's South View High School to state championships in both baseball and football, joined basketball players Lindsay Bartholf and Damon Green, track & field's Sam Council and football's Caylon Hann in comprising UNCP's 42nd Athletics Hall of Fame class.

Department Adds Coach, Three Administrators To Athletic Family
Stephanie Graziani was named the softball program’s 11th head coach in June, while Dr. Jessica Siegele was named Faculty Athletics Representative (FAR) in May. Graziani took over the reins of the softball program after serving five years as its assistant coach and Siegele, an assistant professor in the College of Health Sciences, will serve as the liaison between the university and the athletics department on various issues. Cory Minnie joined UNCP Athletics in July 2021 as Assistant Athletics Director for Athletic Performance to head up the department’s strength & conditioning efforts, while Tyler Johnson was hired on in August 2021 as Director of Braves Club Annual Giving.

Donors Endow Scholarship In Honor Of Dick & Windy Christy
Multiple donors and supporters of The University of North Carolina at Pembroke met in February to recognize athletics director Dick Christy and his wife, Windy, for their dedication to the campus and the community by surprising them with an endowed scholarship for future student-athletes named in their honor. An endowed scholarship is a major gift to a university or college that is used to fund scholarships. The characteristic that most differentiates endowed scholarships from others sorts of charities is that the capital is sustained in the endowed gift of the scholarship so that the gift can last forever. The Dick and Windy Christy Endowed Scholarship will fund one scholarship per semester with criteria to be determined by the Christys.