2017-18 ATHLETICS ANNUAL REPORT
2017-18 ANNUAL REPORT CONTENTS 2017 OVC CHAMPIONS
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HARD. HIGH. GONE!
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FALL RECAP
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WINTER RECAP
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SPRING RECAP
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HONOR ROLL
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OHIO VALLEY CONFERENCE
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IN THE CLASSROOM
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GOVERNORS SPOTLIGHT
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TROPHY CASE
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GOVERNORS SPOTLIGHT
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COACHES OF THE YEAR
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GOVS’ CUP
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2018 ESPEAYS
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ATHLETICS HALL OF FAME
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GOVS IN THE PROS
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ANNUAL GIVING
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ALUMNI EVENTS
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FACILITY UPGRADES
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CORPORATE PARTNERS
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A DIPLOMA IN ONE HAND
IBC
GOVERNING MOMENTS Beginning on the next page, look for the top moments, 44 in all, from the 2017-18 season. The 2017-18 Austin Peay Athletics Annual Report was written and designed by the Athletics Communications Office with assistance from the Athletics Video Services Office. Director of Athletics Communications: Cody Bush Associate Director of Athletics Communications: Colby Wilson Athletics Communications Assistants: Meagan Rummage and Dylan Schwartz Director of Video Services: Taylor Wiseman PHOTO CREDITS Austin Peay Public Relations Office (Taylor Slifko, Beth Lowary, Hunter Abrams, Henry Kilpatrick, Sean McCully); Austin Peay Athletics (Carder Henry, Tres Lawless, Colby Wilson, Kevin Young); Don Liebig; Michael Millay; Ryan Meyer Photography; Karl Roser/Pittsburgh Steelers; Robert Smith; Ralph Thompson/Sacramento River Cats; Scott Wachter & Andy Hayt/San Diego Padres; Michael Wade; Washington Nationals Baseball Club; Steve Woltmann/Intersport. Governing Moment Photos and head shots all by APSU Athletics unless otherwise noted.
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(Robert Smith/APSU Athletics)
GOVERNING MOMENT: JULY 24, 2017 OVC FOOTBALL MEDIA DAY. Sporting their game day red blazers, JaVaughn Craig and Malik Boynton represented Austin Peay at OVC Football Media Day ahead of the start of fall camp. Austin Peay was picked to finish ninth in the league’s preseason poll, a prediction that would not stand the test of time.
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2017 OVC CHAMPIONS
GOVERNING MOMENT: AUG. 9, 2017 17 GOVS EARN ACADEMIC MEDAL OF HONOR. Academic standards continued to rise as 17 Governors earned the Ohio Valley Conference Academic Medal of Honor as the student-athlete with the highest GPA in a league-sponsored sport. Among them were five of the six Governors composing the Austin Peay women’s tennis team.
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Austin Peay’s volleyball team poses with the 2017 Ohio Valley Conference regular-season trophy after defeating Southeast Missouri to clinch the title. (APSU Athletics)
GOVERNING MOMENT: AUG. 26, 2017 VOLLEYBALL DOWNS #19 MISSOURI. In welcoming 19th-ranked Missouri to campus, Austin Peay volleyball had an opportunity to set an early-season tone and the Govs took advantage, toppling the SEC giant in a five-setter at the Dunn Center. Aided by 14 total aces, 20 Ashley Slay kills and 57 assists from Kristen Stucker, Austin Peay rallied from a 10-5 deficit in the fifth set for the win in front of a raucous home crowd.
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HARD. HIGH. GONE!
GOVERNING MOMENT: SEPT. 9, 2017 CLAUDIA WINS APSU FALL INVITATIONAL. Claudia Yanes Garcia was the individual champion for the Governors in their early-season home event, the 2017 APSU Fall Tennis Invitational, dropping only one set en route to the championship against twin sister Lidia. The duo also advanced to the semifinals in the top doubles flight in the Governors’ first tournament back after the summer break.
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Parker Phillips takes a swing during the 2018 Rocket Mortgage by Quicken Loans College Home Run Derby at TD Ameritrade Park Omaha. He advanced to the second round and finished with 20 home runs in front of 17,619 fans and a national television audience on ESPN2 (Steve Woltmann/Intersport)
GOVERNING MOMENT: SEPT. 16, 2017 FCS’ LONGEST LOSING STREAK ENDS. Through trials and tribulations, the day Austin Peay football fans had waited for finally arrived as the Govs throttled Morehead State 69-13 in the 2017 home opener to snap the nation’s longest losing streak. Ten times, Governor runners found the end zone, an OVC record, including four from the feet of sophomore quarterback JaVaughn Craig, earning himself OVC co-Offensive Player of the Week.
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FALL RECAP FOOTBALL
(8-4 OVERALL, 7-1 OVC) • The Governors’ 8-4 record in 2017 was a 7½-game improvement over its 2016 record. That was the seventh-best single-season turnaround in FCS Football history and best by any FCS program since 2004. • Austin Peay went 7-1 in OVC play, setting a program record for league wins, and its second-place finish in the OVC was its best since 1980. • Head Coach Will Healy received the STATS FCS Eddie Robinson National Coach of the Year Award and the Roy Kidd OVC Coach of the Year. • Jaison Williams was named to Associated Press FCS second-team All-America and was a finalist for STATS FCS Buck Buchanan Award for FCS Defensive Player of the Year. He was one of five athletes named to the All-OVC teams. • Jeremiah Oatsvall became the first Governors football player to earn OVC Freshman of the Year honors and was one of three athletes named to the league’s All-Newcomer Team. • Two Govs were invited to professional camps after their Austin Peay careers wrapped up; Malik Boynton got a rookie camp invitation from the Pittsburgh Steelers, while Kyran Moore headed north of the border to play for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League. Jeremiah Oatsvall (APSU Athletics)
CROSS COUNTRY
• Men’s cross country team rounded out its season with its best Ohio Valley Conference finish since 2010, earning a bid to the NCAA South Regionals, its first since 2013. • The men posted the best team season average since 1986, with senior Mathew Biwott leading the way with a 10-kilometer time of 25:32.8. • Women’s cross country finished their conference season with the highest finish at the OVC Championships since 2014. • Emmaculate Kiplagat posted the second fastest time in school history, 22:09.4, at the NCAA South Regionals six-kilometer course.
Govs men’s cross country team. (APSU Athletics)
GOVERNING MOMENT: SEPT. 16, 2017 SLAY NOTCHES 1,000TH KILL. With her ninth kill of the night against Presbyterian, Ashley Slay became the 14th player in program history to record 1,000 kills in a three-set rout of the Blue Hose. Adding to the exclusivity of her achievement, Slay, a middle blocker by trade, became just the fourth middle to reach 1,000 kills, joining Amy Walk, Kim Smith and Jessica Mollmann. The Govs would win the Dolphin Invite title with a 3-0 mark, while Slay picked up tournament MVP honors.
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The Governors volleyball team rushes the court after clinching the OVC tournament title match.
VOLLEYBALL
(30-6 OVERALL, 14-2 OVC) • • • • • • • • • •
(Kevin Young/APSU Athletics)
The Govs’ program-record 30-win campaign included a program-record 27 wins in regular-season play. The 2017 Governors became the first team to win both the regular-season and tournament titles in the same season. Austin Peay made its second-ever appearance in the NCAA Volleyball Tournament, facing UCLA in the opening round. Taylor Mott was named the OVC Coach of the Year, the second Govs coach to earn the honor and first since 1992. Ashley Slay was named OVC Player of the Year and Kristen Stucker was the league’s Setter of the Year for a second consecutive season. They were two of a program-record four Govs named to the All-OVC Teams. Brooke Moore was named the OVC Tournament’s Most Valuable Player, the first freshman to earn the honor in league history. Slay finished her career ranked among the program’s Top 5 in career blocks (344), attack percentage (.273) and kills (1,286). Stucker became the first Govs setter to record 1,500 single-season assists and enters her senior season ranked No. 5 in career assists. The Govs led all Tennessee Division I volleyball programs in victories for a second consecutive year. Their 54 wins the last two seasons are 16 more than any other program in the state. A program-record 1,100 attended the OVC Championship match against Murray State, an epic come-from-behind five-set victory for the Governors.
SOCCER
(8-7-3 OVERALL, 3-4-3 OVC) • Naomi Kolarova took over the program December 21, 2017, after being named the second women’s soccer coach in Austin Peay history. • Kirstin Robertson was named first-team All-OVC while Morgan Drawdy earned second-team All-OVC as well as All-Newcomer honors. • The Governors made their second straight — and seventh all-time — appearance in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament in the 2017 season. The Govs soccer team celebrates after scoring a goal. (APSU Athletics)
GOVERNING MOMENT: SEPT. 23, 2017 KIPLAGAT WINS APSU INVITE. Even with a late move to Liberty Park, Austin Peay’s Emmaculate Kiplagat had no trouble adjusting to the new course. The Kenyan notched her first career cross-country victory at the 2017 APSU Invitational with a wire-to-wire 18:07.7 run, lopping 30 seconds off her time the previous week and propelling the Govs to a second-place team finish before a boisterous home crowd.
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WINTER RECAP MEN’S BASKETBALL (19-15 OVERALL, 12-6 OVC)
• Terry Taylor earned OVC Freshman of the Year, All-OVC and All-Newcomer honors, becoming the first to win that trifecta. • Averyl Ugba also collected All-Newcomer and All-OVC honors; following Austin Peay’s postseason bid, he participated in the inaugural Dos Equis 3-on-3 National Championship in San Antonio during Final Four weekend. • In his first season, head coach Matt Figger was named OVC Coach of the Year after leading the Govs to 19 wins (most since 2010-11). He is the only Austin Peay head coach besides Dave Loos to win the honor in his first year in the league and the fourth in program history. He also was a finalist for the Hugh Durham National Coach of the Year Award, given annually to the best mid-major head coach. • The Govs’ 12 OVC wins were the most by an Austin Peay team since the 2010-11 season. • In November, the Govs defeated Bethel in the first-ever college basketball contest hosted at Fort Campbell. • The Govs earned a bid to the CollegeInsiders.com Tournament, hosting the first two rounds at the Dunn Center and winning the John McClendon Classic trophy after polishing off ULM in the opening round, with Ugba earning MVP honors. • Zach Glotta spent May and June in Spain and the Czech Republic on the Athletes In Action European Tour.
