A rich HISTORY. An envied TRADITION. EXPECTATIONS of success. A VISION for the future. A COMMUNITY united.
2013-14 APPALACHIAN STATE ATHLETICS ANNUAL REPORT
Interim Director of Athletics Rick Beasley Dear Appalachian Family, We once again submit to you, our loyal stakeholders, our Athletics Annual Report. Inside, you will find just a few of the incredible examples of the tangible ‘Experience-Based Learning’ that occurs on our campus and within the athletic department every day. . That experience, which is the philosophy behind all we do with our student-athletes, comes from the commitment of both a dedicated staff and tremendous young people eager to grow academically, athletically and personally. This past year marked the end of an era for Appalachian State. We would be remiss not to acknowledge our incredible success over the past four decades as a member of the Southern Conference. Appalachian reached new heights as a member of the SoCon and, while we will always be grateful for the opportunities the league afforded us, the anticipation of making our mark in the Sun Belt Conference and the FBS ranks brings new energy and excitement to the future . This is one of the most exciting times in the history of Mountaineer athletics and Appalachian State University. Our first official day as a Sun Belt member, July 1, 2014, marked the culmination of years of hard work from countless members of the Appalachian family. We know that the success of the past will only help us achieve an even higher level of success in the future. This journey would not be possible without you. Our students, fans and Yosef Club members are the driving force behind everything we do, and to succeed, we must have you behind us. Your support over the last year has been tremendous. Our fans not only showed up in droves to all Mountaineer sporting events, they also were extremely generous with their financial resources. Last year, Appalachian Athletics raised almost $3.9 million in private support - including over $2.7 million in donations to the Yosef Club, which directly benefits scholarships for student-athletes. In addition, Appalachian went out on top as it won the Southern Conference Commissioner’s Cup for the ninth-straight time and the 34th time overall. We also had tremendous academic success as 227 of our student-athletes earned a spot on the SoCon Honor Roll. Our student-athletes also poured their time and energy into a wide array of community service efforts throughout the High Country. The Mountaineers are not only committed to academic and athletic excellence, but to making a difference in and around the community. We are fortunate to enjoy many successes – on the field of competition, in the classroom and in the community. Providing our student-athletes with what we proudly describe as the ‘Appalachian State Experience’ is our paramount goal each and every year. We could not, however, accomplish our goals and enjoy our tremendous success without your involvement and support. Your time and resources make a difference for the next generation of Appalachian leaders. Again, on behalf of the entire Appalachian State athletics department, I thank you for your support and hope you enjoy reading the next few pages in celebrating a year in the legacy of the Appalachian Family. Together We Rise, Rick Beasley, ‘81 Interim Director of Athletics
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A rich HISTORY. An envied TRADITION. EXPECTATIONS of success. A VISION for the future. A COMMUNITY united.
2013-14 APPALACHIAN STATE ATHLETICS ANNUAL REPORT
2013-14 Highlights ATHLETIC ACCOMPLISHMENTS • Won the Southern Conference’s Commissioner’s Cup (men’s all-sports championship) for the ninth-straight time and 34th time overall. The Commissioner’s Cup is Appalachian’s 22nd in 23 years and 29th in 31 years. • Two wrestlers won individual SoCon titles and competed in the NCAA Tournament. • Individuals from men’s cross country, women’s cross country and women’s outdoor track and field participated in NCAA Regionals.
ACADEMIC ACCOMPLISHMENTS • Two student-athletes earned prestigious national academic honors. Tony Washington (football) was one of just 16 receipients of the National Football Foundation’s Scholar-Athlete Award. Amy Werdine (women’s soccer) was one of 13 receipients of the NCAA Women’s Enhancement Program Postgraduate Scholarship for Careers in Athletics. Both earned postgraduate scholarships as part of their awards.
• Football’s Marcus Cox was named as the SoCon Freshman of the Year and was the Freshman of the Week a league-record six times. • Both Cox and teammate Bentlee Critcher were finalists for the Jerry Rice Award, given to the nation’s top freshman in the FCS ranks.
Marcus Cox won SoCon Freshman of the Year honors on the strength of a league-record six Freshman of the Week awards.
• Finished with 66 all-conference selections, 35 all-freshman honorees and 33 SoCon Players/Athletes of the Week.
Tony Washington was one of just 16 studentathletes to earn the National Football’s Foundation Scholar-Athlete Award.
• Thirteen of Appalachian State’s 20 programs (baseball, men’s cross country, women’s cross country, football, men’s golf, women’s golf, men’s soccer, women’s soccer, men’s tennis, women’s tennis, women’s outdoor track and field, volleyball and wrestling) recorded multi-year APR scores that matched or exceeded the national average for their respective sports. Three more programs (softball, women’s indoor track and field and men’s outdoor track and field) were within three points of their sports’ national average.
• Wrestling’s Dylan Cottrell and Men’s Outdoor Track & Field’s Nathan Mitch earned Freshman of the Year honors in their respective sports.
