Maroon Life — Spring Sports 2023

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EDITORIAL STAFF

Michaela Rush, Editor-in-Chief

Kyle McClenagan, Managing Editor

Ishika Samant, Photo Chief

Grant Gaspard, Sports Editor

Zoe May, Sports Editor

Luke White, Asst. Sports Editor

Caroline Wilburn, News Editor

Ruben Hernandez, Life & Arts Editor

Ryan Lindner, Opinion Editor

Evelyn Peterson, Page Designer

Megan Williams, Page Designer and Aggieland Editor-in-Chief

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY PRANAY DHOOPAR @DHAOOPERRR

LETTERS FROM THE EDITORS

Sports editor Zoe May encourages Aggies to look beyond the jersey Sports editor Grant Gaspard thanks coworkers for friendship, opportunities

By Zoe May @mayzoella

I was never supposed to be one of the sports editors this semester. Due to a strange twist of events, I was invited to apply to be an assistant sports editor last semester. Never did I foresee that I would be running a desk and making a magazine in the second semester of my sophomore year. And yet, somehow that’s exactly where I am. The Battalion has introduced me to my home away from home and my forever family. It has been both one of the hardest and most rewarding experiences I have had and taught me things about myself and the people around me that I would have never known.When I walk to class every morning I can’t help but smile at all I’ve been able to accomplish, but I didn’t do it alone.

I first want to thank Grant Gaspard, my co-editor and co-conspirator. Thank you for having my back and sticking with me through this magazine’s craziness. Here’s to relaxing — finally — once this magazine hits the stands.

I want to thank Luke White for coming into this job and hitting the ground running. I don’t know how Grant and I would have finished this magazine without knowing you had our backs the whole way.

I also want to shout out the sports desk. To everyone who stepped up and wrote a feature after we completely flipped the script — some of you for the first time ever — I appreciate you. And to the writers who weren’t working on the Maroon Life but picked up the slack in the everyday assignments, I appreciate y’all too. Watching every one of you grow and improve has made me so proud to not only know you, but guide you.

Ishika Samant, my photographer-in-crime, thank you for sticking with me through this with all the stress and crazy ideas. Your talent behind the camera has the ability to add meaning to any story we could write. I can’t wait to

see all the projects we will make together. Thank you Pranay Dhoopar for every graphic in this magazine and the creativity and magic it gave to these pages.

Thank you, Michaela Rush and Kyle McClenagan for giving me the opportunity and freedom to make this magazine my baby. Thank you for teaching me and helping me grow throughout this experience. No matter where the future takes me, I will take all the lessons you taught me and the example you set for how a leader should be with me.

Thank you to my mom, dad and brother for being the ones to give me a breath of fresh air when I’m drowning and pulling me out of my spirals. You guys are the reason for everything I do, I love y’all. To Sophie Foster, my forever friend, thank you for putting up with my crazy schedule. Our late-night talks keep me sane and I wouldn’t trade them for anything in the world — even those big red boots. Finally, I want to thank Nathan and Mary Pat Dettmer for trusting me to tell Nathan’s story to the people of Aggieland.

Since the moment I decided journalism was the path I wanted to pursue, I desired to use my skill and platform to give people a voice and to show the people behind the faces we see from afar. With this magazine we took a leap — the first-ever sports Maroon Life that is entirely features from coaches like Joni Taylor and Trisha Ford, to athletes like Grace Uribe and Trey Hilderbrand.

To the readers of this magazine, I hope we give you some insight on the people behind the jerseys.

Zoe May is a journalism sophomore and sports editor for The Battalion.

By Grant Gaspard @grant_gaspard

To be completely transparent, I had no plans of having a career in journalism. Since I was a child, I had dreams of playing basketball at the collegiate level and, once failing to make a roster spot on a professional team, would return back to where I started playing and spend the rest of my life coaching the sport I fell in love with. Due to my lack of size and speed, I didn’t make it past the high school level and decided to pursue a different path in the sports industry.

I decided to study sport management at Texas A&M during my sophomore year after developing a deep hatred for engineering following one semester at the RELLIS campus. That same year, I came across a group of people buried in the basement of the Memorial Student Center that would change my life for the better.

Before I list the numerous people who have helped me on my journey to an editor position, I must thank my cousin Katherine Pace, who pushed me to sign up for the college newspaper. Without you, I will not have met these amazing people and created the memories that I will cherish for a lifetime.

To start, I must thank Casey Stavenhagen and Ryan Faulkner for the opportunity to travel along their side to my first athletic event. From that moment on, you guys broke me out of my shell, taught me to be open-minded and have continued to guide me through my journalism career, despite no longer being here.