Zach Glotta
(Robert Smith/APSU Athletics)
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL (16-14 OVERALL, 9-9 OVC)
• The Governors’ 16-win season is the most regular season victories since the 2003-04 season. • The Govs made their fourth-straight Ohio Valley Conference Tournament appearance. • Brianah Ferby was named the OVC Freshman of the Week twice in the 2017-18 season. • Brianne Alexander earned All-OVC honors after averaging 11.7 points and 5.5 rebounds and shooting 46.9 percent from the floor in her final Austin Peay campaign.
Keisha Gregory (APSU Athletics)
GOVERNING MOMENT: SEPT. 30, 2017 FOOTBALL TAKES DOWN #18 SKYHAWKS. Beating Morehead State and Murray State were nice moments, but toppling nationally-ranked UT Martin on the gridiron was a statement. Behind a stifling defensive effort, which included 2.5 sacks from OVC co-Defensive Player of the Week Jaison Williams, and a surprise end-around touchdown run from redshirt freshman Terrius Callahan, the Govs beat the 18th-ranked Skyhawks, 7-0, for the program’s first win against a ranked foe since 2009, its first shutout of a Division I opponent since 1986.
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Savannah Amato celebrates after breaking the APSU indoor pole vault record at the Samford Open. (Michael Wade)
INDOOR TRACK & FIELD
• Savannah Amato set the school indoor and outdoor pole vault records during the 2018 season. At the indoor Samford Open, she hit 4.13m (13-7.25), a mark ranking 28th in the nation during the indoor campaign. Her outdoor 4.17m (13-8.25) at the Hilltopper Relays marked the best in program history, shattering APSU Hall of Famer Carrie Burggraf’s 2010 mark. • Amato (pole vault) won gold during OVC Indoor competition, while Tymeitha Tolbert (bronze in the indoor 60m), Lennex Walker (bronze in the indoor 60m hurdles), Dascha Hix (silver in the indoor pole vault) also medaled during the indoor championships. • Emmaculate Kiplagat swept the distance events at the Ed Temple Classic, winning the mile (5:30.39) and 3000m (11:05.82) runs.
CHEERLEADING
• Austin Peay’s cheerleading team completed its season with a fourth-place finish in the 2018 NCA & NDA Collegiate Cheer and Dance Championship. Competing in the Division I Co-Ed competition, the Governors qualified for the finals along with Weber State, Stephen F. Austin, Sam Houston State and Grambling State.
The 2018 Governors Cheerleading Team. (Shandy Ellis-Brown)
GOVERNING MOMENT: OCT. 3, 2017 VOLLEYBALL WINS 11TH STRAIGHT, DOWNS RACERS. In a dominant three-set sweep, Austin Peay’s volleyball won its 11th consecutive match by toppling archrival Murray State, tying a program record by winning its 14th consecutive set. Seven consecutive attack errors by the Racers got the Govs out to an early lead, and they never wavered, aided by 24 total Racer errors, 12 kills by Ashley Slay and 11 from Christina White.
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SPRING RECAP SOFTBALL
(39-19 OVERALL, 17-4 OVC)
Kacy Acree
(ETSU Athletics)
• The first of many highlights was a 4-0 sweep of the Buccaneer Classic in Johnson City, which earned Morgan Rackel OVC Pitcher of the Week honors. • Danielle Liermann became the second Gov in program history to earn back-to-back OVC Softball Player of the Week honors, joining Hall of Fame member Andrea Miller, with her performances the weeks of March 26 and April 2. • In her final 2018 home appearance , Morgan Rackel tossed the program’s first no-hitter in 21 years and sixth in program history, striking out 11 Eastern Illinois Panthers in a 1-0 win, earning her OVC Pitcher of the Week honors. • The Govs reeled off a 12-game winning streak to close the regular season and open OVC Tournament play, downing UT Martin in their OVC Championship appearance since 2007. • Six Govs earned OVC postseason honors, highlighted by Morgan Rackel (Pitcher of the Year) and Bailey Shorter (Freshman of the Year). Rackel and Danielle Liermann were first-team All-OVC selections, while Shorter and Kacy Acree earned second-team honors; Rackel, Shorter, Natalie Schilling and Kelly Mardones earned All-Newcomer honors as well. • After their third-place showing at the OVC Championships, the Govs earned selection in the National Invitational Softball Championship, the program’s first national postseason appearance in its 33-year history. • Morgan Rackel, who finished the season with a 22-7 record, 1.41 ERA and 204 strikeouts, was named third-team NFCA All-Region.
WOMEN’S TENNIS (12-9 OVERALL, 6-3 OVC)
• With standout Claudia Yanes Garcia shelved for large portions of the season due to injury, Austin Peay posted a 12-9 record and a tie for third in the league. • The Govs were able to call on the strength of Lidia Yanes Garcia, who won her record third consecutive OVC Player of the Year honor, and was buffeted by the performances of Fabienne Schmidt (first-team All-OVC and the third player in program history to win Freshman of the Year honors) and sophomore Helena Kuppig (second-team all-OVC). • The Govs cruised to the OVC Championship match with 4-1 triumphs over UT Martin and Murray State to open OVC Tournament play before falling to Eastern Kentucky in the championship match.
Lidia Yanes Garcia (APSU Athletics)
GOVERNING MOMENT: OCT. 3, 2017 GREENE AND T. GOODLEY TOP-10 AT APSU INTERCOLLEGIATE. Thanks to a big move over the final holes (one-under on the final seven holes and back-to-back birdies to close out the tournament), Reagan Greene carded a team-best 75 in the final round of the F&M Bank APSU Intercollegiate to place seventh. Taylor Goodley (eighth) would join her in the top 10 thanks to her second career top-10 finish in Austin Peay’s home tournament as the Govs finished fourth, besting four other Ohio Valley Conference schools at Clarksville Country Club.
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BASEBALL
(30-27 OVERALL, 17-13 OVC) • Parker Phillips’ three-homer performance in the series opener against Eastern Kentucky was part of a five-homer day during the April 13 doubleheader in Clarksville; he earned Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Week honors for his performance against the Colonels. • Michael Costanzo recorded his 200th career strikeout and became the second Govs pitcher with 100 strikeouts in a season after fanning 104 in his final campaign; his 229 career strikeouts are sixth-most in program history. • The Govs tied a program record with three consecutive shutouts, against Western Kentucky and in the first two contests of the SIUE series, recording 29 consecutive scoreless innings in the process. • Michael Costanzo and Brett Newberg did not allow a run after the fourth inning and Parker Phillips and Bobby Head homered to take down fifth-ranked Clemson, May 11, for Austin Peay’s first-ever win against a top-five opponent. • Michael Costanzo was the Govs lone first-team All-OVC pick. He was joined by second-team All-OVC picks Parker Phillips (19 home runs, 62 RBI), Garrett Giovannelli (.362 average, 20 stolen bases), Jacques Pucheu (7-4, .247 opponent average) as well as All-Newcomer honoree Harley Gollert (3-3, three saves). • In his season’s final start, Jacques Pucheu joined Costanzo as one of three Govs with 100 single-season strikeouts in school history; he finished with 101 strikeouts on the season. • Costanzo was picked by Tampa Bay in the 31st round of Major League Baseball’s First Year Player Draft in June, becoming the 42nd Governors player selected in the draft. Giovannelli was later signed as a free agent, also by Tampa Bay.
Garrett Giovannelli
(Henry Kilpatrick/APSU)
MEN’S TENNIS
(2-17 OVERALL, 1-4 OVC) • Almantas Ozelis was named All-OVC for the second-straight season as the Govs No. 1 and posting a .500 record in OVC play. He also teamed up with long-time partner Aleh Drobysh for a 9-6 record at No. 1 doubles, including a 4-0 mark in OVC action and ending the season with five straight wins. • Christian Edison began the season by posting a 3-1 record at the ITA Men’s All-American Championships pre-qualifying tournament. He defeated athletes from Marquette, Oral Roberts and Wichita State in the event.
Timo Kiesslich
(APSU Athletics)
GOVERNING MOMENT: OCT. 13, 2017 MOTT NOTCHES 400TH CAREER WIN. A three-set sweep of Tennessee Tech pushed Austin Peay to 18-4 on the season and gave head coach Taylor Mott the 400th win of her illustrious coaching career. It also pushed the Govs back into sole possession of first place – a spot Austin Peay would not relinquish in the run-up to a regular season championship and hosting the 2017 OVC Volleyball Tournament in the Dunn Center’s friendly confines. This also served as the 96th win of Mott’s Austin Peay career – she would get No. 100 two weeks later against Eastern Illinois.
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SPRING RECAP WOMEN’S GOLF
• Women’s golf closed the fall season with a victory at the Town and Country Invitational, with AnnaMichelle Moore bringing home her first career individual medalist honor. • The victory also served as the capstone to Sara Robson’s Austin Peay coaching career; Amy McCollum took over while Robson transitioned into an administrative role with the athletics department. • Junior Reagan Greene was runner-up in the rain-shortened Citrus Classic, March 20. • Greene (All-Newcomer) and Ashton Goodley (All-OVC) earned postseason accolades from the league, as did coaches McCollum and Robson, who split the league’s Coach of the Year honor. Goodley’s .750 winning percentage was a team-best, and she posted a trio of top-10 finishes to go along with it, while Greene was a top-20 finisher in five of her first six tournaments as a Gov. • Austin Peay closed out the season on a strong note, firing a 301 – a school-record round in OVC play – at the 2018 OVC Championships in Muscle Shoals, with senior AnnaMichelle Moore dropping a birdie on her final collegiate hole and junior Reagan Greene (seventh) and sophomore Meghann Stamps (10th) earning a spot in the top-10.
