ADV ANT AGE

F reshma n Travis Joseph was born and raised in Trinidad, anislandoffthecoastofSouth America. He enjoyed a tropical climate,spicy foods and soccer.

"Growingupjwasalwaysplayingsoccerwith my cousins and friends in thestreet," Joseph said."lwouldgoinsidewithmyfeetburningand bruisedbecausewe wouldoftenplaybarefoot."

Using Youtube As A Recruiting Tool

Joseph started playing soccer competively at the age of 11 Towards the end of his high school career, he began looking to play collegiately

"Ihad someone from the TV station gather allthe highlights they had of me from the games they recorded," Joseph said

He posted the compiled video on YouTube and sent a copy to men's soccer Coach Jeff Alder in Lynchburg, Virginia Alder was impressed and contacted Joseph and his family to see if he would fit into a Christian environment at our school

"Italked with Travis about his personal relationshipwithJesusChristandlearnedthatthe religiousculturehecomesfromisverysimilarto [ours]," Alder said

Josephwasaddedtothesoccerteam'sroster andheadedfortheStates.LifeinTrinidadwasvery different comparedtolifeinNorthAmericaand theclimateandfoodweredifficultforhimtoget usedto.AccordingtoJoseph.thehardestthingto work on was his English

Sophomore soccer player Andrew Jones said,"Icouldn't understand a word he said at first,"Joseph had to slow down his speech and get used to the American accent so the players and coach could understand him

Despite the challenges, everyone agreed Joseph had a great spirit and brought a new level of energy to the team

"He's a really caring guy who likes to joke around a lot and have fun," Jones said "Joseph loves soccer and has a passion and joy you can't help but seeing."

"The best play that I haveever seenperformed onthe soccer field iswhen Manchester United'sChristiano Ronaldo hadafree kick fromabout 30 yardsout He scoredin the right upper90 corneragainst Portsmouthand PremierEnglish Leagueteam duringseason play." -Kyle Chesser,SR "Beingaformer athlete, I think it isgreattogo outand support notonlymy sport(xc/track), butothersports aswell I think it isextremely importantto encourage support, and challenge [our] teammates By attendingtheir games itshows thatwe believe inourfellow teammates and aresupporters intherace God hasgraciously allowed usto runtogether."

-Molly Morgan, Graduate Student

JuniorThadTaylorstepsintohiskick, preparingtosendapowerfuldrive down thefield Fansenjoyed watching and cheeringfortheirfavoriteplayers "My favoriteplayerisPaulGilbert,becauseheis anexcellentathleteand hereallyunderstands thetalentGod hasgivenhim wasonlygiven tobeusedforthegloryofGod asaministry tool," DayneCarraway,senior,said.

ifif Senior Heather Bowling and Radford University's sophomore Maryellen Derenda jump towardsthe ball,hopingto win possession. Duringthesecond halfofthegame, sophomore Aimee Luurtsema and juniorMaria Owen scored, leadingourteam toa2-0victory, theirseventh win "Playing on thesoccerteam wassuchagreat experience," Bethany Lam, seniorsoccer player,said."This ismy firstandlast season,sinceIam atransferstudent, butIlovedplaying DivisionIforatleast HH I oneseason."

DefenderjuniorAlyssa Andersenracestoregain possession,shielding theballfrom theOld Dominion opponents Although some players wereinjuredduringthe season,theirattitude encouraged thefans.

"JuniorCaitlynRileyismy favoritesoccerplayerof alltimes,"Tori Halvorson, freshman,said "Although shewasoutthisseason withan injury, I lovedthe enthusiasm shehad on thesidelines."

Ql What inspired you to want to help out with the women's soccer team?

"Ilovecollegesoccer, I love coaching, and I lovethe Lord There is no better place than heretobe abletouse the giftsGod has given me tohelp lead college girlsnotonly insoccer, but also intheirrelationship with Him." friendsplay Theydedicatethemselvestothe sportand I liketoencourage them through support."

0." What do you hope you are able to bring to the girls that you will help coach?

"On oroffthefield, I hope that Iam livinga lifethatpraisesChrist First and foremost,I want thegirlstoseethat.