• Women’s golf posted a perfect APR score of 1,000 and was recognized with an NCAA Public Recognition Award while women’s cross country, field hockey men’s and women’s soccer and volleyball were recognized for their academic performances by their respective coach’s associations.
• Breanna Alston earned SoCon Most Outstanding Athlete and Most Outstanding Track Performer at the league’s indoor championship.
• Six different student-athletes were named as the SoCon Student-Athlete of the Week, the highest among any league school in 2013-14.
DEPARTMENTAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS • Officially joined the Sun Belt Conference and NCAA Division I FBS on July 1, 2014. • Yosef Club matched its secondhighest total in history with over $2.7 million dollars. The donations marked the seventh-straight year that contributions have surpassed the $2 million mark. • The Appalachian IMG Sports Network and ESPN 730 AM in Charlotte agreed to a three-year contract that makes ESPN 730 the exclusive radio home of Appalachian State football and men’s basketball in the Charlotte market As part of the three-year deal, which begins with the 2014 football season, ESPN 730 will air all Appalachian State football and men’s basketball games, as well as up to five baseball games each season live. The station will also carry the Appalachian IMG Sports Network’s weekly Mountaineer Talk football and basketball coach’s call-in shows and its daily Around The Mountain segment. • On July 1, 2014, members of the Appalachian State athletic department canvassed the community to rally fans together as the Mountaineers officially began the Sun Belt era. The day began with a breakfast while coaches and student-athletes from a variety of sports spent the afternoon handing out posters and other Sun Belt memorabelia around the community. The day concluded with a concert and community rally at the Jones House in downtown Boone.
A rich HISTORY. An envied TRADITION. EXPECTATIONS of success. A VISION for the future. A COMMUNITY united.
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2013-14 APPALACHIAN STATE ATHLETICS ANNUAL REPORT
The Sun Belt Conference mantra “Together We Rise” exemplifies what has quickly become America’s most up-and-coming collegiate athletics conference. Founded in 1976, the Sun Belt has adapted and evolved in its nearly 40 year existence. The league was originally formed as a home for some of the nation’s premier mid-major basketball teams and it wasn’t until a number of changes and the demand for a higher national profile that the league began sponsoring football in 2001. Because of this decision to move the league in to the group of football playing conferences, the Sun Belt Conference has a permanent seat on the NCAA’s 18-member Board of Directors. As a result, the conference has a crucial voice on some of the most pressing issues in college athletics. With the 2014-15 year marking the debut of the College Football Playoff (CFP) the Sun Belt continues to find itself among the 10 premier college football conferences and the new system is guaranteed universal access based on performance – there are no automatic qualifiers for the playoff system. Additionally, the CFP will mean that a spot among the premier bowl games of college football will be guaranteed to the highest-ranked champion from the other “Group of Five” conferences: the Sun Belt Conference, American Athletic Conference, Mountain West Conference, Mid-American Conference and Conference USA. With the College Football Playoff included with the league’s other bowl arrangements, the Sun Belt Conference is tied to seven total bowl games. The R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, the GoDaddy Bowl, the Raycom Media Camellia Bowl, the Cure Bowl (debuting in 2015) all guarantee a home for a bowl eligible Sun Belt Conference team each year. And beginning with the 2016 season, the Sun Belt is also part of a rotation of conferences that will send a team to the Bahamas Bowl and the Miami Beach Bowl. The influx of bowl game opportunities comes at a time when the Sun Belt Conference is breaking win records year after year and the league is continually exceeding expectations. The Sun Belt’s 21 non-conference football wins in the 2013 season was a new record for the league - eclipsing the mark of 19 set the year prior. Additionally of note for the league’s non-conference win total was that the Sun Belt fared well against its peer opponents in the non-AQ BCS ranks. The Sun Belt finished a combined 8-1 against members of Conference-USA (4-1), the Mid-American Conference (3-0) and the Mountain West Conference (1-0). The Sun Belt also had the best overall non-conference win percentage when comparing the four non-AQ conferences. The 2013 football season also saw two teams take home bowl championship trophies, as UL Lafayette won its third consecutive R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl and Arkansas State won its second consecutive GoDaddy Bowl. Of course, football wasn’t the only sport that has seen recent success and all of the league’s sports have contributed to the “Rise” of the Sun Belt Conference. In men’s basketball, league newcomer Georgia State put together one of the best conference performances in league history in winning the 2013-14 Sun Belt regular season championship. UL Lafayette captured the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament in what was one of the most thrilling finishes to the Sun Belt championship game in recent memory. An influx of young coaches mixed with proven veterans makes both Sun Belt men’s and women’s basketball an exciting brand with vast potential. The Sun Belt Conference Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships were played in the hometown of the Sun Belt at Lakefront Arena this past March in what was the first of a three year deal that will have Sun Belt hoops in the “Big Easy” each March.
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A rich HISTORY. An envied TRADITION. EXPECTATIONS of success. A VISION for the future. A COMMUNITY united.