Next, I want to thank Robert O’Brien. When some days I felt too scared to stand my ground, he taught me to be tough and resilient through any obstacle that approached my path. He became one of my best friends at the desk and my official travel companion.

Furthermore, I would like to thank Michaela Rush. She became someone I could talk to whenever I was stressed

about a situation taking place at the office. No one will come close to understanding the amount of work she has put in for The Battalion and our newspaper would not be running without her.

Kyle McClenagan helped me produce and upload 32 Home Turf podcast episodes that are now on every platform you can imagine. Jordan Epp helped me realize you can never know too much about sports and that in order to be successful in this career, you have to put in countless hours of work when no one is watching.

Finally, I would like to thank the people who put together the pages of this magazine. I would like to give appreciation to Zoe May and Luke White who have made my job as the sports editor easier than it should have been. In such a short period of time, I have witnessed the 20 writers on my sports desk and podcast team develop into some of the best student journalists with bright careers ahead of them. As for my fellow editors and photographers, I appreciate the constant AP Style reminders, meeting updates and the many laughs in the office.

One of the most valuable lessons I learned as a child athlete is the importance of working as a team. This statement has remained true from the moment I picked up my first ball to when I typed my first article. Without every single person, past or present, that has worked for The Battalion, this sports magazine would not be possible. My short story doesn’t compare to the numerous athletes’ stories in this magazine and the creative student journalists who spent countless hours bringing their words to life.

Grant Gaspard is a sport management junior and sports editor for The Battalion

ANALYSIS: DANCING TO NATIONAL TITLE

Sports editor compares 2022-23 Aggies, 2013-14 Huskies

By Grant Gaspard @grant_gaspard

Editor’s note: This magazine was finalized on Friday, Feb. 24, 2023. The statistics compared in this story were from the updated statistics posted by ESPN following A&M basketball’s 28th game of the season and UConn’s full-season statistics.

I’ve spent countless hours — over many days — on my laptop trying to figure out if there was a common thread or pattern among national champions over the last decade.

With the Aggies now in serious contention of punching their ticket to The Big Dance for the first time since 2018, I’ve been trying to figure out if the maroon and white have a realistic chance at making it to the final stage.

I’m asking myself questions, like what Jay Wright’s 2018 Villanova team has in common with the 2023 Texas A&M roster. Is it a coincidence that the 2022 Kansas team had a fifth-year guard who transferred in his last season, just like fifth-year guard Dexter Dennis?

I found that it was unfair, however, to

compare a team that has a slim chance to finish as a No. 1 seed in the bracket to the eight No. 1 seeds who two-stepped their way to the final four in the past 10 years.

Back to the drawing board.

I would soon scroll across a sports betting article that “analyzed every Division I men’s NCAA championship team from 2008 to 2021” and claimed to crack the code at figuring out the impossible.

Comparing the checklist to the Aggies, I found similarities such as:

Championship teams come from schools with an enrollment of at least 10,000 students. As of 2022, A&M has over 72,000 students enrolled.

Championship teams rank in the top 25 in adjusted defensive efficiency at KenPom.com. A&M is No. 24 on this list.

Championship teams have great point guards. As of his last game against Tennessee on Feb. 21, sophomore guard Wade Taylor IV is one of only two Division I players in the last 25 years to have a fivegame span with the following, according to a tweet from OptaSTATS:

• 100+ points

• 40+ free throws made

• 20+ assists

• 15+ 3-pointers made

• 10+ steals

• 45% 3-point shooting

• 90% free throw shooting

Only four-time NBA champion Stephen Curry had done this before. Although it is too soon to label Taylor as “great,” it isn’t too soon to recognize his ability to facilitate this offense and his impact on this team in only his second season.

As I was connecting the dots and drawing the line, I came across one of the last items that bridge the gap between every national champion.

The championship team has been ranked in the top four of ESPN’s College Basketball Power Index. Unfortunately, A&M is listed at No. 19 with a BPI of 12.3.

Back to the drawing board.

While on the verge of giving up, I finally found it.

Not just a team with similar characteristics but a program that walked a path akin to the one A&M is currently walking. A No. 7 seed in the tournament that, nine years ago, made the idea of the maroon and white taking the final bow plausible rather than impossible.

A national championship team that was snubbed from the NCAA Tournament the year before with a .667 winning percentage, just .010 behind the Aggies’ winning percentage at the end of the 2021–22 regular season.

2013-14 UConn Basketball

The first similarity between the two teams was not on the court but rather on

the bench, holding a clipboard.

