2009 Annual
2010 Report
NoEqual State Athletics
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2009-10 Annual Report | 1
From the Desk of Charlie Cobb Dear Appalachian Family, Humbly, we submit to you, our biggest supporters, the 2009-2010 Appalachian Athletics Annual Report. Within the attached pages are wonderful examples of the tangible ‘Experience Based Learning’ that occurs on our campus each and every day from the commitment of a dedicated staff and tremendous young people. We are fortunate to enjoy many successes – on the field of competition, in the classroom and in the community. Providing our 460 student-athletes with what we proudly describe as the Appalachian State Experience is our paramount goal each and every year. However, we could not accomplish our goals and enjoy the 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. I hope you enjoy reading the next few pages and celebrating as a part of the Appalachian Family. Today I Give My All For Appalachian State, Charlie Cobb Director of Athletics
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Appalachian Athletics Mission Statement The Department of Athletics at Appalachian State University believes in maintaining the intercollegiate athletics program as an integral part of the University’s overall program of education, with emphasis on and priority given to the high academic quality and standards and the complete development of the student. Appalachian State University provides opportunity and encouragement for student-athletes to progress toward degrees of their choice and to develop athletic abilities in an environment consistent with high standards of academic scholarship, leadership and institutional loyalty. The Department of Athletics is committed to ensuring the general welfare of the studentathlete and to encouraging the highest standards of sportsmanship on behalf of student-athletes, the student body and the University’s supporters. The intercollegiate athlete representing ASU is both a bona-fide student pursuing a degree program and an amateur competitor. Appalachian Athletics is committed to insuring equitable recruitment, participation and treatment of individuals including members of underrepresented populations through its athletics administration, staff, coaches, programs and policies. The University’s policy of non-discrimination represents a moral and ethical, not merely a legal, imperative. The University has determined that its athletics program will meet the necessary qualifications, guidelines and funding to hold membership in Division I of the NCAA. The athletics administration, the faculty athletics representative and the Athletics Council work together to insure that all teams and coaches follow the rules and regulations governing this division. A sound program of intercollegiate athletics should benefit the institution through its effects on students, alumni ad the institution itself. Specifically, it should maintain and improve the loyalty and esprit de corps of the student body, and in strengthening the pride and enthusiasm of the alumni; it should serve as a favorable public relations factor and provide benefits to the participants.
Appalachian Athletics
2009-10 Commissioners Cup For the fifth-straight year and 30th time overall, Appalachian State University won the Southern Conference Commissioner’s Cup, awarded annually to the conference’s top all-around men’s sports program. On the strength of four conference championships (football, cross country, indoor track and field and outdoor track and field) and a division title (basketball), in the SoCon’s 10 men’s sports in 2009-10, Appalachian cruised to its 30th Commissioner’s Cup, which annually recognizes the league’s best overall men’s athletics program. ASU brings the Commissioner’s Cup back to Boone for the fifth-consecutive year, 17th time in the last 18 years and 30th time in 33 years since winning the award for the first time in 1977-78. The Mountaineers’ 30 Commissioner’s Cups are by far the most in SoCon history — William & Mary boasts the second-most with five, followed by East Carolina (four) and Chattanooga, East Tennessee State and Furman (one each). All 30 of Appalachian’s Commissioner’s Cup titles have come since 1977-78, giving it 30 of the past 33 all-sports crowns overall. ASU’s 30 Commissoner’s Cups are by far the most in SoCon history — William & Mary boasts the second-most at five, followed by East Carolina (four) and Chattanooga, East Tennessee State and Furman (one each). On the women’s side, ASU finished fourth in the final standings for the 2009-10 Germann Cup. The Mountaineers’ 73 points were just 14 behind Sam2009-10 Commissioner’s Cup Final Standings ford, which won its first Germann Cup in only its 1 Appalachian State 94 second year in the conference. Appalachian has won 2 UNC Greensboro 75.5 eight Germann Cups since the award’s inception in 1987, which is the second-most in league history 3 Furman 65.5 behind only Furman’s 12.
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Davidson Elon The Citadel Wofford Chattanooga Western Carolina College of Charleston Samford Georgia Southern
60 58.5 58 57.5 57 56 55 45 39
2009-10 Germann Cup Final Standings 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Samford College of Charleston Elon Appalachian State Chattanooga Furman UNC Greensboro Western Carolina Georgia Southern Davidson Wofford The Citadel
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84 79 75.5 73 66.5 62 56.5 55 53.5 45.5 23 18.5 2009-10 Annual Report | 3
Football Continues Dominance in 2009 Squad brings home fifth-straight SoCon title • • • • • •
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Appalachian wrapped up a third undefeated SoCon slate in four years and claimed the outright conference crown for a fifth-straight season in 2009. Appalachian joins Georgia Southern, which won six-straight titles from 1997-2002, as the only SoCon programs to ever win as many as five-consecutive league championships. ASU’s 20-straight SoCon wins are the second-most in the league’s 88-year football history and the most since West Virginia had a record 30-game SoCon winning streak. Armanti Edwards is the first starting quarterback to ever lead a squad to four-straight SoCon championships. ASU’s SoCon title was its 10th overall and its FCS postseason berth is its 17th. Edwards was named the SoCon Offensive Player of the Year, offensive tackle Mario Acitelli received the Jacobs Blocking Trophy as the conference’s top offensive lineman and head coach Jerry Moore added to his own league record by earning his seventh Coach of the Year award from the SoCon’s head coaches. The media honored ASU’s success as well, as Edwards was a unanimous selection as the SoCon’s Roy M. “Legs” Hawley Offensive Player of the Year. The SoCon Sports Media Association also voted 15 Mountaineers to its all-conference teams, including nine first-team honorees.
Edwards repeats as payton winner; Drafted by NFl’s Panthers
Quarterback Armanti Edwards cemented his standing as the most decorated player in NCAA Division I FCS history when he became the first two-time winner of the Walter Payton Award. The Payton Award has been presented annually to the nation’s top FCS player since 1987. Edwards became the first two-time winner in the 23-year history of the award in a landslide vote by national media and sports information directors. He received 55 of a possible 108 first-place votes and 431 total points to easily out-distance Elon wide receiver Terrell Hudgins, who received 16 first-place votes and 268 points. Edwards will move less than 100 miles to begin his professional football career, as the Carolina Panthers selected him in the third round of the 2010 National Football League Draft (89th selection overall). Edwards is the 19th Mountaineer ever selected in the NFL Draft and the first since wide receiver Dexter Jackson and safety Corey Lynch were drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (second round) and Cincinnati Bengals (sixth round), respectively, in 2008. Edwards will be reunited with Jackson in the NFL, as Jackson signed with the Panthers’ organization during the 2009 season. As the No. 89 overall pick, Edwards was selected higher than all but five of ASU’s previous 18 NFL draftees.