Sophomore JuanNinoweaveshisway down thefield,preparingtomake ashortpasstohisteammate Sophomore DarrenAmmo scoredtwogoalsinthefirsthalf,whichledtheteam toa2-0victoryover Appalachian StateUniversity.Sportplayerswereexpectedtofindaway tobalanceschoolworkandpractice. Thecoachestriedtocooperatebyhelpingtheplayers."TheCoach hassetagood scheduleforme."Joseph Travis,freshman,said "Soccergetsdoneatfour,soI havethewholeeveningfreetodomy studies."

JuniorLauraNyholtexectuesa move tothrowoffher opponent. Nyholtandseveralother teammates tookafewshotsinthefirsthalfof thegame againstOld Dominion, but theirattemptsdidnotturnintogoals Eventhough Freshman Madison Short scoredagoalinthesecond half,the OldDominion Monarchscame outwith a3-1victory."I lovesoccer,and getting towatchaDivisionIschoolplaythe sportI loveisexciting,"CalebEller, senior,said "Boththegirlsand guys teamsdidverywellthisseason,and theywereveryexcitingtowatch."

Secondly,I hope that I can bring some of my experiences from playing and things thatmy coaches have taught me.I have had some great opportunities toplayin college, semi-pro,and pro, and Iknow the Lord gave me theseexperiences to learnhow toteach others."

-EmilyStoepker,SR

"My motivation forplayingtennisincollege [was] thedesiretogetbetterand betterwhile strugglingforahigherrankformy school,and my country [Brazil]."

-RafaelRiso,SR '^^0mi

"I haveattended some girls' matches. I reallyenjoythem because theymotivateme topush myselfharder. I enjoythe relationshipsthegirlshavewithoneanother I neverhad ateam likethatinhighschool Tennisisdifferentfrom othersports because it'sblackand white. I canmake ashotand know immediately ifitwillgo inorout. Forexample ifashotgoesjustIon ofthebaseline, I know thatthefaceofmy racketwas probablyopened up,orI didnotsnapmy wristenough and I hitthroug theball insteadofbrushing upacrossit. I canusethatinformation tochange my nextshot."

-Maggie Weingartner,SR

oymaking bannersand posterswithagroupof my friends During thegame,we supportthemt cheeringthem on."

-Courtney Lowry,SR

"My favoritememory was beatingGardner-Webb attheBigSouthTournament my juniorye We hadjustlosttothem two weeksearlier4-3,butwe showed resiliencybycoming backto thedoublespointand thatenergy spilledoveraswe won thematch 5-2 I will neverforgett emotionsand excitementthatI had duringthatmatch."

-Chad Simpson,SR,tennisplayer

have pushed past many obstaclesand lettheirtalents shine thisseason Senior Chad Simpson and junior Jordr~ are two players who have attainea prestigious titlesthisseason.

Simpson was named News-Gazette of Danville Illinois' Tennis Player of the Decade. He gave allhispraise to his biggest fan. God.

"The best thing about the accomplishment was that God got the glory,"Simpson said "I wasreally blessed that God used me toget His name outinmy newspaper."

Simpson explained that his teammates and coach pushed him tobe the best, every clay atpractice The rest of the team expressed theirgratitude tohave a teammate likeSimpson

"Chad is thetype ofperson that has < positive influence on everyone around him," Louis Steyn,senior, said."He is a good example fortheother team members and we areprivileged to have ordan Jenkins von the Billie members and we areprivileged to him on ourteam."

On thegirl'steam,junior Jordan J stood outthisseason.Shewonthe Jean King National Tennis Invitatior falland was nationally ranked this v as 124th by theIntercollegiate Tenn Association

"My father always told me that an; worth doing is worth being done w Jenkins said "Every time I step onti court I make sure that I give everytl

Jenkins'drive and determination helped her win many titlesand helped challenge her teammates aswell.This season, she was even named captain oftheteam.

"Jordan is an incredible leader both junior, said "Shenever gives up andshe keeps ourteam glued together through encouragement."