2013-14 APPALACHIAN STATE ATHLETICS ANNUAL REPORT
Baseball and softball continue to be among the league’s standard-bearers for success as each continues to send teams on deep postseason runs and teams are easy to find in the national polls. In baseball, UL Lafayette held a unanimous No. 1 national ranking during the 2014 season and hosted an NCAA Tournament Regional and Super Regional. Not to be outdone, the UL Lafayette softball team also hosted the NCAA Tournament rounds and qualified for the 2014 edition of the Women’s College World Series. In recent years as many as four Sun Belt teams have advanced to the baseball postseason in a single year, while as many as three Sun Belt softball teams have accomplished that feat. While the accomplishments of the Sun Belt’s student-athletes and coaches deserve great praise, so do the league’s administrators who have helped set the tone for the future of the conference. “We have never been as strong as we are now academically and financially and I believe we are getting stronger all the time athletically,” former Sun Belt Conference President and Troy University Chancellor Dr. Jack Hawkins, Jr. said recently. “I truly believe that the best is yet to come.” The Sun Belt Conference’s membership consists of 11 football members for 2014 – Appalachian State, Arkansas State, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Idaho, UL Lafayette, UL Monroe, New Mexico State, South Alabama, Texas State and Troy. UALR and UT Arlington compete in all-sports as non-football members while Idaho and New Mexico State are football only members. Prominent Sun Belt alumni include Lyndon B. Johnson, former President of the United States (Texas State), former All-Star baseball player Luis Gonzalez (South Alabama), former member of the United States Senate and House of Representatives John Breaux (UL Lafayette), country music superstar Tim McGraw (UL Monroe), CEO of Duck Commander and Buck Commander Willie Robertson (UL Monroe) and DeMarcus Ware, an All-Pro NFL linebacker (Troy).
SUN BELT COMMISSIONER KARL BENSON Karl Benson was named the fifth commissioner of the Sun Belt Conference on Thursday, February 16, 2012 and officially began his tenure on March 15, 2012. Under Benson’s leadership, the Sun Belt has added five new full-time members — Appalachian State, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Texas-Arlington and Texas State — and two football-only partners — Idaho and New Mexico State — to give the league a strong membership of 11 full-time members and 11 football-playing institutions. A respected leader in the college athletics community, Benson has served as the President of the NCAA Football Board of Directors and on the NCAA Management Council and the NCAA Men’s Basketball Committee from 2002-06. Benson came to the Sun Belt after serving as the commissioner of the Western Athletic Conference since 1994. During his time at the WAC, Benson developed numerous multi-year agreements with postseason football games, including the Holiday Bowl, Cotton Bowl, Copper Bowl, Las Vegas Bowl, Silicon Valley Football Classic, GMAC Bowl, New Mexico Bowl, the Humanitarian Bowl, Sheraton Hawai’i Bowl, Poinsettia Bowl and Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl. Under Benson’s leadership, the WAC achieved noted success by sending multiple teams to Bowl Championship Series (BCS) games as well as having sent a total of 38 teams to bowl games since 2001. In men’s basketball, the WAC has sent at least two teams to the NCAA Tournament in 24 of the past 28 seasons. Prior to his time at the WAC, Benson served as the commissioner of the Mid-American Conference for four years. There, he implemented several innovative projects and was instrumental in the formation of the Las Vegas Bowl. Prior to taking the reins of the MAC, Benson served on the NCAA staff for more than four years where he was the director of NCAA championships when selected as MAC commissioner. Benson joined the NCAA staff in January 1986, as a compliance representative and was appointed assistant director of championships in June 1987. He was promoted to director of championships in 1988. In that position, Benson actively supervised eight assistant directors in their administration of 68 NCAA championships. A native of the state of Washington, Benson graduated from high school in Pullman in 1970, attended Spokane Falls Community College and then received a bachelor of science degree in physical education from Boise State University in 1975. He has also completed course work toward his master’s degree in athletics administration at the University of Utah. Benson played baseball at both Spokane Falls Community College and Boise State University before serving as the baseball coach at Fort Steilacoom Community College in Tacoma, Wash., for eight years and as the director of athletics at Fort Steilacoom from 1979-84. From 1984-86, he was an assistant baseball coach and an administrative assistant in the athletics department at Utah. He received the Distinguished Alumni Award from Boise State in April of 2006. Benson was born on December 1, 1951 and has one daughter, Jessie, who graduated from the University of Southern California in 2014 after majoring in broadcast journalism in the Annenberg School of Communication.
A rich HISTORY. An envied TRADITION. EXPECTATIONS of success. A VISION for the future. A COMMUNITY united.