After 13 seasons in the NBA, Kevin Ollie joined his former coach Jim Calhoun as an assistant coach and just two years later, he was named the head coach of UConn’s basketball program.

Ollie had a unique coaching style. The Dallas native was known for his quirky motivational quotes that soon became known as “Ollieism” around the locker room.

“Ollie uses more motivational phrases than almost any other guy I’ve ever been around in my life,” Calhoun told ESPN.

A&M also has someone on the sidelines who is just as much of a “quodophile” as Ollie was. Someone born less than an hour away from Ollie, head coach Buzz Williams has built a culture around his program with motivational quotes. Enough quotes to make t-shirts with, if you will.

Like A&M in its 2021–22 season, UConn was rejected from the NCAA Tournament the season previous to its tournament run.

The Huskies were banned from the 2012-13 tournament because the program lacked the required Academic Progress Rate, or APR, benchmark during the 2010-11 season. Despite the scenarios being different, the uniqueness of the circumstances was not. According to Business Insider, they are the only major Division I

program to be banned due to not meeting the APR requirements.

“We were banned from the NCAA tournament, but we weren’t banned from loving each other; we weren’t banned from making each other better,” Ollie told ESPN about missing out on the tournament.

As far as the people on the court, where do I even begin?

A&M is a team that prides itself on being gritty and scrappy. Well, so did the UConn Huskies in 2014. Under Ollie, UConn held opponents to 63.4 points per game and forced seven steals per game.

The Aggies?

Through 28 games, they have allowed just one bucket more per game than the Huskies and have forced just 0.1 fewer steals.

Let’s talk about charity.

UConn prided itself on taking advantage of free points when given the chance, as they were fourth in the nation in free throw percentage at 78%. A&M is just behind them at 76%.

As far as the rest of the statistics go, let’s let the numbers speak for themselves.

playing style. Nonetheless, there is one similarity between the two players whose sizes shaped them into the type of players they are or were.

Standing at 6-foot-1 and 180 pounds, Shabazz Napier was one of the most dominant guards in college basketball in 2014. He averaged 18 points, 4.9 assists and 1.8 steals per game, and he led his team in all three categories.

In the opposite corner, at 6-foot and 185 pounds, Taylor leads his team in the same three categories with 15.9 points, 4.1 assists and the same amount of steals per game as Napier.

How could you miss this?

As far as being a threat on both sides of the court, each team shares a similar embodiment.

Ryan Boatright was one of the most explosive guards for the Huskies in 2014. His ability to finish at the rim and draw the foul was incomparable.

Until 1999, when this senior guard was born.

Tyrece Radford’s ability to finish at the rim, find the open lane and draw the foul is what makes him so dangerous on the offensive end. What makes him so versatile is his willingness to guard the best ball handler week in and week out.

Boatright was as well.

Despite having 12 fewer steals than Napier, Boatright guarded the best player on the court and made him earn every bucket. He was scrappy and tough as boots, too. Sound familiar?

The last similarity between the two teams was their eagerness to go find a player in the transfer portal who would make an immediate impact on the team with his athleticism and experience.

When it comes to player personnel, Williams said he lets assistant coach Steve Roccaforte handle it. If it’s cool with him, I’m going to take charge of it for the time being.

A&M isn’t known for its size in the paint, as its tallest starter is junior forward Julius Marble at 6-foot-9; however, neither was UConn. Starting forward Phillip Nolan stood at 6-foot-9, and its next tallest starter was forward DeAndre Daniels, who stood at 6-foot-8.

The Aggies’ next tallest starter is junior forward Henry Coleman III, who also stands at 6-foot-8.

UConn did have a 7-foot center that came off the bench named Amida Brimah. However, we’re talking starters.

Now I understand that size isn’t everything when it comes to basketball, and it definitely doesn’t determine the athlete’s

In A&M’s case, this was Dennis, who spent his first four years at Wichita State, made the journey to College Station and has been a starter since Game 1.

In UConn’s case, this was Lasan Kromah, who spent the majority of his collegiate career at George Washington University before making the trip to Storrs, Conn., to chase a ring.

Kromah played in all 40 games and, despite not being a starter, played the fifth most minutes on the team with 22.4 minutes per game and averaged 6.1 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game.

In the end, I could just be grasping straws out of a hat that just isn’t there. But the connections between the two teams are just too strong to ignore. Hopefully, Williams’ coaching career has a happier ending than Ollie’s and hopefully, A&M won’t have to run into Montrezl Harrell in the conference championship.