Both Simpson and Jenkins were very humble and tharfkful when they talked about theiraccomplishments Doing their best on thecourt was allthat mattered to them, thetitlesand awards were a bonus

"Ultimately I'm fulfilled because I know I'm giving tennis my all and that'sall I g

Freshmanswimteam member BethanyWakeleytakesabreathinbetweenstridesassheplowsthroughthewaterin thepoolattheLahayeStudentUnion.Themembersofthewomen'sswim team,currentlyaclubsport, practicedfervently withthehopesofachieveNCAA DivisionIstatus "I havelearnedthatbeingonaclubteam takesalotofselfdisciplineand dedication,asitisuptotheswimmerstobeateverypracticeand toworkhard," Kati Masters,junior,said "Ourteam hasa lot ofheartand we plantoachievegreatthingsevenasafirstyearteam."fsee page m for more on swimming)

MembersoftheCrew Team preparedtotesttheirskillsonthewaterthis fallintheirfirstyearofcompetitions SinceforminginMarch, participantshavepracticedfourtimesaweekinorderto competeagainsotheruniversityclubteams MarkFurler,Men andWomen'sCrewCoach,said,"Trainingforrowingrequires manyhoursandintensetraininglikeallhigh aerobiccapacitysports."

Traininginarowingprogramwasbrokendowninto foursections.Inthefall,rowersspenttimeworkingon longdistanceracestoteachbeginnershowtoroworbuild enduranceforexperiencedrowers.Duringthewinter,rowers spendtimeinsideastheybuildstrengthandincreasethey're aerobicthresholdontheergs,rowingmachines.Springwas knownasthemostcompetitivecollegiateseason,which involvedsprintstyleracingwithrowerssidebysidedown theirrespectivelanes Finally,thesummerprovidedlighter intensityrowingfortheabilitytorecover. "Duringthefallandspringseasonswecanbefoundout atIvyHillsLakeintheeveningsandduringthewinterfound indoorsonrowingmachinesorinthegymworkingon strengthtraining,"Furlersaid.

TheSOAR dunk team reacheda new statusthisyear asa clubsport Theschool helped book shows and providedthe team withprofessional equipmenttoenhance theirperformance. Theteam spreadthe word aboutourschool and theLordasthey traveledtheeastcoast performingathalftime showsand youth events The show consistedofvarious acrobaticdunks done offofangled minitrampolines "Itcangetpretty scaryattimes, occasionallybeing upsidedown,10 feetintheairwith a metalrimquickly approachingyour body,"TuckerHill, juniorteam membersaid "But,that'swhy we do it, it'san adrenalinerush.

Initssecond year,thearcheryclub grew toa25-member team, consistingof both men and women.

Founder andjuniorBen Stallardsaid, "Startingthisyearwe aim tocompete withotherschoolsintheCollegeArchery Program,suchasPenn State,James Madison Universityand many otherschools."

Members wereadded aswellasapracticing ground fortheteam.

"Thereare360 acresoflandthatwe can hunton duringanytimeoftheseasonas wellasendlessopportunitiesforpeopleto become professionalarchers,"Stallardsaid.

The equestrian team traveled to the Serene Creek Run Riding Center in Forest, VA to ride horses. Members helped with chores that included grooming,exercising and feedingthe horses or cleaning stalls.

"I ride anwhere from one to three hours a day, and I am at thebarn at least five days a week helping takecareof the horses and the barn." Niclole Pawlowskis, senior, said.

"Altogether, I spend about 30 hours a week at the bi opportunity to

Accoring to the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association, the new team was required to observe shows for their first semester.

Inthe spring they competed against schools such as Randolph College and Sweet Bn.i: well asother non-colleo riders in Virgh h ived horses foi long as I can nber and I've CM riding off and on for 8 ye.

•<n a reguconv < pass

Paintball

New andimprovedwerethetwowordsthatdescribed thepaintballteamthisyear

Afterplacingfifthoutof55teamsintheNCPA[National CollegiatePaintballAssociation]tournamentlastyear,the paintballteamgrewininterestoncampus.Enthusiasm ledtheteamtodoubleinsizethisyear

Theyalsogotanewpaintballfieldwithtwoturffields andbrandnewset-upairbunkers

"Paintballisafastpacedgamethatgetsyouradrenaline pumpingforsure,"BrianDavidson,juniorsaid "This year'steamislookinggood.We areallclose,andwe have ablastnotjustonthefieldbutoffthefieldaswell."