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Appalachian Athletics
Cross Country/Track & Field Teams Reach New Heights •
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Men’s programs accomplish rare feat
ASU men’s outdoor track and field wrapped up its 17th Southern Conference title in April to complete the third leg of the SoCon triple crown (cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field championships in the same academic year). It was the fourth triple crown in school history and the first since 2002-03. Since 1975, no other SoCon program has won all three titles in the same year. Cross country placed four runners on the all-conference team and Mike Curcio earned Coach of the Year honors for the eighth time in his career. At the indoor championship, the Mountaineers snuck past Western Carolina by a margin of 209-207 to claim its second-straight indoor title. Junior Malcolm Styers swept the throwing events, while Patrick Morgan won the one-mile run and Brandon Hudgins took home first place in the 800m run. The distance medley team also took home first place. To win the outdoor title, Landon Powell swept the 100m and 200m dash events. Phillip Mitchell won the 5,000m and 10,000m runs, while Hudgins won the 1,500m race. ASU took home the 4x100m relay title and Styers won all three of his throwing events. John Weaver earned Coach of the Year honors while Powell was named the Most Outstanding Track Performer and Freshman of the Year. Styers was named Most Outstanding Field Performer and Most Valuable Athlete.
Caudle earns SoCon, all-region honors Women’s cross country freshman Brittney Caudle capped off a sensational rookie campaign by earning USTFCCA all-academic team honors. Caudle made quite a splash in 2009 for the Mountaineers. The Middletown, Md. native was named SoCon Runner of the Year after a dominant performance at October’s conference championship. Caudle won the individual title by more than 20 seconds, in the process becoming Appalachian’s first women’s cross country champion since 2003. In addition to her impressive achievments on the course, Caudle carried a 3.65 GPA in the fall semester as an art major.
Caudle’s 2009-10 Accolades SoCon Runner of the Year USTFCCA All-Region SoCon Runner of the Month (September) SoCon Runner of the Week (Two times) GoASU.com
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Men’s and Women’s Hardwood Teams Make Postseason Runs
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Behind Southern Conference Player of the Year Donald Sims, men’s basketball won 20 regular season games and advanced to the SoCon championship game for the first time since 2000. Sims and the Mountaineers then advanced to the postseason for just the fourth time in the program’s NCAA Division I history. In the CollegeInsider.com Tournament, the Apps knocked off Harvard and topseeded Marshall to advance to the semifinal. ASU won its third North division title in four seasons while Sims set numerous school records and led the nation in both three-pointers made (123) and free throw percentage (95.1). Sims and senior guard Kellen Brand each reached the 1,000-point mark for their careers over the course of the season as well.
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Guided by Southern Conference Coach of the Year Darcie Vincent, women’s hoops achieved one of its most successful seasons in program history in 200910. The Mountaineers tied for second in the SoCon regular season and advanced to the tournament semifinal, posting the best turnaround in school history with 23 wins on the year. The Apps, led by eight freshmen and sophomores, returned to the postseason for the first time in more than 10 years as it competed in the inaugural Women’s Basketball Invitational. ASU finished the season strong by winning the 16-team tournament by an average margin of 16.3 points in the four contests. ASU claimed the title with a 79-71 win against Memphis.
Appalachian Athletics
Three New Head Coaches on Board for 2010-11 Mike Kent, who served as Appalachian State University’s director of strength and conditioning from 1990-98, returned to Appalachian in the same capacity on Dec. 1. Kent has a quarter century of experience in the field, including the past 10 seasons overseeing the strength and conditioning programs at Kansas State (2007-09), Pittsburgh (2004-06) and Louisville (2000-03). In his decade in the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) ranks, he trained numerous NFL Draft picks, including 2009 first-round selection Josh Freeman (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) and Super Bowl XXXIX MVP Deion Branch (currently of the Seattle Seahawks). Prior to his stints at K-State, Pitt and Louisville, Kent spent the 90s in the NCAA Division I FCS ranks with nine years at Appalachian followed by a season at Eastern Kentucky. With the Mountaineers, Kent saw five of his pupils selected in the NFL Draft, most notably Dexter Coakley, who went on to make three Pro Bowl appearances during his 10-year career with the Dallas Cowboys and St. Louis Rams. For his efforts, Kent was named the 1995 Southern Conference Strength Coach of the Year.
Sarah Strickland, a twelve-year coaching veteran at the club, collegiate and national levels, was hired as the third women’s soccer head coach in Appalachian State University history on January 20, 2010. Strickland most recently was as an assistant coach at Mississippi State, where she served as the program’s recruiting coordinator and goalkeepers’ coach for the past two seasons. She was instrumental in MSU’s turnaround from four-consecutive losing seasons to a 9-8-2 record in 2009, the program’s first winning season in six years. During the successful ‘09 campaign, the Bulldogs set records for consecutive wins (eight) and shutouts (four) and achieved the highest RPI ranking in school history (No. 41). Under Strickland’s tutelage, goalkeeper Taryn Holland ranked second in SEC history with 368 career saves and set school records for saves and shutouts. Prior to her stint in the SEC, Strickland was a well-respected club soccer coach and administrator in Alabama for eight years. During that time, she served as the director of coaching for the Montgomery YMCA Capital City Streaks (2000-04), Girls’ Director of Coaching for the American Soccer Club (2004-06) and Staff Director for the Birmingham United Soccer Association (2006-07). Jason Capel was hired as the 15th men’s basketball head coach in Appalachian State University history on April 21. At just 30 years old, he was the youngest head coach in NCAA Division I for 20 days before Robert Morris hired 29-year old Andrew Toole on May 11. Capel first burst on to the national scene as a star forward at North Carolina from 1998-2002, where he was a two-time all-Atlantic Coast Conference selection (2001 and ‘02) and the Tar Heels’ leader in scoring (15.6 points per game, rebounds (8.6 per game) and steals (29) as a senior. He helped lead UNC to the Final Four in 2000, recorded the second triple-double in UNC history with 16 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists against Buffalo during the 2000-01 season and was a candidate for 2002 Wooden Award, which is presented annually to college basketball’s most outstanding player. After graduating from North Carolina with a B.A. in communication in 2002, Capel embarked on a professional playing career, which included successful stints in the NBA Developmental League and leagues in Japan, Italy and Serbia. In his first season as a pro, he averaged 11.3 points and 3.7 rebounds per game to help lead the NBDL’s Fayetteville Patriots, which were coached by his father, Jeff, to a league-best 32-18 record and a D-League Finals appearance. Last year, Capel helped lead the Mountaineers to the second-most victories in school history (24), their first Southern Conference Tournament title-game appearance since 2000 and a berth in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament (CIT).
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2009-10 Annual Report | 7
Baseball and Women’s Golf Boast Individual Honors Towarnicky earns prestigious honors In 2010, senior David Towarnicky wrapped up a stellar career for the Black and Gold and led the Mountaineers to one of their most successful campaigns in 20 years. Along the way, the first baseman earned numerous athletic and academic honors, including:
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First-Team Academic All-America (ASU’s first in any sport in 18 years) Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award finalist (One of 10 nationall) First-Team Academic All-District (Second-straight year) NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship Southern Conference Postgraduate Scholarship Wall Street Journal Academic Excellence honoree Walker College of Business top overall student
On the field, Towarnicky hit .303 with nine home runs and 50 RBI in 2010. He finished his career with a .304 batting average, 39 doubles, 22 home runs and 154 RBI (good for fourth in ASU history). He made 195 career starts, including a string of 121-straight to close out his career, and sported a .992 career fielding percentage with only 15 errors in 1,806 chances as a four-year starter at first base.