Ashton Goodley
(Colby Wilson/APSU Athletics)
MEN’S GOLF
Alex Vegh
(Colby Wilson/APSU Athletics)
• Robbie Wilson’s crew opened the spring with a runner-up finish under its belt at the Invitational at Savannah Harbor, with a lineup featuring three sophomores and two freshmen. Sophomore Michael Busse’s third-place finish paced the squad. • In their next appearance, the Govs won the first team title of Wilson’s tenure with a one-under par 863 (284-299-280) at the Fort Lauderdale Intercollegiate, with Austin Lancaster taking runner-up honors and Alex Vegh and Michael Busse both finishing in the top-10. • Busse and Vegh would become the first Austin Peay teammates since 2013-14 with three straight top-10 finishes. • Freshman Jay Fox was runner-up as an individual at Cumberland’s Phoenix Open during an off-week for the Govs. • Across the board, freshman Chase Korte’s freshman campaign was one of the league’s best, as he earned a spot on the OVC’s All-Newcomer team and All-OVC accolades after posting four top-10 finishes and a 72.8 stroke average, fourth-best among league golfers. • Alex Vegh posted his first career top-10 in OVC Championship play, finishing ninth with a 220 (74-72-72) in Muscle Shoals.
GOVERNING MOMENT: OCT. 21, 2017 FOOTBALL’S HOMECOMING WIN. In front of a Fortera Stadiumrecord 9,428 spectators, Austin Peay football snared a win in the Homecoming contest for the first time since 2008, toppling Southeast Missouri 38-31. In his first start, freshman Jeremiah Oatsvall threw for 199 yards, rushed for 66 more and scored three touchdowns, becoming the first Gov since 2009 to win his first career start en route to Ohio Valley Conference Newcomer of the Week honors.
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Ginny Gerig and Cecily Gable (APSU Athletics)
Lennex Walker
(APSU Athletics)
OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD
BEACH VOLLEYBALL (11-12 OVERALL)
• Morgan Bradley (pole vault) became the fourth athlete in program history to earn OVC Freshman of the Year honors after making a huge leap from indoor to outdoor season; her 3.87m (12-8.25) season-best at the Hilltopper Relays is the fourth-best ever posted by an Austin Peay freshman. She’s the 12th athlete in program history to earn one of the league’s top postseason prizes (Track/Field Athlete of the Year or Freshman of the Year) and the first since 2007 for her work in outdoor season. • Savannah Amato (pole vault) won her fifth straight gold medal during the 2018 OVC Outdoor Championships, while Tymeitha Tolbert (bronze in the 100m dash), Sabrina Richman (bronze in the outdoor 400m dash), Morgan Bradley (silver in the outdoor pole vault) and the 4x400m quartet of Richman, Amelia Thiesing, Allysha Scott and Allana Johnson (bronze in the outdoor relay) were medalists in OVC outdoor competition this year. • Amato and Tolbert represented the Govs at the NCAA East Preliminary in Tampa at the end of May. Tolbert was Austin Peay’s first 100m dash competitor during the Molnar era after obliterating the program’s 100m dash record, while Amato made her third regional trek in three seasons. • For the third year in a row and eighth time in program history, the Govs earned the OVC Sportsmanship honor for the outdoor season.
• In its first-ever on-campus meet, the Govs beach volleyball team opened the Govs Beach Volleyball Complex with a 4-0 record, sweeping Jacksonville State, Morehead State, Lincoln Memorial and Carson-Newman.
Near the conclusion of its second season, the Governors beach volleyball program learned the 2019 season will find it competing for its first conference title as it joins the Atlantic Sun Conference. The ASUN was the first NCAA Division I conference to sponsor beach volleyball in 2012 and has continued to play a large role in its growth and development at the collegiate level. Although the NCAA does not yet offer automatic qualification into the beach volleyball championship for conference winners, the ASUN will be in position for NCAA postseason play should it be offered in the future.
GOVERNING MOMENT: OCT. 28, 2017 FOOTBALL’S MOORE WINS NATIONAL HONOR. After a “Magical” week that included a trip to the Happiest Place on Earth, Kyran Moore was ready for anything, even if it was a matchup against ranked, unbeaten FBS foe UCF. Four quarters later, Moore had rolled up 363 all-purpose yards – the third-highest total in Division I football in 2017 – including a 91-yard kickoff return for touchdown and later a 35-yard touchdown reception, part of a fivecatch, 130-yard day receiving.
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HONOR ROLL The following honor roll includes academic and athletic honors received by Austin Peay student-athletes and athletics teams from July 1, 2017 to June 15, 2018. Teams are ordered by conclusion of their competition season. Men’s Cross Country HEZRON KIPTOO • Diverse Magazine Arthur Ashe, Jr. Sports Scholar Team MARTIN REJMAN • OVC Academic Medal of Honor TEAM • OVC Team Sportsmanship Award
Soccer MCKENZIE DIXON • OVC Academic Medal of Honor MORGAN DRAWDY • Second-Team All-OVC • OVC All-Newcomer Team PAMELA PENALOZA • Diverse Magazine Arthur Ashe, Jr. Sports Scholar Team KIRSTIN ROBERTSON • First-Team All-OVC RENEE SEMAAN • Diverse Magazine Arthur Ashe, Jr. Sports Scholar Team NICOLE WOJCIK • OVC Academic Medal of Honor TEAM • United Soccer Coaches Team Academic Award
Football KYLE ANDERTON • Second-Team All-OVC • OVC All-Newcomer Team KORDELL JACKSON • HERO Sports FCS All-Freshman Honorable Mention BENEDICT LOUIS • Diverse Magazine Arthur Ashe, Jr. Sports Scholar Team JALEN MARSALIS • Diverse Magazine Arthur Ashe, Jr. Sports Scholar Team
KYRAN MOORE • HERO Sports FCS First-Team All-American • First-Team All-OVC JEREMIAH OATSVALL • OVC Freshman of the Year • HERO Sports FCS First-Team All-Freshman • Second-Team All-OVC • OVC All-Newcomer Team RYAN ROCKENSUESS • CoSIDA Academic All-District team • second-team All-OVC GUNNAR SCHOLATO • First-Team All-OVC DEVIN STUART • STATS FCS National Special Teams Player of the Week
CHRISTINA WHITE • Second-Team All-OVC TEAM • AVCA Team Academic Award • OVC Regular-Season Champions • OVC Tournament Champions • NCAA Tournament Qualifiers
AHMAAD TANNER • HERO Sports FCS All-Freshman Honorable Mention • OVC All-Newcomer Team
Women’s Basketball
JAISON WILLIAMS • HERO Sports FCS First-Team All-Sophomore team • STATS FCS Third Team All-American • Associated Press FCS Second-Team All-American • STATS FCS Buck Buchanan Award Finalist • First-Team All-OVC
FALON BAKER • CoSIDA Academic All-District Team • OVC Academic Medal of Honor
TEAM • Sgt. York Trophy
Volleyball LOGAN CARGER • Diverse Magazine Arthur Ashe, Jr. Sports Scholar Team BROOKE MOORE • OVC Tournament Most Valuable Player • Second-Team All-OVC ALLIE O’REILLY • OVC All-Tournament Team ASHLEY SLAY • OVC Player of the Year • First-Team All-OVC
GOVERNING MOMENT: OCT. 31, 2017 MOORE, WGO WIN AT TOWN & COUNTRY INVITE. Behind AnnaMichelle Moore’s first collegiate win, Austin Peay women’s golf bested the field by 22 shots in the Town & Country Invitational at Nashville’s McCabe Golf Course, securing the program’s first team title since 2015 at the Tennessee State-hosted event. Moore was the lone player to shoot under-par, and did so with matching 70s in both rounds, to become Austin Peay’s first individual medalist since 2016. Her efforts afforded her Ohio Valley Conference Women’s Golfer of the Week honors.