Triathlonbecamea newclubsportoncampus whichoffered20 students the optionto competeinsport thatencompassedswimming, biking and running

Junior Blakely Harris said,"Training involvesall threesportsthroughout the week Somedaysweonly doone eventandsomedays twoevents Webikeallover andswimin Ivy Lakeandthe schoolsindoorpool Wedo mostof our runningon the trails."

Somestudentsshared thatthe additionof the triathlonteamoncampus was a determiningfactorfor choosingto attendour school.

SophomoreMichael Hetricksaid,"Iactuallycame to the schoolto doTriathlons I wasgoingto anotherschool, but[this] teamstartedsoI cameto school here,"

"When every muscle inyour body isscreaming at you, and you're noteven sure you can getoutofthe pool, you turn your head tothescoreboard and seethetime and your adrenaline starts pumping again.You just swam faster than you ever have before inyour life,"Sarah Coffey, senior,described.

Coffey had been swimming since theage oftenand she brought herpassion tothefirstwomen's swim club at ourschool

Jake Shellenberger went from being assistant swim coach atPenn State University for three years to being head coach ofourswim team.

"Iplayed baseball inhigh school with Dave Bechtold, who played here,and he had nothing butgreat thingsto say about theschool,"Shellenberger said

Freshman Bethany Wakeley shared herthoughts about Coach Shellenberger "Ourcoach isa visionary Heis driven,positive and excited,and it is contagious."

Shellenberger's vision fortheteam included joining Division I.

"Iexpect them toshow up,respect their teammates, believe inthevision and practice with a purpose. If they do that,we're eventually going to be a pretty good team," Shellenberger said.

Shellenberger enjoyed being on campus and looked forward totheseason.

"Ihave only been here three weeks,but Iabsolutely love this place and a lot ofthat isbecause ofthe students," Shellenberger said."Thestudent body is the heart and soul ofa university and they help make our school what it is."

Elevenplayersarecrucial toanygivenfootball game,becauseit'sthose men thatfighttheirway down theturf, defend theirend zoneandscore touchdowns. However, it's thealleged12thman who providedthemoraleboost and momentum needed towin. Heshouldnever beunderestimatedinhis influenceontheoutcome ofagame,forheisthe vital hingeofemotionand hypethatsweepsupoppositioncausinga home teamvictory. Withlegendaryenthusiasm,the12thmanin ourstandswasnomyth

TheAthleticdepartment launchedthe12th man competitionthisyearto generateexcitementand support Dormsrallied togetherfortheprizeand honorofrepresenting thestudentbodyonthe field Thewinnerswere announced every game attheend ofthefourth quarter.Thewinning dorm ranoutaheadoftheteam atthefollowing home game wavinga12th man flagthatdeclaredtheir victoryasmostspirited dorm.Thisrowdy show ofschoolspiritservedto electrifytheatmosphere and torallyfanstoroot longand loudforour team.

"Itwasveryexciting towinthe12th man competition,especially in thefashionthatwe did We tookgreatpride inwinningthat12th man flagbecausewe wereone ofonlysixstudentgroups tohavedoneso We knew we hadsacrificedalotof time,energy,and money tomake ithappen,sofor usasadorm itwassomewhatfulfillingtohave beenawardeda12th man flag. Itgaveusasenseof prideand achievement thatwe celebratedfor weeks Inaddition, itwas alsoexhilaratingtolead thefootballteam ontothe fieldand haveeveryone seewho wewere," TimothyYonts,Graduate StudentandResident Assistant,said

Inthemidstofhundredsofrain-soakedfans,sophomoreBrianBrownwaveshis dorm'sflag "Theflagwasmeanttobeanecouragementtothefootballteam,andhelp ustowinthe12thManCompetition,"Brownsaid.Theflaghad redflames,the Roman numeral"X"tosymbolizetheirdorm and"27-3"torepresenttheirsisterdorm.