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2013-14 APPALACHIAN STATE ATHLETICS ANNUAL REPORT
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ARKANSAS STATE Location: Jonesboro, Ark. Founded: 1909 Enrollment: 13,552 President: Dr. Charles L. Welch Athletics Director: Terry Mohajir Nickname: Red Wolves
NEW MEXICO STATE Location: Las Cruces, N.M. Founded: 1888 Enrollment: 16,428 President: Dr. Garrey Carruthers Athletics Director: McKinley Boston Nickname: Aggies
GEORGIA SOUTHERN Location: Statesboro, Ga. Founded: 1906 Enrollment: 20,517 President: Dr. Brooks A. Keel Athletics Director: Tom Kleinlein Nickname: Eagles
SOUTH ALABAMA Location: Mobile, Ala. Founded: 1963 Enrollment: 15,311 President: Dr. Tony G. Waldrop Athletics Director: Dr. Joel Erdmann Nickname: Jaguars
GEORGIA STATE Location: Atlanta, Ga. Founded: 1913 Enrollment: 32,000 President: Mark P. Becker Athleticss Director: Charlie Cobb Nickname: Panthers
TEXAS STATE Location: San Marcos, Texas Founded: 1899 Enrollment: 34,225 President: Dr. Denise M. Trauth Athletics Director: Dr. Larry Teis Nickname: Bobcats
IDAHO Location: Moscow, Idaho Founded: 1889 Enrollment: 12,493 President: Dr. Chuck Staben Athletics Director: Dr. Rob Spear Nickname: Vandals
TROY Location: Troy, Ala. Founded: 1887 Enrollment: 25,000 President: Dr. Jack Hawkins, Jr. Athletics Director: John Hartwell Nickname: Trojans
LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE Location: Lafayette, La. Founded: 1898 Enrollment: 16,687 President: Dr. E. Joseph Savoie Athletics Director: Scott Farmer Nickname: Rajin’ Cajuns
UALR Location: Little Rock, Ark. Founded: 1927 Enrollment: 12,927 Chancellor: Dr. Joel E. Anderson Athletics Director: Chris Peterson Nickname: Trojans
LOUISIANA-MONROE Location: Monroe, La. Founded: 1931 Enrollment: 8,645 President: Dr. Nick Bruno Athletics Director: Brian Wickstrom Nickname: Warhawks
UT ARLINGTON Location: Arlington, Texas Founded: 1895 Enrollment: 34,249 President: Vistasp Karbhari Athletics Director: Jim Baker Nickname: Mavericks
A rich HISTORY. An envied TRADITION. EXPECTATIONS of success. A VISION for the future. A COMMUNITY united.
2013-14 APPALACHIAN STATE ATHLETICS ANNUAL REPORT
July 1, 2014 • The Dawn of a New Era A new era dawned on Appalachian State University on July 1, 2014 as the Mountaineers celebrated their first official day as a member of the Sun Belt Conference and joined the ranks of the elite at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The move, which was years in the making, solidified Appalachian’s place as one of the premier athletic programs in the nation. In addition, Appalachian welcomed a new Chancellor on July 1 as Dr. Sheri N. Everts officially began her duties as the University’s new leader.
Appalachian State football juniors Kameron Bryant (left) and Malachi Jones (right) pose with a young fan on Sun Belt Day.
Appalachian State Chancellor Dr. Sheri N. Everts helped ring in a new era for the University as it officially joined the Sun Belt Conference.
The day began with the Boone Chamber of Commerce’s Wake Up Watauga breakfast on the club level of the Appalachian Athletics Center. Sun Belt Conference associate commissioner John McElwain, Appalachian State director of athletics Charlie Cobb and App State football coach Scott Satterfield talked about the Mountaineers’ long-anticipated arrival in the Sun Belt and answered questions from the large crowd. The entire event was broadcast live across the High Country on WATA 1450 AM. Following the breakfast, several Appalachian State coaches canvassed the community, handing out Sun Belt and Appalachian State apparel to members of the campus and Boone communities. Satterfield was joined by men’s basketball coach Jim Fox and women’s basketball coach Darcie Vincent in thanking the community for their continued support as Appalachian State entered unprecedented territory. The coaches gave out posters, t-shirts and other Sun Belt and App State memorabilia.
Men’s Basketball head coach Jim Fox (center) poses with Boone Mayor Andy Ball (left) and Boone Cultural Resources Director Pilar Fotta.
In the afternoon, student-athletes and coaches representing Appalachian State’s football, men’s and women’s basketball, volleyball, women’s soccer and men’s and women’s cross country and track and field programs were on hand at Wendy’s in Boone to help kick off Appalachian’s newly revamped Junior Mountaineer Kids Club. The coaches and student-athletes greeted, posed for pictures and signed autographs for dozens of children and helped many of them become the first Junior Mountaineer Kids Club members of the year. The day concluded with a reception at the Jones House Community Center in downtown Boone, where fans were treated to a concert. Chancellor Everts, McElwain, Satterfield and Boone mayor Andy Ball spoke to the crowd before Everts concluded the day with a cake-cutting ceremony. In addition to the day-long celebration, Appalachian State also unveiled a new-look Yosef, who will patrol the sidelines at sporting events this beginning this fall.
A new-look Yosef was unveiled as part of Appalachian’s day-long celebration of its first official day in the Sun Belt Conference. Sun Belt Associate Commissioner John McElwain (left) was also in attendance.
A rich HISTORY. An envied TRADITION. EXPECTATIONS of success. A VISION for the future. A COMMUNITY united.