XU becomes first ASU woman to Win Golf Crown Despite being in college for less than one semester, Yue Xu did what no other ASU women’s golfer had done in program history when she won the individual title in April’s Southern Conference Tournament by three strokes. The Beijing, China native fired a first-round 69 to gain a lead and set a single-round program record. She was an even-par 72 in the second round and shot a 76 on the event’s third day to cruise to the one-over par win. Her final score of 217 was the lowest three-round total in ASU history. After enrolling at ASU in January, Xu placed in the top 10 in all six of her spring tournaments. Tournament Rounds=Total Place/Players Fighting Camel Classic 79-72=151 (+7) 5th / 54 Don Benbow Invitational 79-78=157 (+13) 7th / 62 Low Country Intercollegiate 74-80=154 (+10) T-10th / 74 Lady Seahawk Intercollegiate 75-75-83=233 (+17) T-9th / 51 Mimosa Hills Intercollegiate 76-71=147 (+3) 3rd / 78 SoCon Championship 69-72-76=217 (+1) 1st / 50
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Appalachian Athletics
2009-10 Sport Recaps Football
ASU became just the second team in the 77-year football history of the Southern Conference to win five-consecutive conference championships. The Apps extended their winning streak in conference games to 20, the secondlongest in SoCon history. ASU became just the third program in SoCon history with as many as 10 conference championships. After losing its first two games of the year, ASU won 11-straight games before falling at Montana, 24-17, in the national semifinals. ASU finished with a No. 3 national ranking, marking the fifth-straight year it finished in the top 5. Head coach Jerry Moore extended his own conference record by winning his seventh SoCon Coach of the Year award. Quarterback Armanti Edwards became the first two-time winner in the 23-year history of the Walter Payton Award, given to the nation’s top FCS player. Edwards finished his career as the first player in NCAA Division I (FCS or FBS) history with 10,000 passing yards and 4,000 rushing yards in a career. Edwards finished his career with 14,753 yards of total offense, second in FCS history behind only the late Steve McNair (16,823 at Alcorn State from 1991-94). Edwards became the first starting quarterback in SoCon history to lead his team to four conference championships. Edwards became the first four-time allAmerican in school history. Edwards finished his career with 64 school records and 14 Southern Conference records.
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men’s Basketball
A late-season surge and challenging non-conference schedule propelled ASU men’s basketball to its third SoCon North title in four years and to its first league tournament championship game since 2000. Led by Southern Conference Player of the Year Donald Sims, the Mountaineers won eight of their final nine regular season games and plowed through the SoCon Tournament quarterfinal and semifinal rounds by an average margin of 16.5 points before falling to South champion Wofford by a margin of 56-51 in the title game. Sims led the league in scoring and the nation in both free throw percentage and three-pointers made for the season en route to racking up numerous postseason accolades. Not content as SoCon runners-up, the Apps accepted a bid to the CollegeInsider. com Tournament, marking ASU’s fourth trip to the NCAA Division I postseason. ASU dominated Harvard in the opening round and went on the road to end Marshall’s season in the quarterfinals before returning home to face a determined Pacific squad. Despite a hellacious travel schedule leading up to the team’s arrival in Boone, the Tigers jumped out to an early lead and held on for a gritty 64-56 win. ASU’s 24-13 record on the year marked the second-most wins in program history, behind only 2006-07’s 25 wins and NIT berth.
men’s cross country
Men’s cross country took home their fifth consecutive Southern Conference title, and eighth in the past 10 years at the 2009 SoCon Cross Country championship. Phil Mitchell, Sean Soderman, and Alec Meyer were all named first-team all-SoCon after posting top-seven finishes. Josh Houser was named second-team all-SoCon after a 10th place finish, and Burk Staub and Brian Graves were each named to the all-freshman team. Coach Mike Curcio was named SoCon Coach of the Year for the eighth time. The Mountaineers closed the season ranked 11th in the USTFCCA Southeast regional poll. Other highlights from the 2009 season included a 13th place finish at the prestigious Paul Short Run in Bethlehem, Pa., in which the Mountaineers placed 13th out of 42 teams. Mitchell established a new schoolrecord in the 8,000m run at the Paul Short, posting a time of 23:56 to shatter the previous record set by Adam Van Nortwick in 2005 by 25 seconds. With four all-conference selections, the Apps equaled their total from the 2008 season, and placed three runners in the top-seven for the first time since 2007. The 44 team points scored at the SoCon Championship meet were the most since a 51 point performance at Chattanooga in 2006. For the year, the Mountaineers posted an overall head-to-head record of 89-29.
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2009-10 Sport Recaps MEn’s indoor track & field
Men’s indoor track and field took home their second consecutive SoCon Indoor title, and seventh since 2000 at the 2010 SoCon Indoor Championships. The Mountaineers had three individual conference champions including Malcolm Styers (weight throw, shot put), Patrick Morgan (mile run) and Brandon Hudgins (800m run). The distance medley relay team of Bud Galloway, Nick O’Keefe, Alex Taylor and Josh Houser also took home a conference title. Styers’ wins marked the second consecutive year that the Hickory native swept both throwing events at the indoor championship. Additionally, the Mountaineers had 11 athletes earn all-conference honors. The win marked coach John Weaver’s 21st SoCon championship since taking over the men’s program in 1995. Other highlights from the 2009-10 indoor season included a third-place finish as a team at the Tar Heel Invitational at North Carolina, and having five different athletes claim SoCon Athlete of the Week. Patrick Morgan established a new school record in the mile run, posting a time of 4:01.75 at the Akron Invitational in February to best the previous mark set by Todd Goewey in 1984, and Styers came within an inch of setting a new school record in the shot put at the NCAA Qualifier at Virginia Tech, posting the best mark by a Mountaineer since 2004.