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KRISTEN STUCKER • CoSIDA Academic All-America Division I volleyball team • CoSIDA Academic All-District team • OVC Academic Medal of Honor • OVC Scholar-Athlete Award • OVC Setter of the Year • First-Team All-OVC • OVC All-Tournament Team • 10 OVC Setter of the Week honors
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BRIANNE ALEXANDER • First-Team All-OVC
Men’s Basketball DOMAS BUDRYS • OVC Academic Medal of Honor TERRY TAYLOR • NABC All-District • OVC Freshman of the Year • First-Team All-OVC • OVC All-Newcomer Team AVERYL UGBA • NABC All-District • John McLendon Classic MVP • First-Team All-OVC • OVC All-Newcomer Team
Women’s Golf
Men’s Tennis
Baseball
ASHTON GOODLEY • CoSIDA Academic All-District team • WGCA All-American Scholar • OVC Academic Medal of Honor • First-Team All-OVC
ALEH DROBYSH • ITA Scholar-Athlete • OVC Academic Medal of Honor
MICHAEL COSTANZO • First-Team All-OVC
TAYLOR GOODLEY • WGCA All-American Scholar • OVC Academic Medal of Honor
ALMANTAS OZELIS • ITA Scholar-Athlete • First-Team All-OVC
REAGAN GREENE • OVC All-Newcomer Team
CHAD WOODHAM • ITA Scholar-Athlete
ANNAMICHELLE MOORE • WGCA All-American Scholar
TEAM • ITA All-Academic Team
MEGHANN STAMPS • WGCA All-American Scholar
Men’s Golf
Women’s Tennis
ERIK HEDBERG • Cleveland Golf All-America Scholar
ANA ALBERTSON • ITA Scholar-Athlete
CHASE KORTE • OVC All-Newcomer Team • OVC All-Conference Team
BRITTNEY COVINGTON • CoSIDA Academic All-District team • OVC Academic Medal of Honor • ITA Scholar-Athlete CLAUDIA YANES GARCIA • ITA Scholar-Athlete • OVC Academic Medal of Honor • Diverse Magazine Arthur Ashe, Jr. Sports Scholar Team LIDIA YANES GARCIA • CoSIDA Academic All-District team • OVC Player of the Year • First-Team All-OVC • OVC Academic Medal of Honor • Diverse Magazine Arthur Ashe, Jr. Sports Scholar Team • ITA Scholar-Athlete • ITA Ohio Valley Region Arthur Ashe Leadership and Sportsmanship Award ISABELA JOVANOVIC • ITA Scholar-Athlete • OVC Academic Medal of Honor HELENA KUPPIG • ITA Scholar-Athlete • Second-Team All-OVC FABIENNE SCHMIDT • OVC Freshman of the Year • First-Team All-OVC TEAM • ITA All-Academic Team • ITA Ohio Valley Region Community Service Award
MANUEL MONTENEGRO • ITA Scholar-Athlete
ANDREW FLAHERTY • OVC Academic Medal of Honor HARLEY GOLLERT • OVC All-Freshman team GARRETT GIOVANNELLI • Second-Team All-OVC DAVID MARTINEZ • Diverse Magazine Arthur Ashe, Jr. Sports Scholar Team PARKER PHILLIPS • Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Week, April 9 • Second-Team All-OVC JACQUES PUCHEU • Second-Team All-OVC
Track & Field
KACY ACREE • Second-Team All-OVC
SAVANNAH AMATO • OVC Indoor Champion (Pole Vault) • OVC Outdoor Champion (Pole Vault) • NCAA Outdoor Regional Qualifier
DANIELLE LIERMANN • First-Team All-OVC • NISC Regional All-Tournament Team
MORGAN BRADLEY • OVC Outdoor Silver Medal (Pole Vault) • OVC Freshman of the Year
KELLY MARDONES • NISC Regional All-Tournament Team • OVC All-Newcomer Team CARLY MATTSON • OVC All-Tournament Team
NIA GIBBS-FRANCIS • OVC Academic Medal of Honor • Diverse Magazine Arthur Ashe, Jr. Sports Scholar Team • CoSIDA Academic All-District
EMILY MOORE • OVC Academic Medal of Honor
DASCHA HIX • OVC Indoor Silver Medal (Pole Vault)
BROOKE PFEFFERLE • NISC Regional All-Tournament Team
UNJALA LESTER • OVC Academic Medal of Honor
MORGAN RACKEL • NFCA Central Region Third-Team • OVC Pitcher of the Year • First-Team All-OVC • OVC All-Newcomer Team • OVC All-Tournament Team
SABRINA RICHMAN • OVC Outdoor Bronze Medal (400m dash)
NATALIE SCHILLING • OVC All-Newcomer Team
LENNEX WALKER • OVC Indoor Bronze Medal (60m hurdles)
BAILEY SHORTER • OVC Freshman of the Year • Second-Team All-OVC • OVC All-Newcomer Team
TEAM • OVC Team Sportsmanship Award • OVC Outdoor Bronze Medal (4x400 relay)
Softball
TYMEITHA TOLBERT • OVC Indoor Bronze Medal (60m dash) • OVC Outdoor Bronze Medal (100m dash) • NCAA Outdoor Regional Qualifier
GOVERNING MOMENT: NOV. 4, 2017 GOVS CLAIM FIRST SGT. YORK TROPHY. Behind 423 rushing yards – most in a game between two league teams in 2018 – and 522 total yards, Austin Peay football took down Tennessee Tech, 35-28, to claim the first Sgt. York Trophy in program history. Freshman quarterback Jeremiah Oatsvall rushed for one touchdown and caught another to help Austin Peay secure its first win in Cookeville since 2007.
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OHIO VALLEY CONFERENCE GOVERNORS RISING
Best-ever finish in OVC Commissioner’s Cup portends Govs wave Behind a quartet of Top 3 finishes in OVC play, Austin Peay finished fifth in the 2017-18 OVC Commissioner’s Cup, its best finish in the award’s history. In addition to its best-ever placing, Austin Peay posted 101.5 points – its first-ever 100-point tally in the competition under the scoring format that began 10 years ago. Eastern Kentucky won the title for a fifth consecutive season with 118.5 points followed by Murray State (114.5), Belmont (111.25) and Jacksonville State (110). The Govs’ strong showing in the Commissioner’s Cup began with its volleyball team winning both the regular-season and tournament titles. Meanwhile, its football (second), softball (second) and men’s basketball (third) teams each finished strong.
9
GOVS EARNED “OF THE YEAR” OVC HONORS
5 FRESHMEN OF THE YEAR | 2 PLAYERS OF THE YEAR SETTER OF THE YEAR | PITCHER OF THE YEAR
32
GOVERNORS EARNED FIRST- OR SECOND-TEAM ALL-OVC RECOGNITION IN 2017-18
12
GOVERNORS EARNED OVC ALL-NEWCOMER HONORS IN 2017-18
SEVENTEEN GOVS STUDENT-ATHLETES
RECEIVED THE OVC’S ACADEMIC MEDAL OF HONOR
(HIGHEST GPA IN OVC SPONSORED SPORT)
84
GOVERNORS NAMED TO OVC COMMISSIONERS HONOR ROLL
David Loos, OVC Commissioner Beth DeBauche and Dave Loos.
(Colby Wilson/APSU Athletics)
LOOS JOINS OVC HALL The morning of Friday, June 1, saw former Governors men’s basketball coach and athletics director Dave Loos inducted into his sixth Hall of Fame as he joined the OVC Hall of Fame – he now resides in perpetuity in the St. Louis Amateur Baseball, University of Memphis M-Club, Missouri Basketball Coaches, Austin Peay and Christian Brothers University Halls of Fame. Loos became the 10th member of the Austin Peay family inducted into the OVC Hall of Fame.
GOVERNING MOMENT: NOV. 10, 2017 FIGGER ERA BEGINS AT VANDERBILT. For the first time since 1990, Austin Peay men’s basketball tipped off a season with someone other than Dave Loos patrolling the sidelines as the Matt Figger Era got going in the NIT Tip-Off Classic at Vanderbilt. In his collegiate debut, freshman Terry Taylor led all scorers with 15 points, the first Austin Peay freshman to lead all scorers in his debut since electronic record-keeping began prior to the 1999-00 season.
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BRIGHT FUTURE
Govs land five OVC Freshman of the Year honors
Not every school can brag about a freshman class as decorated or as diverse as Austin Peay’s 2017-18 newcomers. Five – count ‘em, five – student-athletes earned Ohio Valley Conference Freshman of the Year honors, from the gridiron to the pole vault pit. It’s a good indication of how good Austin Peay can be in the realm of athletics sooner rather than later.
GIBBS-FRANCIS REPRESENTS OVC AT NCAA LEADERSHIP FORUM Nia Gibbs Francis (women’s track and field) was one of two student-athletes selected to represent the OVC at the 2017 NCAA Leadership Forum last November in Washington, D.C. Student-athletes selected to attend the forum return to campus with invaluable leadership skills, the experience of exploring the relationship between personal values, core beliefs and behavioral styles, and a thorough understanding of the NCAA as a whole, the different divisional perspectives and the valuable role of Student-Athlete Advisory Committees (SAAC).
And they’ll be unique, identifiable faces at Austin Peay for years to come.
Lindsey Gamble, MiMi Arrington, Trey Pruitt and Ryan Combs. (Contributed Photo)
Morgan Bradley Track & Field
Bailey Shorter Softball
Jeremiah Oatsvall Football
Fabienne Schmidt Women’s Tennis
Terry Taylor Men’s Basketball
GOVERNORS ATTEND APPLE TRAINING INSTITUTE Trey Pruitt (football) and MiMi Arrington (volleyball), along with assistant athletics trainer Lindsey Gamble and academic coordinator Ryan Combs traveled to Charlottesville, Virginia, to participate in the 2018 APPLE Training Institute. They joined 440 student-athletes and administrators from 76 schools across the three divisions of NCAA athletics for an interactive, three-day seminar where student athletes were given opportunity to take the knowledge they gained at the training institute and put it into action at their respective universities.
GOVERNING MOMENT: NOV. 11, 2017 GOVS STUN COLONELS WITH SECOND-HALF COMEBACK. Down 24-7 with less than 11 minutes remaining in the third quarter, Austin Peay football scored 24 unanswered points, punctuated by a touchdown scramble by freshman quarterback Jeremiah Oatsvall with under a minute to play, to cap a comeback for the ages to stun Eastern Kentucky on the road – the second road victory against the Colonels in program history and first since 1977.
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IN THE CLASSROOM
3.110 3.065
IN FALL 2017
204
STUDENT-ATHLETES EARNED ACADEMIC RECOGNITION DURING THE FALL SEMESTER REPRESENTING NEARLY
2/3
OF THE DEPARTMENT’S STUDENT-ATHLETES
THEN A
BEGINNING WITH A PROGRAM RECORD
IN SPRING 2017
107
EARNED THE HONOR IN THE SPRING
51
STUDENTATHLETES EARNED GRADE-POINT AVERAGES
4.0
DURING THE FALL 2017 SEMESTER
TEAMS POSTED THEIR HIGHEST APR MARK IN PROGRAM HISTORY
GOVERNING MOMENT: NOV. 16, 2017 ROBSON STEPS DOWN AS WOMEN’S GOLF COACH. Sara Robson, who took over as head women’s golf coach in 2004 when the men and women’s head coaching duties were separated, moved into the newly-created role of Director of Operations for the athletic department, with Amy McCollum ascending to the role of head coach. The duo was responsible for one of the best seasons in program history and would earn Ohio Valley Conference co-Coach of the Year honors at the league’s awards banquet in April.