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2013-14 APPALACHIAN STATE ATHLETICS ANNUAL REPORT
Individual Awards and Team honors MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY • All-SoCon: James Howard-Smith, Kyle McFoy, Will Raby • SoCon All-Freshman: Michael Ellis • SoCon Runner of the Week: James Howard-Smith (twice), Kyle McFoy • Team Champions: Winthrop Open, Blue Ridge Open WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY • All-SoCon: Justine Stocks • Team Champions: Winthrop Open FIELD HOCKEY • All-NorPac: Jordyn Warren • NorPac East Offensive Player of the Week: Caroline Phillips FOOTBALL • All-America: Bentlee Critcher • Freshman All-America: Barrett Burns, Marcus Cox, Bentlee Critcher, John Law • SoCon Freshman of the Year: Marcus Cox • All-SoCon: Marcus Cox, Tony Washington, Bentlee Critcher, Kendall Lamm, Andrew Peacock, Karl Anderson • SoCon All-Freshman: Marcus Cox, Kennan Gilchrist, Alex Gray, John Law, Bentlee Critcher • SoCon Offensive Player of the Month: Marcus Cox • SoCon Offensive Player of the Week: Marcus Cox, Kameron Bryant • SoCon Defensive Player of the Week: John Law • SoCon Special Teams Player of the Week: Bentlee Critcher • SoCon Freshman of the Week: Marcus Cox (six times) • National Freshman of the Week: Marcus Cox • National Special Teams Player of the Week: Bentlee Critcher • NFLPA College Bowl Participant: Tony Washington • FCS Senior Scout Bowl Participant: Jamal Londry-Jackson MEN’S SOCCER • All-SoCon: Stanley Broaden, Harrison Delbridge • SoCon All-Freshman: Stephen Chapman, Donovan Japp • NSCAA All-Region: Harrison Delbridge WOMEN’S SOCCER • All-SoCon: Samantha Childress, Julia Holz • SoCon All-Freshman: Jane Cline, Jaclyn Nieradka • SoCon Player of the Week: Julia Holz VOLLEYBALL • All-SoCon: Emily Corrigan, Lauren Gray • SoCon Offensive Player of the Week: Emily Corrigan (twice) • SoCon Defensive Player of the Week: Meghan Mahoney (four times) WOMEN’S BASKETBALL • All-SoCon: Maryah Sydnor • SoCon Player of the Week: Maryah Sydnor • SoCon Player of the Month: Maryah Sydnor (twice) WRESTLING • SoCon Freshman of the Year: Dylan Cottrell • All-SoCon: Dylan Cottrell, Dominic Parisi • SoCon Individual Champion: Dylan Cottrell (149 lbs.), Dominic Parisi (125 lbs.) • SoCon Wrestler of the Week: Dylan Cottrell (twice)
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MEN’S GOLF • Individual Championship: Casey Komline (Myrtle Beach Invite) WOMEN’S GOLF • Team Championships: Winthrop Intercollegiate, Mimosa Hills Intercollegiate • Individual Championship: Haley Zagoria (Quinnipiac Classic), Emily Stinson (Dayton Tri-Match) MEN’S TENNIS • All-SoCon: Zach Bost, Sabastien King, Oliver Casey, Daniel Hoang • SoCon All-Freshman: Oliver Casey, Daniel Hoang, Jack Maddocks • SoCon Player of the Week: Sebastien King WOMEN’S TENNIS • All-SoCon: Clare Cox • SoCon Player of the Week: Clare Cox MEN’S TRACK AND FIELD • SoCon Outdoor Freshman of the Year: Nathan Milch • All-SoCon: Kyle McFoy, Marshall McRae, Raphael Rojas, Josh Hanna, Trey Edgerton, Stanley Broaden, Jonathan Howes, Sam Allen, Phil Thomas, Alex Lomax, Matt Layne, Jamal Tiller, Jackson Powers, William Buckley, Josh Cox, Henry Bustle, Clay Allen, David Riddleberger, Henry Bustle, Antonio Marcano, Jr. • SoCon All-Freshman: Jackson Powers, Nathan Milch, William Buckley, Josh Hanna, Chris Anderson, Sam Allen, Phil Thomas, Matt Layne, Jesse Earnhardt, Mason Lasater, Ellsworth Parham, Antonio Marcano, Jr. • Indoor Field Athlete of the Week: Matt Layne • Outdoor Track Athlete of the Week: Kyle McFoy WOMEN’S TRACK AND FIELD • SoCon Indoor Most Outstanding Athlete: Breanna Alston • SoCon Indoor Most Outstanding Track Performer: Breanna Alston • All-SoCon: Allison Cook, Breanna Alston, Taryn Stern, Justine Stocks, Shelby Howell, Krystal Clark, Gayshawna Watkins, Ana DeLeon, Brianna Tate, Cassie Crawford, Kayla Schneider, Jocelyn Parnell, Taryn Stern, Catherine Crawford, Jasmine Suydam • SoCon All-Freshman: Tristin Van Ord, Krystal Clark, Christina Czarnecki, Audrey Florence, India McHorter, Catherine Crawford • Indoor Field Athlete of the Week: Makayla Roten (twice) • Outdoor Field Athlete of the Week: Brianna Tate • SoCon Track Athlete of the Month: Breanna Alston BASEBALL • All-SoCon: Dillon Dobson, Michael Pierson • SoCon All-Freshman: Matt Brill, Dallas DeVrieze, Tyler Stroup • SoCon Player of the Week: Matt Brill, Dillon Dobson SOFTBALL • All-SoCon: Cynthia Gomez, Dani Heichen, Lindsay Loudermilk, Sarah Warnock • SoCon All-Freshman: Cara Parker • SoCon Player of the Week: Dani Heichen
A rich HISTORY. An envied TRADITION. EXPECTATIONS of success. A VISION for the future. A COMMUNITY united.