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Men’s outdoor Track & Field
Men’s outdoor track and field won their seventh Southern Conference championship since 2001, in the process completing the rare triple crown. The victory marked the first time since 2002-2003 that the Mountaineers accomplished the feat, and the fourth such time in school history. Four athletes claimed individual conference championships including Malcolm Styers (shot put, discus and hammer throw), Phil Mitchell (5,000m and 10,000m run), Landon Powell (100m and 200m dash) and Brandon Hudgins (1500m run). Additionally, the 4x100m relay team of Powell, John Svoboda, Justin Thomas and Dennis Moore took home a conference championship as well. Powell was named SoCon Freshman of the Year and Most Valuable Track Performer, while Styers was named Most Valuable Field Athlete and Most Outstanding Athlete overall. John Svoboda was named SoCon Track Athlete of the Month for April. Phil Mitchell was named SoCon Track Athlete of the Month for March, and Jerod Gardner was named SoCon Field Athlete of the Week for the week of April 15. Two Mountaineers qualified for the NCAA Preliminary Rounds, with Darius Purcell placing 24th in the high jump and Malcolm Styers placing 39th in the shot. Styers also qualified for the NCAA Preliminaries in the hammer throw. Coach John Weaver was named SoCon Coach of the Year for the 37th time overall in his tenure at ASU.
women’s Basketball
Second year head coach Darcie Vincent led a revamped women’s basketball team to the best single season turnaround in school history in 2009-10. Vincent’s squad had one of the program’s best seasons in over 14 years, ending with a 23-12 record and 14-6 league mark. The 23 victories marked the secondmost wins in program history. The impressive marks continued as ASU captured the inaugural postseason Women’s Basketball Invitational championship, while having four players earn postseason honors and Vincent earning league Coach of the Year. The first half of the season saw numerous ups and downs, but the Mountaineers closed out 2009 on a promising note, drilling George Mason by 20 points at home. The winning mindset took over as ASU posted a seven-game winning streak in SoCon play. Appalachian continued its dominating play, and ended the regular season tied with Samford for the second place in the conference standings and advanced to the tournament semifinal. ASU was tabbed as the No. 1 seed in the first-ever WBI. Appalachian cruised past Charleston Southern, Fairfield and College of Charleston, winning by an average of 19 points to advance to the finals against Memphis on its home court. With just one upperclassman on the team in a playing capacity (Ramirez), and the graduation of lone senior Karina Mill who did not see any playing time due to a season-ending knee injury, Appalachian is primed for what seems to be yet another promising 2010-11 campaign.
Appalachian Athletics
2009-10 Sport Recaps WoMEn’s Cross Country
Women’s cross country finished third at the SoCon Cross Country championships, marking their highest finish since a runnerup spot in 2006. Freshman Brittney Caudle claimed the individual conference championship, as well as SoCon Freshman of the Year honors after winning the conference meet by over 20 seconds. Caudle was also named all-region after a 16th place finish at the NCAA Southeast regional. Senior Katie Booker earned secondteam all-SoCon honors with a 13th place finish, and freshman Trinity Foreman was named to the all-freshman team after placing 23rd. Other highlights from the 2009 season included a team victory at the Mountaineer Open, in which the Apps placed three runners in the top-12, including Caudle (first), Foreman (seventh) and junior Amy Neilson (12th) en route to a win over nine other teams, including Clemson and UNCWilmington. Caudle also established new school records for fastest 5,000m time for a freshman (17:47.32), fastest 6,000m time for a freshman (20:27), and fastest 6,000m time overall (20:27). The Mountaineers also posted a strong finish at the prestigious Paul Short Open with a 24th place finish out of 40 teams and Caudle as the top individual finisher at 11th overall. For the season, the Mountaineers overall record in head-to-head competition was 59-53.
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woMen’s Indoor Track & Field
Women’s indoor track and field finished second at the 2010 SoCon Indoor Championships, falling to rival Western Carolina by a count of 174.5-122. The Mountaineers had four individual conference champions including Ashley McKiver (60m dash), Julie Ward (pole vault), Danielle Thorpe (triple jump) and Trinity Foreman (3000m run). Thorpe’s win marked the second consecutive year that the Durham, N.C. native claimed the triple jump at the indoor championships, and Ward claimed the title in the pole vault for the second consecutive year as well. The Mountaineers also had 11 athletes earn all-conference accolades by virtue of top-three finishes at the conference meet, including Foreman who was named SoCon Freshman of the Year. Junior Kiara Crutchfield established a new school record in the pentathlon at the SoCon Indoor Championships with 3361 points, en route to a second-place finish overall. Other highlights from the 2009-10 season included a third-place finish as a team in the Tar Heel Invitational at North Carolina. Three performers (Whitney Smyre, Julie Ward and Ashley McKiver) were named SoCon Athlete of the Week during indoor season, and Smyre was named SoCon Field Athlete of the Month for January. At the Akron Invitational in February, 15 athletes set either season or personal-best marks, the highest total set at any meet during the 2009-10 season.
woMen’s Outdoor Track & Field
Women’s outdoor track and field hosted and placed second at the SoCon Outdoor Championships, finishing behind Western Carolina by a score of 221.5-144. Senior Danielle Thorpe was the lone Mountaineer to claim an individual conference title, winning the triple jump crown for the third consecutive season. In addition to Thorpe’s triple jump title, four Mountaineers earned all-conference honors including: Trinity Foreman (1500m run), Rebecca Hazeltine (high jump), Gayshawna Watkins (shot put) and Deanne Tiplady (javelin). Foreman, Watkins, Tiplady, D’Shawrna McLucas, Shenita Martin and Sarah Williamson were all named to the all-freshman team. Danielle Thorpe was named SoCon Field Athlete of the Month for April, and also claimed weekly honors from the league three times (March 25, April 8 and April 15). Freshman Shenita Martin was named SoCon Track Athlete of the Week for the week of April 22, and classmate Gayshawna Watkins was named SoCon Field Athlete of the Week for the week of April 22 as well. Two Mountaineers qualified for the NCAA Preliminary Rounds, with Danielle Thorpe placing 27th in the triple jump, and Rebecca Hazeltine placing 29th in the high jump.
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2009-10 Sport Recaps Wrestling
Volleyball
Baseball
ASU boasted three Southern Conference champions for the first time since 2003 to highlight head coach JohnMark Bentley’s first season at the helm. Appalachian finished the regular-season with a 9-11 record and went 3-2 in the Southern Conference. Redshirt sophomore Austin Trotman earned Southern Conference Wrestler of the Year honors, and won the Southern Conference Championship at 184 pounds to advance to the NCAA Championships. Trotman went 23-6 on the year and was unbeaten in SoCon matches. Sophomore Savva Kostis enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2010 that saw him go undefeated in the SoCon regular season and earn first-team all-conference honors. Junior Dylan Temple enjoyed his second-straight 20-win season and capped it by winning the Southern Conference Championship at 197 pounds. Temple cruised to an 8-2 victory over The Citadel’s Justin Sparrow to win the championship and earn his first berth to the NCAA Championships. True freshman Tony Gravely went on a late-season run and pulled the biggest upset at the SoCon Tournament by winning the conference championship. Gravely defeated top seed Demetrius Johnson 6-4 in overtime to advance to the finals and pinned UNC Greensboro’s Eric Chandler in the first period to win the championship and advance to the NCAA Championships.