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14
3.0 GRADEPOINT AVERAGE IN BOTH SEMESTERS
DEAN’S LIST
87
OF THE GOVS
VARSITY TEAMS POSTED A
STUDENT-ATHLETES WERE NAMED TO AUSTIN PEAY’S FALL
AN AUSTIN PEAY ATHLETICS RECORD
7
10
THE GOVS FIRST 3.0 GPAs IN BACK-TO-BACK SEMESTERS SINCE 2008-09
DURING THE 2017-18 ACADEMIC YEAR
PERFECT
1000 ACADEMIC PROGRESS RATES WOMEN’S GOLF VOLLEYBALL WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY WOMEN’S TENNIS
BASEBALL | MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY WOMEN’S GOLF | WOMEN’S TENNIS WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL
ARTHUR ASHE JR. SPORTS SCHOLARS Eleven Governors were named to the 2018 Arthur Ashe, Jr. Sports Scholars Teams as selected by Diverse: Issues In Higher Education Magazine
During the 2017-18 season, three Austin Peay student-athletes were recognized by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) as Google Cloud Academic All-America® honorees. They also were among a record seven Austin Peay student-athletes recognized as Academic All-District® selections.
ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICANS
Lidia Yanes Garcia was one of 20 semifinalists for the Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar Award, accorded to the most decorated of the more than 1,000 outstanding minority student-athletes nominated by their respective colleges or universities. The three-time OVC Player of the Year was the first Governor to reach the semifinalist/finalist stage since football’s Iosua Siliva in 2014.
Brittney Covington Women’s At-Large
Lidia Yanes Garcia Women’s At-Large
Kristen Stucker Volleyball
ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT
Her twin sister, Claudia Yanes Garcia, of the women’s tennis team, also was honored by selection to the Sports Scholar Teams as were David Martinez (baseball), Jalen Marsalis (football), Benedict Louis (football), Renee Semaan (soccer), Pamela Penaloza (soccer), Nia Gibbs-Francis, (track and field), Logan Carger
Falon Baker Women’s Basketball
Nia Gibbs-Francis Track & Field
Ashton Goodley Women’s At-Large
Ryan Rockensuess Football
(volleyball) and Hezron Kiptoo (men’s cross country).
GOVERNING MOMENT: NOV. 18, 2017 GOVS WIN EPIC 5-SETTER TO CLAIM OVC TOURNEY CROWN. After going down 2-1 in the championship match, Austin Peay volleyball rallied to take down rival Murray State and claim the 2018 OVC Tournament title in the Dunn Center. Christina White led the Govs with 20 kills in her final home appearance, while Brooke Moore became the first freshman to earn Tournament Most Valuable Player honors with 48 kills, including 15 in the championship match. The victory was win No. 30 for the Govs, making them the seventh team in league history with 30 or more victories.
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GOVERNORS SPOTLIGHT
GOVERNING MOMENT: NOV. 21, 2017 OATSVALL NAMED OVC FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR. For the first time in the 14-year history of the award, an Austin Peay football player was named Ohio Valley Conference Freshman of the Year, with quarterback Jeremiah Oatsvall taking the honor. Despite starting just five games, Oatsvall finished sixth in the conference with 1,601 yards total offense; he also earned second-team AllOVC and All-Newcomer honors.
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KRISTEN STUCKER 2017-18 Female Athlete of the Year
Kristen Stucker’s impact at Austin Peay has been incalculable. Seriously. We’ve just about run out of ways to publicly laud her for accomplishments on and off the court, and the Johnston, Iowa native still has one year remaining to re-write the record books. The two-time Ohio Valley Conference Setter of the Year’s on-court performance speaks for itself. 3,423 career assists is already fifth all-time in program history, while a reprisal of her school single-season record 1,508 assists as a senior would put her within striking distance of becoming the first Gov with 5,000 career assists. Her trophy cabinet could fill a room by this point – Austin Peay’s Most Outstanding Female Athlete, OVC Setter of the Year, All-OVC, All-OVC Tournament, as many Setter of the Week honors as there are stars in the sky – and no doubt played at least a small part in her receiving a tryout invitation to the U.S. Women’s National Team Open Tryouts last March. Add in her off-court achievements – OVC Scholar-Athlete Award, CoSIDA Academic All-American, two-time Academic All-District, OVC Medals of Honor, OVC Commissioner’s Honor Roll, all manner of institutional academic accolades and memberships in myriad societies for the academically gifted – and the Hall of Fame trajectory her career is on seems almost a foregone conclusion. What’s left for someone who has done it all – and did it in three years?
Setter Kristen Stucker sets the ball to senior middle blocker Ashley Slay during the Govs 2017 NCAA Tournament contest at UCLA. (Don Liebig)
For starters, there will be a defense of Austin Peay’s OVC regular-season and tournament titles. There will be Senior Night, the pursuit of another 30-win season and graduation as a dual major with degrees in biology and chemistry. Another Setter of the Year honor would cement her legacy as one of the best the OVC has ever seen at her position. Another All-OVC honor would make her just the second Gov in program history to be a three-time All-OVC selection. If the Govs made another deep run in the conference tournament, Stucker could become the only Gov with three appearances on the All-Tournament team and just the seventh player in league history to do so. A second Academic All-American nod would make her just the fourth Austin Peay student-athlete in school history to become a multi-time honoree – two of the others are in the APSU Athletics Hall of Fame already. Somehow, despite all she’s already accomplished, the future remains unbelievably bright for Kristen Stucker.
GOVERNING MOMENT: NOV. 22, 2017 GOVS DOWN BETHEL IN FIRST-EVER GAME AT FORT CAMPBELL. In a first-of-its-kind venture at Fort Campbell, Austin Peay basketball hosted Bethel at Fort Campbell’s Shaw Fitness Center as the first collegiate basketball game to be played on post at the nearby military installation. The 98-57 win against the Wildcats was great for the Govs, as it sent them to into Thanksgiving with a win, while providing a unique and up-close experience for soldiers and their families to enjoy right in their own backyard.
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TROPHY CASE
GOVERNING MOMENT: DEC. 13, 2017 HEALY NAMED EDDIE ROBINSON AWARD WINNER. After spearheading one of the most remarkable turnarounds in Division I history – taking an Austin Peay program that had lost 45 of 46 games to an 8-4 record and a school-record seven Ohio Valley Conference wins – head football coach Will Healy was named the 2017 Eddie Robinson Award winner, given yearly to the top head coach in FCS football. Healy became just the third head coach in OVC history to win the award in its 31st year of existence.
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(Kevin Young/APSU Athletics)
SGT. YORK COMES HOME Austin Peay won the coveted Sgt. York Trophy, given annually to the winner of the quadrangular regular-season series between Austin Peay, Tennessee State, Tennessee Tech and UT Martin. The Govs defeated each of their in-state foes to claim the trophy in 2017.
(Colby Wilson/APSU Athletics)
MEDAL GOVERNORS The Govs volleyball team celebrates after receiving the 2017 Ohio Valley Conference Tournament trophy. (Sean McCully/APSU)
The Governors track and field team also had a successful campaign, bringing home eight individual medals between the indoor and outdoor seasons. Savannah Amato was a gold medalist in the pole vault in both the indoor and outdoor seasons with Morgan Bradley, Dascha Hix, Sabrina Richman, Tymeitha Tolbert and Lennex Walker also capturing track and field medals.
GOVERNING MOMENT: DEC. 30, 2017 GOVS START OVC PLAY 2-0 FOR 1ST TIME SINCE 2013-14. Double-doubles from Terry Taylor and Averyl Ugba allowed the Govs to close out 2017 with a flourish in a 70-54 demolition of Eastern Illinois at the Dunn Center, giving the Govs a 2-0 start in OVC play for the first time since 2013-14 and the first above .500 November-December start to the schedule since 2010-11.
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GOVERNORS SPOTLIGHT
Defensive lineman Jaison Williams sacks UT Martin’s quarterback during a contest at Fortera Stadium. (Robert Smith/APSU Athletics)
GOVERNING MOMENT: JAN. 13, 2018 GOVS CRUSH DEFENDING CHAMPS FOR FIRST ROAD WIN. A 27-3 first-half run allowed Austin Peay men’s basketball to cruise into halftime with a 23-point lead, and the Govs never let up against defending Ohio Valley Conference Tournament champion Jacksonville State, thrashing the Gamecocks 87-67 for the Govs’ first road win of the season. Averyl Ugba had his coming-out party with 35 points and 12 boards. His 17 field goals made were the second-most in a Division I game in 2017-18.
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JAISON WILLIAMS 2017-18 Male Athlete of the Year
A defensive player can impact a game any number of ways, but to be so dominant on a game-by-game basis as to earn All-America honors – as a sophomore, no less – is something special. Jaison Williams is special, for reasons that extend far beyond the football field. The numbers are the numbers, and they are impeccable. From the 9.5 sacks to 11.5 tackles for loss to 13 quarterback hurries, it seemed like Williams was a permanent fixture in opposing backfields, impacting games against the FBS and FCS alike en route to a finalist nod for the Buck Buchanan Award as the top defensive player in FCS and yes, Associated Press All-American honors – the first for a Governor defender since 1992. And yet there’s so much more to Williams. There’s the 1000watt smile that lights up every room he enters, drawing people to him as though magnetized by his outsized personality. A sharp student with a pair of appearances on the Athletics Director’s Honor Roll, Williams possesses a quick wit, a friendly disposition and the build of someone auditioning for Mr. Universe. In addition to being an All-American player, he’s the epitome of an All-American kid. His success, the accolades, his BMOC status… it belies the hardscrabble upbringing that he hasn’t overcome so much as allowed to shape who he is. Williams’ biological family unit essentially dissolved when he was 11 years old; after bouncing around in foster care, he landed with his adopted family – Jamie and Ashley Williams and siblings Drew, Maggie and Jack. With their stability, and the love of the biological family still scattered around his native Birmingham, Williams’ future is brighter than even that 1000-watt smile. The uber-talented defensive end enters the upcoming campaign as a preseason All-American for an Austin Peay team that has national aspirations for the first time in a generation. Should the Govs reach the pinnacle and achieve the playoff spot they deserved last year and desperately crave heading into this campaign, their smiling sack machine will be a huge reason why.