2013-14 APPALACHIAN STATE ATHLETICS ANNUAL REPORT
Academic Honors and Awards 2013-14 CoSIDA/Capital One Academic All-District Tony Washington (Football)
AVCA Team Academic Award Volleyball
Southern Conference Student-Athlete of the Week Tony Washington (football), Maryah Sydnor (women’s basketball), Cassie Crawford (track & field), Alissa Schoelkopf (softball), Michael Pierson (baseball), Brianna Tate (track & field),
NCAA Public Recognition Award Women’s Golf
National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete Award Tony Washington NSCAA Academic All-Region Harrison Delbridge, Stanley Broaden
NFHCA Division I National Academic Individual and Team Award Field Hockey Sarah Anderson, Anna Copsey, Lane Flynn, Hanna French, Emily Knapp, Marissa O’Brien, Jordan Van Cleave, Dana Wetmore, Jordan Yaukey NWCA Top 30 All Academic Team Wrestling
NSCAA College Team Academic Award Men’s and women’s Soccer U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-Academic Individual and Team Cassie Crawford, Amanda Hamilton, Brianna Tate, women’s cross country, women’s track & field
NWCA All Academic Honors Dominic Parisi
2013-14 SOUTHERN CONFERENCE/NORPAC ACADEMIC ALL-CONFERENCE BASEBALL Chad Farmer Michael Pierson MEN’S BASKETBALL Michael Obacha WOMEN’S BASKETBALL Katie Mallow Kelsey Sharkey Farrahn Wood FIELD HOCKEY Emily Knapp FOOTBALL Karl Anderson Josh Anding Barrett Burns Austin Chambers Graham Fisher Logan Hallock Jacob McCann Tony Washington MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY Christopher Garrett Andrew Vandenberg WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY Samantha Campanaro Dana Cox Meaghan McCauley Kayla Schneider Justine Stocks Brittany Williams Shelby Williams
MEN’S GOLF Eric Eberspeaker Andrew Furr Caleb Keck WOMEN’S GOLF Madalyn Dais Lily Yarawa MEN’S SOCCER Stanley Broaden Harrison Delbridge Patrick Harrow Alex Herbst Seth Williams WOMEN’S SOCCER Merlin Beckwith Jenna Caudle Samantha Childress Leah Drawdy Amber Miller Sam Neill Megan Roberson Sonia Sanchez Nicole Steyl Jordan Vezina Amy Werdine SOFTBALL Lindsay Loudermilk Caroline Rogers Alissa Schoelkopf Kristen Terry MEN’S TENNIS Olver Casey Sebastiern King
MEN’S TRACK AND FIELD Darrow Goff Mason Lasater Peter Ovendorf Patrick Quinn David Riddleberger Raphael Rojas Nick Sansotta Andrew Vandenberg WOMEN’S TRACK AND FIELD Samantha Campanaro Allison Cook Sydney Cook Dana Cox Cassie Crawford Audrey Diener Debra Domermuth Chelsea Farr Katherine Lenhart Meghan McCauley Mary Theresa Montgomery Kayla Schneider Justine Stocks Brianna Tate Janet Watson Brittany Williams VOLLEYBALL Paige Brown Emily Corrigan Lauren Gray Jess Keller Meghan Mahoney Lindsey Sauls Dalton Tolliver WRESTLING Denzel Dejournette Dominic Parisi Nick Vetell Chris Johnson
A rich HISTORY. An envied TRADITION. EXPECTATIONS of success. A VISION for the future. A COMMUNITY united.