Volleyball bounced back after a tough 2008 season, doubling its overall wins and more than tripling its conference victories in 2009. The Mountaineers came on strong at the end of the season, and compiled a 14-17 mark, including a 10-6 Southern Conference record. Along with three road tournaments, the Apps hosted the Appalachian Invitational in September. ASU went 1-2, grabbing a 3-1 win over Tennessee Tech. The Mountaineers then returned to their home court, and were able to eek out a 3-2 win over former conference foe ETSU. The road proved to be tough play place for ASU, as the Mountaineers were just 3-10 away from Boone, but a stout 9-3 in the Holmes Center, including 7-1 against conference opponents. Appalachian’s solid play grew through the season and ASU put itself in a position to qualify for the conference tournament, with just two teams from each division earning a spot. After completing the season sweep of UTC on the road, the Apps came back to Boone for two critical matches against UNCG and Elon. In what proved to be two thrilling contests, the Black and Gold beat both teams by a score of 3-2 and advanced to the conference tournament. Having to face defending tournament champion Furman in the first game of the 2009 SoCon Championships, ASU fell 3-0, despite a strong effort and the 2009 season came to a close. The program graduated three stellar seniors in Cassie Engelgau, Maja Jechorek and Becca Norris. Engelgau closed out her career second on ASU’s all-time digs list.
ASU’s 38 victories were the second-most in school history as the squad finished the season 38-18-1. ASU won 30-plus games for the fourthconsecutive season and posted a 14-14-1 mark in league action. ASU was one the final four teams remaining in the SoCon Tournament for the first time since 2001. ASU’s three SoCon Tournament wins were its most since 1991, after the squad defeated College of Charleston, Georgia Southern and Western Carolina. ASU’s 21-2 record in non-conference games was the second-best non-conference record in the nation (Arizona State was 27-1 in non-conference games). Wes Hobson hit .404 to become ASU’s first SoCon batting champion since 1998 (Mike Berrier). Hobson set ASU career records with 318 hits, 879 at-bats, 223 runs, 78 doubles and 504 total bases. Matt Andress became ASU’s all-time leader in career wins (26) and strikeouts (248). Chris Patterson set an ASU single-season record with 13 saves. Both Hobson and Patterson joined the professional ranks following the season, as Patterson was drafted in the 29th round by the St. Louis Cardinals and Hobson followed in the 40th round when he was selected by the San Francisco Giants.
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Appalachian Athletics
2009-10 Sport Recaps Softball
Men’s Tennis
Softball finished the 2010 season with a 27-25 record, the first winning season in the 10-year history of the program. ASU swept Western Carolina in the final three games of the season to finish over .500, led by Allie Cashion and Megan Rembielak, who went a combined 12-for-19 with 11 runs and six RBI in the series. Rembielak led ASU on the year with a .355 batting average, 61 hits and 36 runs scored. She also broke the school record for sacrifice bunts with 12. Junior Katie Boyd had another solid season, batting .339 with a team-best eight homers and 44 walks. This season she set school career records for runs, and RBI, and already holds home runs, slugging and on base pct. and walks. Sarah Rappe and McKenzie Phillips helped the Apps lead the SoCon win stolen bases. Rappe, who hit a career-best .293, stole a league-best 29 bases, while Phillips hit .329 and stole 21 bags. Caitlin Wainright led the pitching staff with a 12-8 record and 2.00 ERA. Frannie Seader pitched 22 games in relief, posting a 6-6 record and 2.51 ERA. The Black and Gold returns all starters and pitchers for 2011.
Having to replace two standouts from 2009 proved to be a challenge for men’s tennis in 2010, but the Mountaineers gained momentum at the end of the season and posted numerous strong performances, finishing with yet-again a double digit win mark, going 12-9 overall and 4-6 in conference play. The 2010 campaign started off with a bang, as the Black and Gold won four of their first five matches, grabbing wins over Liberty, Lees-McRae, Winston-Salem State and Catawba. SoCon play was no easy task, as Appalachian suffered fourstraight league losses, narrowly falling to Wofford 4-3, dropping a 5-2 decision to Furman and falling just short to No. 69 College of Charleston and Georgia Southern by 4-3 scores. ASU was able to rebound, winning tough matches against Chattanooga, Citadel and Samford, and closing out the season with a 6-1 drumming of Davidson. Appalachian graduated two solid seniors in Trent Constance and Peter Jacobs, who were both rewarded for their impressive doubles play throughout the season, as the duo was honored with first-team doubles all-SoCon honors. Constance and Jacobs wen t 16-4 at the top doubles spot and were 9-1 in SoCon action.
men’s soccer
Field Hockey
Men’s soccer won their final four games of the season and finished with an 8-8-1 record for the 2009 campaign. The 2009 season was an up-and-down season that started on a high with a 10-0 win over Emory and Henry. ASU struggled in its next two games, falling to Radford and Liberty before getting back on track with a win over a tough Alabama A&M team and a 1-1 tie against NCAA tournament participant West Virginia. ASU struggled to begin the SoCon slate, dropping their first three games but were able to come back and beat No. 21 ranked Davidson on a goal by J.J. Elder. With the win over the Wildcats, it marked ASU’s first win over a top 25 team since beating Furman in 1992. Appalachian finished on a four-game winning streak to finish the year 8-8-1. Senior Arie Muniz led the team in goals (6) and points (16) on the year while freshmen Tyler Regan and Elder tied for second on the team with points apiece. ASU put four players on the all-Southern Conference team. Muniz was named to the first-team for the second year in a row while Elder, David Dodge and Kojo Thompson were all named to the all-freshman team.
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Field hockey had its most successful season since 2004, finishing the 2009 campaign with a record of 6-15. Senior Jesse Harris and junior Nicole Morgan were both named first-team all-NorPac, marking the first time since 2003 that Appalachian garnered a first-team selection, and the only the second time since joining the league in 2000 that the Mountaineers had multiple first-team all-conference selections. Sophomore Lauren Kloeppinger was also named to the NorPac all-tournament team after a strong defensive effort at the conference tournament in Palo Alto, Calif. Sophomore Bridgette Street finished second in the nation in total saves with 224, the sixth-highest single season total in ASU history, and was named the NorPac East Division Defensive Player of the Week a staggering four times. ASU’s best stretch of 2009 came during a three-game winning streak from Oct. 27 – Nov. 2, in which the Apps defeated Robert Morris, Catawba and conference foe UC-Davis. For the season, Morgan and freshman Lisa Charney led the team with 12 points apiece, with Morgan leading the team in goals (6), while Charney tied for the team lead with two assists.
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2009-10 Sport Recaps Women’s Soccer
Men’s golf
Appalachian State University women’s soccer started the 2010 season 3-1, the program’s best start since 2005, and went on to finish the year with a 6-9-4 record. The Mountaineers went 3-5-3 in the Southern Conference and picked up wins over Davidson and Furman. It was the second and third wins, respectively over the two school’s and the first time in ASU history to defeat both in the same season. Goalkeeper Caroline Clarke had an outstanding season, tying the single-season school record with seven shutouts. She made 87 saves on the year and finished with a 0.90 goals against average. Katy Dodd led the team with four goals and nine points while Sydney Hill chipped in three goals, two assists and eight points. Appalachian was a young team, as seven freshmen saw significant minutes, and five players scored their first career goal: Hannah Coad, Meggie Graham, Taylor Dunlap and Kaitlin Baker. Graham was the only Mountaineer to earn a postseason honor, garnering SoCon all-freshman accolades. Graham had a goal and an assist on the year, firing 20 shots with 10 on goal.