GOVERNING MOMENT: JAN. 20, 2018 AMATO SMASHES INDOOR POLE VAULT RECORD. An eight-year old school record fell by the wayside in Birmingham as Savannah Amato abolished Molly Bartkiewicz’s stranglehold on the school indoor pole vault mark at the Samford Open. Amato hit 4.15m (13-7.25), a mark that not only led the Ohio Valley Conference but ranked 33rd in the entire nation.
(Michael Wade)
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COACHES OF THE YEAR
GOVERNING MOMENT: FEB. 9, 2018 SOFTBALL BEGINS SEASON UNDER NEW LEADERSHIP. It was an inauspicious way for the Rodney DeLong era to begin – a first-day rainout followed by losses to Georgia Southern and Radford – but it provided an inkling of things to come in Austin Peay softball’s historic season. Morgan Rackel struck out eight in her first start, while Kacy Acree and Danielle Liermann collected three hits apiece to kick off the campaign.
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The five Governors coaches who received OVC Coach of the Year honors during the 2017-18 season: Amy McCollum, Matt Figger, Taylor Mott, Will Healy and Sara Robson.
(Taylor Wiseman/APSU Athletics)
CRADLE OF COACHES
Success starts at the top; without the proper person in place to helm a program, even the most talented players can be stymied by a rudderless style or a lack of vision. Banners hang forever, but college athletics is cyclical, with an ever-changing landscape coaches have to be able to read and react to, not unlike a quarterback going through progressions to find just the right receiver. For Austin Peay, the leadership put into place has been strong for ages but this past season saw over-the-top recognition of Govs head coaches who stood out among their peers. It started in the fall, with both Taylor Mott and Will Healy winning OVC Coach of the Year honors for volleyball and football, respectively. Mott orchestrated her merry band of free-playing, free-wheeling Govs to just the seventh 30-win season in OVC history while Healy, who took Austin Peay from the OVC’s cellar to a consensus top-25 program, was named STATS FCS Eddie Robinson National Coach of the Year in January. While Healy was in Frisco, Texas, to accept his honor, head coach Matt Figger was transforming the men’s basketball team into his image – a gritty, tough, no-nonsense group that ascended all the way to third in the OVC by regular season’s end, with Figger taking Coach of the Year honors of his own. He’s in pretty good company – the only other Austin Peay head men’s basketball coach to take OVC Coach of the Year honors in his first season was the man he replaced, Dave Loos, who ultimately retired as the OVC’s all-time wins leader. When Sara Robson elected to step away from the women’s golf program as head coach and into an administrative role, the foundation was already set for success; the Govs won Robson’s final tournament as head coach and Amy McCollum, her replacement, continued that success into the spring with four top-five finishes and a final-round 301 – the best in program history at the OVC Tournament – to close out the season. Robson and McCollum were named co-OVC Women’s Golf Coach of the Year, the first pair of coaches from the same program to earn the honor. And the best part: Healy, Mott, Figger and McCollum each will be back at the helm next season.
GOVERNING MOMENT: FEB. 18, 2018 GOVS SHUTOUT ILLINOIS BEHIND VIAL’S OUTING. In his first start as a Gov, Brandon Vial twirled 7.1 shutout innings against Big 10 foe Illinois as the Govs completed a 3-0 opening weekend by knocking off the Fighting Illini, 2-0. Vial scattered five hits and struck out three, combining with Kyle Wilson and Brett Newberg for the shutout. At the dish, John McDonald led the way with three hits, while Brandon Kelley and Garrett Giovannelli collected two hits and a run scored apiece.
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GOVS’ CUP
Members of the Governors volleyball team accept the Govs’ Cup following its dominating 2017-18 season that saw it lead the way in academic success and student-athlete development as well as winning OVC regular season and tournament titles. (APSU Athletics)
GOVERNING MOMENT: FEB. 23, 2018 AMATO WINS 4TH STRAIGHT GOLD MEDAL. In sufficiently convincing fashion – no other athlete in the field attempted her winning height of 4.05m, while she passed that mark with ease and allowed her three chances at the Ohio Valley Conference Championship record – Savannah Amato won her fourth straight gold medal in OVC Championship competition. Spoiler alert: She would make it five in a row with an outdoor victory.
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VOLLEYBALL CLAIMS GOVS’ CUP
The Govs Cup seeks to encourage Austin Peay’s student-athletes to strive toward excellence in all facets of life through rewarding excellence. Each Governors Athletics team competes against each other in athletics, academic, community service and student-athlete development success. The team that accumulates the most points at the end of the year receives the coveted Govs’ Cup at the annual ESPEAYs award banquet in April.
GOVERNING MOMENT: FEB. 24, 2018 RAIN DELAYS GOVS BASKETBALL GAME. It’s not often a loss makes the highlight reel, but Austin Peay men’s basketball had a Senior Night too surreal to leave out. At 9:02 p.m. during the regular-season finale against Murray State, a piece of the Dunn Center ceiling crumbled to the floor on the south end of the facility; play was halted with 5:49 remaining in the game, with play resuming after a three-hour, five-minute delay.
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2018 ESPEAYS The stars turned out to the Dunn Center in April for a uniquely Austin Peay event. For the second time, the ESPEAY’s were handed out, honoring the best and brightest Austin Peay athletics had to offer during the 2017-18 season. While there were no shortage of outstanding nominees to the 2018 edition of the show, the top individual prizes were accorded to Kristen Stucker, Jaison Williams, Malik Boynton and Ashley Slay.
(Ryan Meyer Photography)
(Don Liebig)
(APSU Athletics)
MALE LEGENDS AWARD
FEMALE LEGENDS AWARD
COACH OF THE YEAR
Football
Volleyball
Football
MALIK BOYNTON
ASHLEY SLAY
GOVERNING MOMENT: MARCH 2, 2018 STUCKER STARTS SPRING BREAK AT U.S. NATIONAL TRIALS. Kristen Stucker’s spring break was no break at all. The junior setter for the Austin Peay volleyball team traded sandy beaches for the mountains of Colorado as one of 234 athletes across the nation invited to the U.S. Women’s National Team Open tryouts, one of just 43 setters across the nation to gain admission to the prestigious event.
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WILL HEALY
(Colby Wilson/APSU Athletics)
(APSU Athletics)
(APSU Athletics)
MALE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
FEMALE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Men’s Basketball
Volleyball
TERRY TAYLOR
BROOKE MOORE
PERKINS FREEMAN ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
BRITTNEY COVINGTON Women’s Tennis
(Robert Smith/APSU Athletics)
(APSU Athletics)
(APSU Athletics)
MALE BREAKOUT ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
FEMALE BREAKOUT ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Men’s Basketball
Softball
AVERYL UGBA
MORGAN RACKEL
PERKINS FREEMAN ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT SCHOLARSHIP
NIA GIBBS-FRANCIS Women’s Track & Field
GOVERNING MOMENT: MARCH 6, 2018 GOVS GOLF SECURES FIRST WIN OF WILSON ERA. A final-round rally brought Austin Peay men’s golf its first win of the Robbie Wilson era at the Fort Lauderdale Intercollegiate, as sophomores Austin Lancaster (67) and Alex Vegh (66) essentially erased the Governors 10-shot 36-hole deficit by themselves. Lancaster would take OVC Men’s Golfer of the Week honors for his runner-up finish in Austin Peay’s first team triumph since 2014.
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ATHLETICS HALL OF FAME
Erik Barnes, Elizabeth Swope (granddaughter of Bob Swope) and Terrence Holt are joined by Jeff Bibb, chairman of the Hall of Fame selection committee, following the 2017-18 Austin Peay Athletics Hall of Fame induction ceremonies. (Kevin Young/APSU Athletics)
GOVERNING MOMENT: MARCH 15, 2018 GOVS WIN MCCLENDON CLASSIC. Behind MVP Averyl Ugba’s game-high 27 points, Austin Peay men’s basketball toppled ULM for its first post-OVC Tournament win since 2003 with an 80-66 rout in the opening round of the CollegeInsider.com Tournament. A tenacious Governor defense clamped down on the Warhawks, turning 17 ULM turnovers in 22 points on the other end.
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THREE INDUCTED IN 41ST ATHLETICS HALL OF FAME CLASS
Terrence Holt, an All-American kick returner who electrified crowds and terrified opponents, and Erik Barnes, the only player in program history to earn both OVC Freshman of the Year and Player of the Year during his illustrious golf career, were inducted as part of the 2018 Austin Peay Athletics Hall of Fame class in February. In addition, Bob Swope, who starred on the diamond, gridiron, hardwood and golf course during his career, was inducted as the 2018 Honors category representative.
GOVERNING MOMENT: MARCH 30, 2018 GOVS WIN DOUBLEHEADER BEHIND WALK OFF AND BALK OFF. A walk-off win is a rarity of itself. To have two in the same day is quite the feat indeed, and it’s just what the Austin Peay baseball team pulled off to sweep Southeast Missouri in opening a lateMarch series against the Redhawks. In Game One, Garrett Kueber stroked a double to score Malcolm Tipler from first base to break a 4-4 tie, while the rarely-seen walk-off balk in Game Two scored Brett Newberg from third to give Austin Peay the win.