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2013-14 APPALACHIAN STATE ATHLETICS ANNUAL REPORT
The Appalachian State Experience ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE While many Appalachian State student-athletes raked in academic honors during the 201314 season, two Mountaineers stood out among the crowd. Football’s Tony Washington and women’s soccer’s Amy Werdine each earned postgraduate scholarships for their excellence on the field and in the classroom. Washington was one of just 16 players nationwide to earn the National Football Foundation’s Scholar-Athlete Award while Werdine was one of just 13 female-student athletes in the nation to earn an NCAA Women’s Enhancement Program Postgraduate Scholarship for Careers in Athletics. In addition to the accomplishments of Washington and Werdine, Appalachian studentathletes combined for seven Southern Conference Student-Athlete of the Week honors, 17 different individual academic honors in their respective sports and eight different team academic honors. The Mountaineers also saw 88 different student-athletes earn SoCon Academic all-conference accolades. COMMUNITY SERVICE As is the case every year, Appalachian State student-athletes participated in a variety of community service projects around the High Country. The Mountaineers have worked with Watauga County Schools, Watauga Medical Center, The Children’s Advocacy Center of the Blue Ridge and many, many more organizations. Whether it was reading to children at a local school or building houses with Habitat for Humanity, Mountaineer student-athletes were a fixture in and around the Community. One of the biggest community service projects made a lasting effect halfway around world as Michael Obacha of the men’s basketball team decided to aid the children in his home country of Nigeria. In January, Obacha began the process of collecting shoes to send to children in the African nation. Later that month, Obacha began working with the Access to Success Foundation, which provides a variety of social services for children in Nigeria. The Access to Success Foundation was founded by former Davidson basketball star Andrew Lovedale, who hails from the same part of Nigeria as Obacha. As the two worked together, the shoe drive grew beyond expectations, collecting over 700 pairs of shoes and $4,300 for shipping. In June, Obacha returned home to deliver the shoes and work with Lovedale’s organization to run youth basketball and empowerment camps. The Michael Obacha Shoe Drive received local, regional and national media attention. The Winston-Salem Journal, NBC Sports and Sporting News all ran stories about the drive, and Obacha chronicled his time in Nigeria in an exclusive journal for Sporting News. Obacha will once again take up a collection during the 2014-15 season, with the goal of increasing the numbers of supplies to children in need and bringing more awareness to the plight of children in Nigeria. PREMIER FACILITIES Appalachian State athletics once again showed its committment to its student-athletes by beginning construction on a brand-new, field-hockey specific facility in the fall of 2013. The stadium is located at the site of the former App State Soccer Stadium at Appalachian’s State Farm Fields Complex. Appalachian State’s soccer programs called the site home from 2005-07. The initial phase of construction of the field hockey-specific facility, which included a water-based Tufted-Astroturf playing surface and seating for 450 spectators, was concluded in time for Appalachian State’s springpractice season. The lead gift for the stadium’s field was provided by Appalachian State alumni Brandon Adcock and Erica Muschamp Adcock. Erica was a three-time all-conference selection as a member of Appalachian’s field hockey program from 2003-06. The construction of the facility has already had a profound effect on the field hockey program. In addition to providing the optimal surface for field hockey, the facility has allowed the Mountaineers to schedule far more home games, providing fans more opportunities to watch the squad in action while limiting the team’s travel schedule. This year, Appalachian played 12-of-19 regular-season matches at home compared to just four a year ago.
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A rich HISTORY. An envied TRADITION. EXPECTATIONS of success. A VISION for the future. A COMMUNITY united.
2013-14 APPALACHIAN STATE ATHLETICS ANNUAL REPORT
New Faces for a New Era In addition to a new conference and a new chancellor, Appalachian also saw three new faces join the athletic department to help lead the Mountaineers into a new era. Jim Fox (men’s basketball), Janice Savage (softball) and Mike Sirignano (strength and conditioning) were selected to help App State prosper in its journey through the Sun Belt. Fox was named as the 16th head coach in Appalachian State men’s basketball history on Tuesday, April 8, 2014 after spending 13 ultra-successful seasons as an assistant and associate head coach at former SoCon rival Davidson. Fox joined head coach Bob McKillop’s staff at Davidson in 2001 and helped the Wildcats through perhaps the most successful 13-year stint in the program’s celebrated history. With Fox on the bench, Davidson compiled a 288-131 overall record (.687 winning percentage), 10 SoCon regular-season championships and six SoCon Tournament titles. He helped lead the Wildcats to the postseason in 10 of his 13 campaigns, including NCAA Tournament appearances in 2002, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2012 and 2013. Davidson advanced to the Elite Eight of the 2008 NCAA Tournament with wins over Gonzaga, Georgetown and Wisconsin and came within two points of upsetting eventual national-champion Kansas for a berth in the Final Four. Fox coached five all-Americans and 29 all-conference selections while on the Wildcat bench. He also coached the SoCon Player of the Year seven times and mentored three SoCon Freshmen of the Year. His most notable pupil was two-time All-American Stephen Curry, who played at Davidson from 2006-09. Curry was the nation’s leading scorer and a consensus first-team All-American in his final collegiate season and is currently an NBA All-Star for the Golden State Warriors. Fox also coached De’Mon Brooks, who earned honorable-mention All-America recognition in 2012 and 2014. Also, with Fox on staff, Davidson’s NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) has consistently ranked among the best in the SoCon and the