Ishika Samant— THE BATTALION

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Building a legacy beyond basketball

Coach Joni Taylor hopes to leave positive impression, lasting tradition

By Shanielle Veazie @shanielleveazie

So many titles come to mind when referring to Texas A&M women’s basketball head coach Joni Taylor. Taylor wears many hats and has the accolades to complement them. The 2021 SEC Coach of the Year, assistant coach of the 2021 USA Women’s National Team and a phenom to women in sports, are just a few. With her hands full, there is room to wonder how she balances all the other roles in her life as a wife, mother, daughter and mentor.

“Literally when my feet hit the floor every morning I say, ‘God give me what I need for today,’” Taylor said. “I think one of the biggest things is that I really try to be where my feet are. If I’m at work then I’m at work, if I’m at home then I’m at home, if I’m on the road recruiting, I’m recruiting, if I’m with USA Basketball, then I’m with USA Basketball. When I am present you’re going to get all of me and that is how I try to operate.”

The Aggies are near the end of their season and her first in Aggieland, has not been one of Taylor’s best. Having spent the last seven years coaching at the University of Georgia, Taylor is accustomed to successful seasons that end in a run in the NCAA tournament. For A&M, the squad is currently 7-18 overall as struggles this season have stemmed from several injuries that left the team rotating only seven players for the majority of the season.

Despite the disappointing season, Taylor knows the team is simply becoming better. Though all coaches want a trophy, she is determined to prove she knows her purpose and that there is more to her — so much more to her — than basketball. She is building a legacy, one that will empower women and that many will always remember.

“Winning championships, competing and recruiting, the Xs and Os, I mean I am as competitive as they come and I want to win,” Taylor said. “All of that drives

me but I have no doubt in my mind that my purpose is to help change the lives of young women and to continue them on the course of their own. Basketball is just my door, it’s my conduit, it’s the vessel that I use but I am ultimately here to change lives.”

Through the trials and tribulations of getting to where she is in her career, Taylor’s faith has only strengthened. She credits her parents, Jonas and Hargie Crenshaw, for building a solid foundation and being her inspiration throughout her life. Taylor grew up in an education-driven home as the Crenshaws were both educators and both played the sport of basketball. Taylor’s mom played in high school and her father played at Natchez College in Mississippi.

“Joni has always been competitive, especially with her brother,” Hargie said. “I put her in all kinds of things growing up to see what she would be good at. She did cheerleading, gymnastics and piano. Well she did piano for two years and by the end of the second year she still only knew how to play ‘Mary Had a Little Lamb’ so we decided to drop piano but she was always athletic. I never thought she would be a coach but she liked basketball so she decided to make that her one sport outside of track.”

For Taylor, she remembers being the only girl in the neighborhood growing up in Meridian, Miss. and as the only daughter, she often found herself trying to keep up with her older brother and his friends. However, it didn’t take long for Taylor to realize that she was talented and when she did she took it seriously.

“I was a tomboy my entire life,” Taylor said. “I had an older brother who pushed me around so when his friends came and played football, I was playing too. Then I realized I was exceptionally gifted and athletic in the fourth or fifth grade. There was this elementary track relay and all of the elementary schools came together at the high school to compete against other elementary schools. I forgot what I was running but I beat everybody from all the other schools and I kind of was like oh this isn’t just me being the fastest at my school, I’m now the fastest in all of the elementary schools in our city and that’s when I kind

of realized that I was athletic. So as I started playing basketball I realized again that this was something that can really carry me a long way.”

Although Taylor grew up outnumbered, women empowerment has always been important to her and she is determined to create avenues for women to grow and build their own legacies. Outside of her career in basketball, she has established herself as a pillar for the average woman.

In 2015, Beyond Basketball was created by Taylor when she became the head coach at Georgia. The organization serves as a space for like-minded women to come together once a month over breakfast to have someone speak life into them and ultimately recharge their batteries. Taylor attends the meetings but takes a backseat to allow the guest speakers to motivate, educate and inspire the women to be their best version of themselves while having a call to action and serving their communities.

Taylor is excited to have brought the program to Aggieland in her first year as the coach and encourages women all over Brazos Valley to join the space where they can blossom and find support no matter their career path.

“When you think about women, we are so much for so many,” Taylor said. “We do so much and we are always pouring out to give to others but who’s filling our cup up? We’ve got to bet on ourselves more to trust that we’re going to figure it out, we’re smart enough to do it and that we deserve a seat at the table.”

Taylor often reflects on how things have not always been equal for women dating back to when she first began to play the sport. She said it was hard to even identify with someone who looked like herself in the sport.