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GOVS IN THE PROS During the 2017-18 season, 28 Governors alumni played professionally around the globe. A dozen Govs baseball alumni were continuing their careers in the United States, In addition, eight men’s basketball alumni, five men’s golf alumni and a pair of women’s basketball alumna were continuing to play professionally. Major League Baseball
Men’s Basketball
• A.J. Ellis, San Diego Padres • Shawn Kelley, Washington Nationals
• • • • • • • •
Minor League Baseball • • • • • • • • • •
Jared Carkuff Garrett Copeland Michael Costanzo Casey Delgado Garrett Giovannelli Ryne Harper Alex Robles Matt Reynolds Tyler Rogers Ridge Smith
Shawn Kelley began his 10th major league season and fourth with the Washington Nationals.
(Washington Nationals Baseball Club)
Wesley Channels (Belgium) Assane Diop (Japan) Adrian Henning (Mexico) Chris Horton (Hungary) Kenny Jones (France) John Murry (Canada) Drake Reed (France) Derek Wright (Switzerland)
Women’s Basketball • Tearra Banks (Israel) • Tiasha Gray (Sweden)
Men’s Golf
Football
• Kyran Moore (Canada)
• • • • •
Chris Baker (McKenzie Tour) Erik Barnes (Web.com) Marco Iten (Europe) Grant Leaver (Web.com) Dustin Korte (Web.com) Tyler Rogers was named to his second Triple-A All-Star Game in June. (Ralph Thompson/ Sacramento Rivercats)
GOVERNING MOMENT: APRIL 6, 2018 NEWBERG HOMERS THRICE IN WIN AT BELMONT. Brett Newberg must love hitting in Nashville. The right-handed slugger went yard three times in Austin Peay baseball’s 10-5 series-opening win against Belmont at E.S. Rose Park, homering in his first three times at the plate and garnering a USA Golden Spikes Performance of the Week nomination.
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BOYTON GETS NFL CHANCE WITH PITTSBURGH Malik Boynton got his shot. A.J. Ellis began his 11th season in the majors and first with the San Diego Padres. (Scott Wachter/ San Diego Padres)
The former Governor received an invitation to rookie minicamp with the Pittsburgh Steelers in May, becoming the first Govs’ alumnus to get an invite to minicamp since Johnathan Shuler (Titans) and Isaiah Tuiasosopo (Panthers) in 2015. Hailing from Detroit, Boynton persevered through tough times at a young age – he lost his mother right before he started high school, beginning a tumultuous few years during a critical point in his life. His story is among the most inspiring in the history of Austin Peay athletics. Athletics became his haven and he excelled. When he first came to Austin Peay, it was as a receiver/kick returner – he was one of the 25 most prolific returners in FCS as a freshman, averaging 22.8 yards per return. He moved to the other side of the ball as a defensive back as a sophomore and became a three-year starter, posting at least 40 tackles in each of his last three seasons despite losing three games to a career-threatening injury in 2016. He returned with a vengeance this past season; as the captain and linchpin of an Austin Peay squad that completed the program’s dramatic turnaround. Boynton recorded his first career interception against Morehead State as the Govs snapped the nation’s longest losing streak and kicked off their incredible run.
(Karl Roser/Pittsburgh Steelers)
GOVERNING MOMENT: APRIL 13, 2018 AMATO, TOLBERT LEAD GOVS TO WIN AT HOME. With inclement weather significantly altering Austin Peay’s initial plans for its annual home track and field meet, the Govs responded with dominant performances from Savannah Amato, who won the pole vault handily with a 4.01m (13-1.75) mark and Tymeitha Tolbert, who broke the school-record with an 11.51 100m dash mark that ultimately helped propel her to NCAA qualification.
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ANNUAL GIVING TOTAL DONORS
FROM
3,286 44 STATES
AND THREE COUNTRIES (CANADA, FRANCE & GERMANY)
MADE GIFTS TO AUSTIN PEAY ATHLETICS DURING THE 2017-18 YEAR
1000+ 100-999 30-99 1-29 0
GOVERNING MOMENT: APRIL 28, 2018 BOYNTON GARNERS INVITE TO STEELERS CAMP. Sometimes the small-school FCS kids don’t get the same looks at the next level they might deserve. But Malik Boynton got his shot when the Pittsburgh Steelers came calling with an offer to attend rookie minicamp mere minutes after the 2018 NFL Draft ended. Another Gov, Kyran Moore, wound up in Canada with the Saskatchewan RoughRiders. (Karl Roser/Pittsburgh Steelers)
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2,424
TOTAL DONORS MADE GIFTS FROM
63
OF TENNESSEE’S 95 COUNTIES
INCLUDING 1,462 DONORS FROM MONTGOMERY COUNTY
1000+ 100-999 40-99 20-39 1-19 0
Strength & Conditioning $173
Academics $349 Travel
$2,149
Equipment $760
BE A PART OF THE NEXT
Home Games $591
Room & Board $4,625
Sports Medicine $1,414
Total $24,061
Tuition $14,000
GOVERNING MOMENT The support of our friends, alumni and corporate sponsors is vital to the continued development of Austin Peay’s student-athletes as we seek to become the premier athletics department in the Ohio Valley Conference. Annually, it costs nearly $25,000 per student-athlete to provide the support necessary to compete at the highest level.
GOVERNING MOMENT: APRIL 29, 2018 RACKEL TOSSES 1ST NO-HITTER IN 21 YEARS. Morgan Rackel didn’t do anything small on her way to winning Ohio Valley Conference Softball Pitcher of the Year honors. To help Austin Peay tie the school single-season wins record, Rackel tossed the first no-hitter in 21 years for the Governors to keep Eastern Illinois off the board and also guarantee Austin Peay its first OVC Tournament shot since 2007.
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ANNUAL GIVING Governors Alumni and Friends, Austin Peay athletics reached new heights this year both on the field and in support from our great alumni and friends like you! It is well documented in this annual report all of the fantastic seasons we enjoyed in this historic year from our Governor teams. As impressive as the championship seasons and performances, your support was truly OVC Champion caliber! You personify Be A Gov, Be A Champion! Your support, all 3,200 of you, helped set the bar with over $3.6 million dollars raised this past academic year! Our growth and success cannot stop here, however. If we are to continue this progressive trend on the field and in the classroom, we cannot do it without you. Our vision – to be the premiere athletics department in the Ohio Valley Conference – requires great coaches, great student-athletes and an engaged, passionate fan base. With all three, the 2017-18 academic year would be just the start of a new era of success for Austin Peay. As you’ve read through this report, you’ve gotten a sense of what we’ve been able to accomplish as a department this year. These athletes and coaches can’t do the incredible things they do without your support, and I want to thank you for the continued backing our student-athletes enjoy. I can’t tell you how much it means to those on the sidelines, on the bench and in the dugout to have the day-to-day fan support. As an alumnus, I can’t tell you how excited I am to see this university and department continue to grow. Please do not hesitate to call me or anyone in University Advancement to find out how you can be a part of the exciting things happening here at Austin Peay. Let’s Go Peay!
Kris Phillips (’91) Executive Director University Advancement Austin Peay president Dr. Alisa White (center) poses with Michael Rye, Todd Pomnitz, Ricky Cooksey and Len Rye at Swan Lake Golf Course during the 2017 Governors Golf Classic. (APSU Athletics)
GOVERNING MOMENT: MAY 5, 2018 GOVS TIE PROGRAM RECORD WITH 3RD STRAIGHT SHUTOUT. Jacques Pucheu and Brett Newberg combined to stymie SIUE with a four-hit shutout to help Austin Peay baseball secure a threegame series win and with it, a slice of Governor baseball lore. With a midweek shutout of Western Kentucky and a shutout of the Cougars in the series opener, Austin Peay tied a program-record set in 1970 with back-to-back-to-back shutouts.
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BIBB, COOKSEY JOIN RED COAT SOCIETY Jeff Bibb and Ricky Cooksey have been longtime Austin Peay Athletics supporters and for the most part they have done so from two different approaches. Bibb’s support has been more from the development and philanthropic standpoint while Cooksey’s has been of the more service nature, not that both haven’t provided respective support from the other’s methodologies. Bibb and Cooksey became the 38th and 39th members of the Red Coat Society, APSU athletics’ Hall of Fame of service.
(APSU Athletics)
31ST GOVERNORS GOLF CLASSIC One of the longest continuous fundraising events for the Governors, the 31st Governors Golf Classic, was again held at the Clarksville Country Club and Swan Lake Golf Course in Clarksville. Nearly 60 teams participated in the day-long event presented by Echo Power Engineering. The 32nd edition of the event will be held August 3, and registration is available online at LetsGoPeay.com/GolfClassic.
(Chris Lanier)
BASS TOURNAMENT
#GOVSGIVE = $13/minute #GOVSGIVE, Austin Peay’s annual 72-hour online giving event, once again showed the depth of support for Governors athletics with more than 180 donors making nearly $60,000 in online gifts – more than $13 per minute during the April event.
The 25th Annual Austin Peay State University Bass Fishing Tournament saw 111 boats in attendance at the event at Paris Landing State Park. Chase Hunnell and Mason Nicholson won the event with a 22.60-pound limit. The 2018 event saw the athletics department team with the Austin Peay Bass Fishing Club.
GOVERNING MOMENT: MAY 10, 2018 BRADLEY NAMED OVC FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR. Morgan Bradley didn’t just cap her first season in Clarksville with a silver medal in the pole vault at the 2018 Ohio Valley Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships; the Morrow, Ohio, native did something only three other Govs have ever accomplished, earning OVC Outdoor Freshman of the Year honors, thanks to an exemplary spring that saw her rise among the league’s pole vault elite.
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ALUMNI EVENTS Austin Peay’s athletics department and alumni relations office continued to join forces to celebrate Governors alumni throughout the 2017-18 athletics season. A reunion for the 1977 Governors football team and a volleyball reunion that recognized retired long-time head coach Cheryl Holt highlighted the alumni reunions hosted during the season. Several reunions and other alumni events are scheduled during the 2018-19 season. Please visit the alumni relations homepage (www.apsu.edu/alumni) for more information.