Senior Casey Johnson capped off a tremendous career at Appalachian with a solid senior campaign in 2009-10. Johnson fired a 69-67-71=207 (-9) at the Spring Hill Suites Intercollegiate to pick up an individual title. Johnson went on to pace ASU with seven top-20 finishes on the season and a team-best 73.28 stroke average on the year. The Mountaineers took home third place at the Mission Inn Intercollegiate in October near Orlando, and finished fifth in backto-back competitons in the spring season as well, also in Florida. Appalachian’s lowest round of the season came in the first 18 holes at the Southern Conference Tournament in Florence, S.C., as the team shot a 290 and a share of second place at the event. ASU’s hot start cooled a bit in the latter rounds of the conference championship as the Apps placed eighth at the event. Fellow senior Jacob Eggers also had a solid finish to his career in the Black and Gold, including a fifth place finish at the Spring Fling Intercollegiate in March. Head coach Bill Dicus’ squad returns four juniors for 2010-11 and is poised to compete with the top teams in the Southern Conference.
Women’s golf
women’s tennis
Yue Xu needed just three months to accomplish what no other ASU women’s golfer had done: win the Southern Conference Tournament. Xu carded the lowest 18-hole score in Appalachian history when she jumped out to an early lead at the tournament with a 69 in the opening round. The Beijing, China native followed it up with a 72 and 76 to cruise to a three-stroke victory at one over-par. The young Mountaineers finished eighth as a team. ASU boasted several team accomplishments earlier in the spring as well, as the Apps finished second at the Campbell Fighting Camel Classic, marking the highest finish for ASU in more than five seasons. The Apps then replicated the feat at the Mimosa Hills Intercollegiate in Morganton. All told, the Mountaineers - led by three freshmen - tallied 10 top-10 team finishes in 11 events on the year. Heather Brown’s team also took home third place at the Boscobel Intercollegiate and fourth at Don Benbow Invitational. Though the team loses senior Brooke DeHart, ASU returns five underclassmen who competed in at least 12 rounds this year.
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Youth proved to be the foundation of a talented women’s tennis team during the 2010 season. A much-improved Mountaineer squad ended with a 9-13 record and 2-8 league tally. The Apps captured wins in six of their first nine matches. Highlighted by victories over in-state opponents in NC A&T, LeesMcRae and Winston-Salem State, Appalachian’s most impressive win during the streak came in a 4-3 fashion over Longwood. As always, SoCon play proved to be a challenge, with the Apps opening up league play on the road at Chattanooga. The Black and Gold fell 5-2 to the Lady Mocs, and things did not get much easier as ASU suffered a 7-0 loss to Elon shortly after. Paced by freshman Ellie Linsell, Appalachian grabbed its first SoCon win of the season, 5-2 over Wofford. Linsell posted a standout freshman campaign, compiling a team-best record at the number one spot, going 13-9 on the season and 5-5 in SoCon action. The England native was rewarded for her strong performances, as she was honored with second-team all-conference and all-freshman honors. The Apps graduated just one senior in Caroline Mauch, returning five starters for 2011.
Appalachian Athletics
Athletic Awards and Honors Football Overall record: 11-3 Southern Conference record (finish): 8-0 (1st) Honors and Awards: Liberty Mutual FCS Coach of the Year (Jerry Moore); AFCA Regional Coach of the Year (Jerry Moore); Southern Conference Coach of the Year (Jerry Moore); Walter Payton Award winner (Armanti Edwards); AFCA FCS Assistant Coach of the Year (Mark Speir); Eddie Robinson Award finalist (Jerry Moore); Buck Buchanan Award finalist (Mark LeGree); All-America (Mario Acitelli, Armanti Edwards, Cortez Gilbert, Mark LeGree, Jacque Roman, D.J. Smith); Southern Conference Offensive Player of the Year (Armanti Edwards); All-Southern Conference (Mario Acitelli, Malcolm Bennett, Armanti Edwards, Jabari Fletcher, Ed Gainey, Cortez Gilbert, CoCo Hillary, Brett Irvin, Ben Jorden, Mark LeGree, Pat Mills, Devon Moore, Jacque Roman, D.J. Smith, Lanston Tanyi, Jason Vitaris); Southern Conference All-Freshman (Michael Frazier, Justin Lloyd, Sam Martin); Southern Conference Player of the Month (Armanti Edwards, Mark LeGree, D.J. Smith); National Player of the Week (Armanti Edwards - 2X, D.J. Smith); Southern Conference Player of the Week (Armanti Edwards - 2X, Mark LeGree - 2X, Devon Moore, D.J. Smith, Jason Vitaris); Academic All-Southern Conference (Rod Chisholm, Orry Frye, Tim Frye, Brad Hardee, Justin Lloyd, Sam Martin, Cougar Norris, Xan Thomas) Men’s Basketball Overall record: 24-13 Southern Conference record (finish): 11-5 (1st - North) Honors and Awards: Southern Conference Player of the Year (Donald Sims); All-Southern Conference (Donald Sims); All-District (Donald Sims); All-State (Donald Sims); Southern Conference Player of the Month (Donald Sims); Southern Conference Player of the Week (Donald Sims - 3X); Southern Conference All-Tournament (Kellen Brand, Donald Sims); CIT All-Tournament (Donald Sims) Men’s Cross Country Southern Conference finish: 1st Honors and Awards: Southern Conference Coach of the Year (Mike Curcio); All-Southern Conference (Phil Mitchell, Sean Soderman, Alec Meyer, Josh Houser); Southern Conference all-freshman (Burk Staub, Brian Graves); Southern Conference Runner of the Week (Phil Mitchell); Academic All-Southern Conference (Josh Houser, Mike Walker, Brian Graves) Men’s Indoor Track and Field Southern Conference finish: 1st Southern Conference champions: Bud Galloway, Nick O’Keefe, Alex Taylor, Josh Houser (distance medley relay); Brandon Hudgins (800m run); Patrick Morgan (mile run); Malcolm Styers (shot put, weight throw) Honors and Awards: All-Southern Conference (Matt Boruff, Tyler Combs, Bud Galloway, Josh Houser, Brandon Hudgins, Patrick Morgan, Nick O’Keefe, Landon Powell, Darius Purcell, Malcolm Styers John Svoboda, Alex Taylor, Nick Zeller); Southern Conference allfreshman (Trey Jones, Landon Powell, Collin Reber, Alex Taylor, Brad Triplett) Southern Conference Athlete of the Month (Malcolm Styers); Southern Conference Athlete of the Week (Bud Galloway, Patrick Morgan, Darius Purcell - 2X, Alex Taylor, Malcolm Styers) Men’s Outdoor Track and Field Southern Conference finish: 1st Southern Conference champions: Landon Powell (100m dash, 200m dash, 4x100m relay), John Svoboda (4x100m relay), Justin Thomas (4x100m relay), Dennis Moore (4x100m relay), Malcolm Styers (shot put, hammer, discus), Phil Mitchell (5,000m run, 10,000m run), Brandon Hudgins (1500m run) Honors and Awards: Southern Conference Coach of the Year (John Weaver); Southern Conference Most Outstanding Athlete (Malcolm Styers); Southern Conference Most Valuable Track Performer (Landon Powell); Southern Conference Most Outstanding Field Performer (Malcolm Styers); Southern Conference Freshman of the Year (Landon Powell); All-Southern Conference (Landon Powell, Dennis Moore, John Svoboda, Alex Taylor, Brandon Hudgins, Phil Mitchell, AJ Dohanic, Trey Jones, Sean Soderman, Darius Purcell, Malcolm Styers, Jerod Gardner, Tim Daly,