nation, with the program’s multi-year APR never dipping below 990 on a scale of 1,000 in the eight available years since the APR was introduced for the 2004-05 academic year. For five of the eight years, Davidson boasted a perfect APR of 1,000. Janice Savage became the fourth head coach in Appalachian softball history on Friday, July 11, 2014 after serving as the head coach at her alma mater, Deleware State, for two seasons. Savage was named the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 2014 after leading her team, whose starting lineup was comprised of seven sophomores and three freshmen, to the MEAC North Division title and a third-place finish at the conference tournament. The Hornets finished 35-17 overall in 2014 with a 15-3 record in league play and led the MEAC in virtually every statistical category, including winning percentage (.673), batting average (.321), ERA (2.12) and fielding percentage (.957). DSU also ranked among the top 75 nationally in batting average (16th), ERA (25th), winning percentage (41st), double plays turned per game (47th), scoring (64th) and slugging percentage (75th). Individually, she coached the MEAC’s Rookie of the Year and four players that earned all-conference recognition, including three first-teamers. Off the field, her team put together a 3.54 cumulative GPA in the 2013 fall semester, which was the highest team GPA among Delaware State’s 15 varsity programs, while 13 of her 15 student-athletes maintain a cumulative of 3.0 or higher. The program also had a perfect NCAA Academic Progress Rate score of 1,000 for the year. Sirignano took over the reigns as the director of strength and conditioning on June 3, 2014 after helping lead South Carolina to back-to-back 11 win football seasons while serving as assistant director of football strength and conditioning since 2012. In addition to his work with the Gamecocks’ football program, which went 22-4 and won two New Year’s Day bowl games in his two seasons at USC, he also directed the school’s men’s and women’s track and field strength programs. His two years at South Carolina followed a brief stint at Elon, where he was the head of football strength of conditioning in January 2012. During his short time at Elon, he oversaw the strengthand-conditioning programs for the Phoenix’s football, volleyball and men’s and women’s golf teams. Before he made his way to the Carolinas, Sirignano spent his entire career in his native New England, highlighted by two years as the director of strength and conditioning at Rhode Island (2010-12). He oversaw 500-plus student-athletes and two assistant directors at URI while working primarily with the Rams’ football, men’s and women’s basketball, baseball, women’s soccer, swimming and men’s track and field programs. He also oversaw the design of Rhode Island’s new $2 million, 8,000-square-foot strength and conditioning facility. Outside of the college ranks, Sirignano was the president and director of his own company, Next Level ELITE Training Center, from 2007-09 and served as the defensive coordinator/strength and conditioning coach at Woonsocket (R.I.) H.S. in 2008-09. The list of notable student-athletes that he has trained includes more than 15 football players that have gone on to play in the National Football League and four track-and-field Olympians.
A rich HISTORY. An envied TRADITION. EXPECTATIONS of success. A VISION for the future. A COMMUNITY united.
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2013-14 APPALACHIAN STATE ATHLETICS ANNUAL REPORT
Yosef Club Tops $2.7 Million for Third Year
Appalachian State Athletics generated nearly $3.9 million in private support during the 2013-14 fiscal year. The $3.9 million includes annual funding for premium seating, sport-specific fundraising and over $2.7 million in donations to the Yosef Club, which directly benefits scholarships for student-athletes. The Yosef Club surpassed the $2.7 million mark for the third-straight season and topped $2 million for the seventhconsecutive year. Since 2008, the Yosef Club has raised over $18 million to help student-athletes acheive their dreams.
Return to the Big House • August 30, 2014 On Sept. 1, 2007, Appalachian State became the first FCS team to defeat a nationallyranked FBS opponent when it topped No. 5 Michigan, 34-32, and left the 109,218 fans in attendance in stunned silence. Corey Lynch’s blocked field goal on the game’s final play sealed the win and sent the college football world into a frenzy. Seven years after pulling off one of the greatest upsets in college football history, the Mountaineers return to the Big House to take on the Wolverines in the 2014 season opener on Aug. 30. The contest, which is Appalachian’s first as a member of NCAA Division I FBS, is one of the most highly-anticipated rematches in school history. The game will be televised live on ESPN2 The season-opening game at Michigan is one of two Appalachian State football games slated to be shown on broadcast television by the Worldwide Leader in Sports in 2014. The Mountaineers’ Sun Belt Conference opener on Sept. 25 at Georgia Southern will be shown on ESPNU.
Mountaineer Fans Fill the Stands
As is always the case at Appalachian State, fans came from far and wide to support the Mountaineers in 2013-14. Appalachian football led the FCS ranks in home attendance for the seventh-straight season, drawing an average of 24,894 fans per game. That number was 108 percent of the stadium’s official capacity and ranks as the third-best of any current Sun Belt school. In addition, Mountaineer men’s soccer set a facility record when 1,160 showed up at the Appalachian Soccer Stadium to witness the Apps’ 3-2 win over Wofford. Highest Attended Home Games in 2013-14 Football.......................... 29,145 vs. Charleston Southern Men’s Basketball.................... 2,041 vs. Western Carolina Men’s Soccer........................................... 1,160* vs. Wofford Baseball................................................... 787 vs. The Citadel Women’s Basketball.......................................722 vs. UNCG Women’s Soccer.................................................484 vs. Elon Volleyball.............................................433 vs. East Carolina Field Hockey..............................................347 vs. Davidson Softball.........................................312 vs. Western Carolina * - facility record 12
A rich HISTORY. An envied TRADITION. EXPECTATIONS of success. A VISION for the future. A COMMUNITY united.