1977 Football Reunion
Softball Reunion
(APSU Athletics)
Volleyball Reunion/Cheryl Holt Celebration
GOVERNING MOMENT: MAY 11, 2018 GOVS DOWN #5 CLEMSON. On the mound, Michael Costanzo and Brett Newberg combined to shut them down after the fourth inning. At the plate, second-inning home runs by Bobby Head and Garrett Giovannelli, as well as a ninth-inning moonshot by Parker Phillips that may still be carrying at the time of this writing, helped the Govs stun fifth-ranked Clemson, on the road, for Austin Peay’s first-ever win against a top-five opponent.
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(APSU Athletics)
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Basketball Reunion
(APSU Athletics)
(APSU Athletics)
Stephen Huff Day
1960s Teams Football Reunion
(APSU Athletics)
(Tres Lawless/APSU Athletics)
GOVERNING MOMENT: MAY 18, 2018 GOVS SOFTBALL APPEARS IN NISC TOURNAMENT. After a thirdplace showing in its first Ohio Valley Conference Tournament appearance in more than a decade, Austin Peay softball got to extend its season a little further with an invitation into the National Invitational Softball Championship, the Governors first-ever national postseason tournament bid.
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FACILITY UPGRADES
The Governors strength and conditioning facility at Fortera Stadium opened just in time for the 2017 football season. (Taylor Wiseman/APSU Athletics)
GOVERNING MOMENT: MAY 25, 2018 AMATO, TOLBERT APPEAR AT NCAA REGIONAL. For a third straight year, junior pole vaulter Savannah Amato represented Austin Peay track and field at the NCAA East Preliminary, while sophomore Tymeitha Tolbert’s 100m dash qualification was the first of her career. Some poor luck might’ve knocked the duo out earlier than they would’ve liked this year, but they’re sure to in the hunt for qualification again in 2019.
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(Hunter Abrams/APSU)
BEACH VOLLEYBALL COMPLEX Austin Peay completed work on the Governors Beach Volleyball Complex in time for the 2018 beach volleyball season. The Govs christened the facility with a season-ending tournament and recognized Trent Caffee’s contributions with the Caffee Family Center Court.
(APSU Athletics)
boxLIFE SUITES A new seating experience was at Fortera Stadium for Governors football fans as the Austin Peay athletics department teamed with boxLIFE to provide five field-level suites for the 2017 football season. The five Austin Peay-themed boxLIFE suites were available in the north end zone at Fortera Stadium and provided fans a end zone view of the action.
GOVERNING MOMENT: JUNE 1, 2018 LOOS ENSHRINED IN OVC HALL OF FAME. Six – count ‘em, six – Halls of Fame now count former Austin Peay men’s basketball coach and athletics director Dave Loos as a member after his enshrinement in the Ohio Valley Conference Hall of Fame in June. The “Dean of OVC Head Coaches,” with his league-record 421 wins, five Coach of the Year honors and four NCAA Tournament appearances, is the 10th person with Austin Peay ties, and third in as many years, to gain enshrinement into the OVC Hall of Fame.
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CORPORATE PARTNERS Austin Peay Athletics values its association with Peak Sports Management, which develops and establishes corporate partners with national, regional and local companies. These sponsors make Governors Athletics among the best values for fans in the NCAA. In turn, our partners receive maximum exposure by associating with a Division I athletics program that is on the rise. The 2017-18 year was the first full year in the partnership between Austin Peay and Peak Sports Management with the relationship resulting in nearly 100 sponsors with revenues of nearly $1 million. These monies go toward supporting the academic and athletic goals of Austin Peay Athletics and Austin Peay State University.
Austin Peay Athletics thanks the following corporate sponsors: Altra Federal Credit Union Best Western Plus Blackhorse Pub & Brewery Bojangles Byers & Harvey CDE Lightband CEMC Chick-Fil-A Wilma Rudolph Clarksville Elite Clarksville Fencing Copies in a Flash Cornerstone Financial Credit Union Courtyard Marriott Crye-Leike Realtors Culver’s Cumberland Surgical Arts D&D Companies Dairy Queen Domino’s Dynamark Echo Power Engineering Epic Carts ERA Real Estate F&M Bank FastSigns
Fortera Federal Credit Union Freeman Webb Apartments Frontier Basement Systems Fuse Fireworks Gary Mathews Gateway Tire H&T Carpet & Flooring Hand Family Companies (Budweiser) Heritage Bank Hilton Garden Inn James Corlew Jimmy John’s Johnny’s Big Burger Legends Bank Market at the Tree of Life Center Mathis, Bates, & Klinghard PLLC McReynolds Nave & Larson Michael’s Pizza Mission BBQ Moe’s Southwest Grill Morgan Contractors, Inc. North Meets South Northcrest Medical Center Nova Flow Cafe Novacopy
Outback Steakhouse Papa John’s Penn Mutual Rafferty’s Redhawk Aerial Riggins Flooring Riverview Inn Screaming Eagle Ready Mix Smoothie King Subway Tennessee Lottery Tennova Texas Roadhouse TOA Trio Signs University Landings UPS US Bank Walmart Waterdogs Wendy’s of Clarksville Whizz Advertising Wicked Good Sandwiches YMCA of Clarksville
In its fourth season, the Governors Sports Network broadcast 130 Austin Peay athletics contests across four sports along with weekly coaches shows originating from Buffalo Wild Wings in Clarksville as well as special athletics events during the season. Scott Chase, Brian Rives, Van Stokes and Eric Foister handled broadcast duties throughout the 2017-18 season.
GOVERNING MOMENT: JUNE 5, 2018 TRIO OF PRESEASON PUBLICATIONS PUT GOVS IN TOP 25. The look ahead to the 2018 football season began in early June when three preseason college football publications tabbed the Governors as one of their Top 25 looking ahead to 2018. Athlon Sports’ 2018 National College Football Annual picked the Governors 22nd in the nation; Austin Peay also came in at No. 22 in Street and Smith’s Preseason Top 25, and 15th in Lindy’s FCS Top 25.
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A DIPLOMA IN ONE HAND
(Hunter Abrams/APSU)
Austin Peay’s athletics has two goals summed up in a simple phrase passed down through the years, “A ring on one hand, a diploma in the other.” And while it was a successful season competitively, the ultimate reward was seeing nearly 100 student-athletes, departmental staff and even alumni obtain their diploma during the year’s commencement ceremonies. Be A Gov! Be A Champion! Indeed! The following student-athletes, athletics alumni and departmental employees were master’s degree candidates during the 2017-18 commencement ceremonies: Courtney Brower, softball Amia Butler, track and field Kara Carpenter, academic services Mikhail Creech, football Nikki Filippone, women’s soccer Lindsey Haggerty, athletic training Sierra Hines, dance team Tyler Phillips, men’s golf Wesley Purcell, baseball Niya Sparks, softball Raye-Anne Swift, athletic training Aleksas Tverijonas, tennis Mitch Yeagy, athletic training The following student-athletes, athletics alumni and departmental employees were bachelor’s degree candidates during the 2017-18 commencement ceremonies: Kacy Acree, softball Brianne Alexander, women’s basketball Rikki Arkansas, softball
Falon Baker, women’s basketball George Bezold, cheer Jared Bird, baseball Mathew Biwott, men’s cross country Malik Boynton, football Dallin Bridges, football Domas Budrys, men’s basketball Tre Bush, cheer Logan Carger, volleyball Sarah Carpenter, women’s cross country/track and field Byron Carver, football James Coleman, football Michael Costanzo, baseball Brittney Covington, women’s tennis Julie Covington, women’s tennis Mallory Crawford, track and field Aleh Drobysh, men’s tennis Ed Dyson, men’s basketball Maggie Ethridge, soccer Sophia Fabbro, soccer Julian Franklin, football Morgan Gardner, women’s golf Garrett Giovannelli, baseball Dre Gleason, baseball Sydney Gooch, women’s basketball Ben Goodman, athletic marketing Clare Grady, athletic communications
Chase Hamilton, baseball Ryne Harper, baseball Christiana Harris, track and field Jacob Herbst, baseball Alexis Hill, softball Sidney Hooper, softball Michael Hoover, football Erica Inagaki, softball Tre’ Ivory, men’s basketball Darryl Johnson, football Natalie Johnson, cheer Dustin Jones, football Jerome Jones, football Molly Jordan, women’s cross country Aaron Jumonville, men’s tennis Benedict Louis, football Nico Mays, football Jeremiah Mitchell, football James Mitchell, men’s tennis AnnaMichelle Moore, women’s golf Tay Mullins, football Heather Norris, softball Allie O’Reilly, volleyball Savanna Oliver, softball Roderick Owens, football Jule Pace, football DeKeivis Perry, football Kaylnn Pitts, track and field
Chris Porter-Bunton, men’s basketball Madison Rich, women’s basketball Kirstin Robertson, soccer Keyondria Ross, track and field Josh Rye, baseball Lydia Saina, track and field Tommy Sawyer, athletic facilities Blake Schnieders, football Allysha Scott, track and field John Sparks, baseball Sarah Beth Struble, women’s golf Kaitlyn Teeter, volleyball Averyl Ugba, men’s basketball Taylor Vanders, dance Ross Walker, baseball Nick Walker, baseball Beth Webster, soccer Austin Westmoreland, baseball Rebecca Wheeler, women’s cross country/track and field Christina White, volleyball Kyle Wilson, baseball Tamira Wilson, track and field Hanna Wise, women’s cross country/track and field Sarah-Emily Woodward, women’s cross country/track and field
ATHLETICS DEPARTMENT BOX 4515 601 COLLEGE STREET CLARKSVILLE, TN 37044
BE PART OF THE NEXT GOVERNING MOMENT FOR TICKETS, GOVERNORS CLUB OR SPONSORSHIP INFORMATION
CALL 931-221-PEAY (7329)
(Sean McCully/APSU)