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Tyler Combs); Southern Conference all-freshman (Alex Taylor, Trey Jones, Tyler Combs, Landon Powell, Justin Thomas, Brad Triplett); Southern Conference Athlete of the Month (Phil Mitchell); Southern Conference Athlete of the Week (Jerod Gardner, John Svoboda) Women’s Basketball Overall record: 23-12 Southern Conference record (finish): 14-6 (t-2nd) Women’s Basketball Invitational champion Honors and Awards: Southern Conference Coach of the Year (Darcie Vincent); All-Southern Conference (Sam Ramirez); Southern Conference all-freshman (Ashlen Dewart, Anna Freeman); Southern Conference Player of the Week (Ashlen Dewart, Sam Ramirez); Southern Conference All-Tournament (Anna Freeman, Chakeitha Weldon); WBI MVP (Ashlen Dewart); WBI All-Tournament (Ashlen Dewart, Anna Freeman) Women’s Cross Country Southern Conference finish: 3rd Honors and Awards: Southern Conference champion (Brittany Caudle); Southern Conference Freshman of the Year (Brittany Caudle); NCAA All-Region (Brittany Caudle); All-Southern Conferenece (Brittany Caudle, Katie Booker); Southern Conference all-freshman (Brittany Caudle, Trinity Foreman); Southern Conference Runner of the Month (Brittany Caudle); Southern Conference Runner of the Week (Brittany Caudle - 2X); Academic All-Southern Conference (Hannah Parks, Dani Reese, Natalie Shaw, Stephanie Chapman) Women’s Indoor Track and Field Southern Conference finish: 2nd Southern Conference champions: Trinity Foreman (3000m run), Ashley McKiver (60m dash), Danielle Thorpe (triple jump), Julie Ward (pole vault) Honors and Awards: Southern Conference Freshman of the Year (Trinity Foreman); All-Southern Conference (Ashley Beale, Kiara Crutchfield, Asia Dunlap, Trinity Foreman, Rebecca Hazeltine, Ashley McKiver, Hannah Parks, Dani Reese, Danielle Thorpe, Julie Ward, Gayshawna Watkins); Southern Conference all-freshman (Trinity Foreman, Gayshawna Watkins) Southern Conference Athlete of the Month (Whitney Smyre); Southern Conference Athlete of the Week (Ashley McKiver, Whitney Smyre, Julie Ward) Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Southern Conference finish: 2nd Southern Conference champions: Danielle Thorpe (triple jump) Honors and Awards: All-Southern Conference (Trinity Foreman, Danielle Thorpe, Kiara Crutchfield, Rebecca Hazeltine, Gayshawna Watkins, Whitney Smyre, Deanne Tiplady, Christina Parker, Ashley McKiver, Lynda Hiller, Shenita Martin, D’Shawrna McLucas); Southern Conference all-freshman (Deanne Tiplady, Gayshawna Watkins, Trinity Foreman, D’Shawrna McLucas, Shenita Martin, Sarah Williamson); Southern Conference Athlete of the Week (Danielle Thorpe, Gayshawna Watkins, Shenita Martin) Wrestling Overall record: 9-11 Southern Conference record (finish): 3-2 (3rd) Southern Conference champions/NCAA qualifiers: Tony Gravely, Dylan Temple, Austin Trotman Honors and Awards: Southern Conference Wrestler of the Year (Austin Trotman); All-Southern Conference (Savva Kostis, Austin Trotman); Southern Conference all-freshman (Jacob Earp); Southern Conference Wrestler of the Week (Kyle Blevins, Austin Trotman - 2X) Volleyball Overall record: 14-17 Southern Conference record (finish): 10-6 (2nd - North) Honors and Awards: Southern Conference Player of the Week (Maja Jechorek); Southern Conference Academic All-Conference (Cassie Engelgau, Caroline Sedon, Maggie Seeds, Lauren Swecker)
Baseball Overall record: 38-18-1 Southern Conference record (finish): 14-14-1 (6th) Honors and Awards: All-America (Wes Hobson); Academic All-America (David Towarnicky); Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award finalist (David Towarnicky); NCBWA Stopper of the Year nominee (Chris Patterson); National Pitcher of the Year quarterfinalist (Chris Patterson); All-State (Wes Hobson); Academic All-District (David Towarnicky); All-Southern Conference (Wes Hobson, Chris Patterson, Jerod Faggart); Southern Conference all-freshman (Hector Crespo, Ryan Stetson); Southern Conference Player of the Month (Wes Hobson, Chris Patterson); Southern Conference Player of the Week (Matt Andress, Nathan Hyatt, Chris Patterson, Wes Hobson); Southern Conference Student-Athlete of the Week (David Towarnicky); Southern Conference AllTournament (Chris Alessandria, Wes Hobson, Hector Crespo) Softball Overall record: 27-25 Southern Conference record (finish): 11-12 (6th) Honors and Awards: All-Southern Conference (Katie Boyd, Michelle Lighton, Sarah Rappe, Megan Rembielak); Southern Conference all-freshman (Allie Cashion, Frannie Seader); Southern Conference Player of the Week (McKenzie Phillips, Katie Boyd); Southern Conference Student-Athlete of the Week (Megan Rembielak - 2X) Men’s Tennis Overall record: 12-9 Southern Conference record (finish): 4-6 (5th) Honors and Awards: All-Southern Conference (Trent Constance, Peter Jacobs) Men’s Soccer Overall record: 8-8-1 Southern Conference record (finish): 3-4 (t-5th) Honors and Awards: All-Southern Conference (Arie Muniz); All-Region (Arie Muniz); All-State (J.J. Elder); Southern Conference all-freshman (David Dodge, J.J. Elder, Kojo Thompson); Academic All-District (Sean Dreybus); Academic All-Southern Conference (Mark Bridges, Sean Dreybus, Ryan Duffy, Antonio Harley); Southern Conference Student-Athlete of the Week (Sean Dreybus) Field Hockey Overall record: 6-15 NorPac record (finish): 1-5 (4th - East) Honors and Awards: All-NorPac (Jesse Harris, Nicole Morgan); NorPac Player of the Week (Bridgette Street 4X, Nicole Morgan - 2X, Denise Adams, Lisa Charney, Kelsey Dorset); All-NorPac Tournament (Lauren Kloeppinger) Women’s Soccer Overall record: 6-9-4 Southern Conference record (finish): 3-5-3 (8th) Honors and Awards: Southern Conference allfreshman (Meggie Graham); Academic All-Southern Conference (Katy Dodd, Shannon Healy, Caroline Lowe); Southern Conference Student-Athlete of the Week (Katy Dodd) Men’s Golf Southern Conference finish: 8th Honors and Awards: Spring Hill Suites Intercollegiate medalist (Casey Johnson) Women’s Golf Southern Conference finish: 8th Honors and Awards: Southern Conference Tournament medalist (Yue Xu); Southern Conference all-freshman (Yue Xu) Women’s Tennis Overall record: 9-13 Southern Conference record (finish): 2-8 (9th) Honors and Awards: All-Southern Conference (Ellie Linsell); Southern Conference all-freshman (Ellie Linsell)
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Academic Awards and Honors Coleman Lew Leadership Award Dani Reese (women’s cross country/track and field) D.J. Smith (football) Southern Conference Dorothy Hicks Graduate Scholarship Mary Kate Bowman (women’s golf ) Southern Conference Camp Champs Graduate Scholarship David Towarnicky (baseball) Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award Finalist David Towarnicky (baseball) CoSIDA/ESPN the Magazine First Team Academic All-America David Towarnicky (baseball) CoSIDA/ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District Sean Dreybus (men’s soccer) David Towarnicky (baseball) National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) National Academic Team Award Field Hockey National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) National Academic Team Award Women’s Cross Country United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCA) National Academic Team Award Women’s Cross Country National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) National All-Academic Team Stephanie Childress Kelsey Dorset Kate Garnet Jessie Harris Lauren Kloeppinger Casey Lammando Hannah Martin Lesley Thomas Christine Zanowicz United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCA) National All-Academic Team Brittney Caudle American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award Volleyball Southern Conference Student-Athlete of the Week Katie Dodd (women’s soccer) Sean Dreybus (men’s soccer) David Towarnicky (baseball) Megan Rembielak (softball)
Academic All-Conference
Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Ashley Beale, Michelle Brutus, Stephanie Chapman, Naadia Crutchfield, Kelsey Hanger, Bridgette Hills, Amy Neilson, Hannah Parks, Dani Reese, Natalie Shaw, Charlotte Walsh Women’s Indoor Track and Field Amy Neilson, Kelsey Hanger, Michelle Brutus, Natalie Shaw, Bridgette Hills, Dani Reese, Stephanie Chapman, Naadia Crutchfield, Hannah Parks, Ashley Beale Football Rod Chisholm, Cougar Norris, Xan Thomas, Tim Frye, Orry Frye, Brad Hardee, Justin Lloyd, Sam Martin Volleyball Maggie Seeds, Lauren Swecker, Cassie Engelgau, Caroline Sedon, Becca Norris, Maja Jechorek Men’s Soccer Sean Dreybus, Ryan Duffy, Mark Bridges, Antonio Harley Women’s Cross Country Hannah Parks, Dani Reese, Natalie Shaw, Stephanie Chapman Men’s Indoor Track and Field Nick Zeller, Brian Graves, Josh Houser, Matthew Boruff, Michael Walker Baseball Chris Alessandria, Matt Andress, Seth Grant, Taylor Miller, David Port, David Towarnicky, Chris Trappy Women’s Tennis Gisela Fernandez, Caroline Mauch, Olivia Stannard Men’s Outdoor Track and Field Brian Graves, Josh Houser, Michael Walker, Nick Zeller Men’s Cross Country Josh Houser, Mike Walker, Brian Graves Women’s Soccer Katy Dodd, Shannon Healy, Caroline Lowe Wrestling Dylan Temple, Savva Kostis Men’s Golf Dustin Hudson Men’s Tennis Alain Humblet Softball Megan Rembielak Women’s Golf Brooke DeHart Men’s Basketball Andre Williamson
16 | 2009-10 Annual Report
Appalachian Athletics
Appalachian Athletics Center
A three-tiered press level towers abo ve the field on the building’s top floor.
A look inside one of 19 VIP suites. The spacious locker room provides the team a comfortable setting.
Players meet and watch film in the Mountaineer Room. The expansive weight room measures 8,000 square feet.
The Chancellor’s suite offers spectacular views of both the game and campus.
The hydrotherapy pool has a built-in treadmill for injury rehab.
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2009-10 Annual Report | 17
Yosef Club Raises $2.5 Million For the fifth-consecutive year, donations to the Yosef Club, which provides scholarship and facility support for Appalachian State University student-athletes, reached a record high in 2009-10. The total amount raised for the fiscal year totaled $2,500,075. Sparked by a successful seven-city tour and the beginning of football season ticket sales, the Yosef Club raised over $450,000 in donations in April. The $455,492 donated to the Yosef Club in April was the second-highest monthly total ever for the 38-year-old fundraising organization, behind only the same month in 2008. In 2008-09, the Yosef Club raised $2,424,630 to provide scholarships and facilities for Appalachian’s 450-plus student-athletes in 20 varsity sports.
2010
$2,500,075 $2,424,630
2009
$2,295,010
2008
$1,376,441
2007
$1,042,704
2006
$664,500
2005 2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
record numbers of Mountaineer Fans Show support Along with the growth experienced in terms of Athletic Development, Appalachian saw average regular-season football attendance top the 25,000-mark and lead NCAA Division I FCS for the third season in a row, with an average of 25,969 fans at six regular-season home games in 2009. Additionally, women’s basketball was one of 33 winners in the annual NCAA Division I “Pack the House” Challenge. “Pack the House” is a national effort in which conferences and institutions compete to build attendance. The NCAA Division I women’s basketball marketing staffs selected a home game and designated that date as a “Pack the House” game with the goal of setting an attendance record. One winner from each of the 32 conferences and one from a group of independent institutions were named. The NCAA will award prizes and donate $500 to the nonprofit organization of each winning institution’s choice. Appalachian State hosted 1,576 fans at its women’s basketball game on January 23 against Davidson, one that saw the Black and Gold complete the season sweep of the Wildcats. The 1,576 Mountaineer faithful set a new Holmes Center attendance record for an ASU women’s contest.
Highest Attended Home Games in 2009-10 (by sport) Football Men’s Basketball Women’s Basketball Baseball Men’s Soccer
30,098 vs. Western Carolina 5,074 vs. Western Carolina 1,576* vs. Davidson 969* vs. Western Carolina 578 vs. Wofford
18 | 2009-10 Annual Report
Volleyball Women’s Soccer Softball Field Hockey
390 vs. Elon 350 vs. UNC Asheville 206 vs. Virginia Tech 200 vs. Villanova
* - Facility record Appalachian Athletics
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Appalachian State University Athletics 425 Jack Branch Drive Boone, NC 28608 2009-10 Annual Report | 19 www.GoASU.com