“I think about how far we’ve come in terms of gender equity,” Taylor said. “I think for so long there were only so many spots for women in whatever field you look at. In many cases, we were pitted against each other or we didn’t want to share information to support each other because it was either me or you, it couldn’t be both of us.”

In her household, the success of women is not only the center of her world but it

is also her husband, Darius Taylor. With Joni being a head coach and Darius being a general manager in the WNBA, it requires a balancing act to make everything work for the family.

“My husband is absolutely amazing,” Taylor said. “He is a great partner to me in terms of both of us understanding our schedules. Right now it’s kind of my season so he is very hands on and then when his season comes, I’m very hands on, so we just kind of flip flop. Then our parents have pretty much put their lives on hold to be in Texas and help us raise our daughters. We have a great support system.”

In the midst of a chaotic schedule, Taylor doesn’t neglect her personal needs and finds time for self-care when few are awake. Her typical morning begins way before the sun is up, and Taylor describes this time as a time to reset and just be Joni.

“I’m a 4 a.m.’er,” Taylor said. “I wake up to have some time to myself and then I workout. I go to the gym most days and if not, I’m banging it out on the treadmill somewhere. So from 4-6:30 a.m., that’s kind of my space because once my day starts it’s not mine anymore. After the gym, I get dressed to drive our girls to school and then I start my day.”

For Taylor, the success in Aggieland will come eventually but that’s not her main focus. She’s more concerned with becoming a better leader to add to the lives of those around her and leave a lasting impression.

“When I think about legacy, sure I think about the basketball things,” Taylor said. “But what I think about most is what the players that I have coached and the staff that I have been around are going to say about me when I am gone. I want them to say that they were certain in my faith, who I believed in and that I helped to make them better. Legacy is passing on and sharing all that you have to help others so that their lives can be better because you were a part of it. That is the legacy that I want to leave for players that I have coached, for the people that I’ve worked with as an assistant coach and as a head coach and for my family and my two girls.”

‘Eight Feet Tall’

The story of Dettmer’s climb to the mound, collegiate success

By Zoe May @mayzoella

The sound of the dirt beneath his feet crunched as he pivoted his cleat.

Sweat dripped down his forehead as he looked across the plate for the sign. Got it.

He stood up as the crowd watched on in anticipation.

He wound up his arm and launched the ball.

The smack resonated from the catcher’s glove among the cheers from the crowd. The then-sophomore, now-junior pitcher, Nathan Dettmer, was in the College World Series, the highest competition in college baseball.

Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither was Nathan’s success on the mound. The two-time SEC Pitcher of the Week’s story began in Dallas with his mother, Mary Pat Dettmer and his brother, Nicholas.

“My parents got divorced when I was pretty young, so it was just us three living in Dallas,” Nathan said. “We didn’t have too much, but my mom worked super hard to make sure that me and my brother had a good life. She sacri ced so much for me.”

Growing up, Nathan said he played a multitude of di erent sport, including soccer, football, basketball, baseball and even track. When Nathan was in his sophomore year of high school, he had a growth spurt that allowed him to throw the ball harder as a pitcher. It was during this time Nathan realized his passion and quit other sports.

“The thing about baseball, especially as a pitcher, nothing can happen until I throw the ball,” Nathan said. “I kind of have the power. I like that. It’s a little bit sel sh but I like that feeling and just knowing that I control the game. So, that’s what I really like about baseball. I love team sports, base-

ball is a team sport, but it’s so individual in its own way and I think that’s what makes it unique. That’s why I chose to stick with it and keep going.”

When Nathan was 12 years old, his mother remarried and the family moved to San Antonio to move in with his stepfather. There, Nathan would nish out his schooling and begin building his baseball career.

“I didn’t have that father gure growing

“I am studying kinesiology right now, I’m not really sure what I want to do, but I know I want to coach at some level, somehow,” Nathan said. “Really giving back in that way, I think, will be awesome to kids in my similar situation growing up because coaches were huge for me. I’ve really leaned on them, they’ve taught me so many things besides baseball, just life lessons that I’ll use for the rest of my life.”

While Nathan doesn’t know what spe-

go into the uncomfortable zone, but that’s in order to make it comfortable. Instilling that con dence in them and helping them along the way, I would really like to use that mental game in that way.”

Nathan himself had to learn the importance of the mental game the hard way. In Nathan’s rst year as an Aggie, he pitched in 17 games with 12 starts, but nished with a 3-2 record. Following the season, Nathan spent time in Savannah, Ga. pitching in the Coastal Plain League for the Savannah Bananas. There, he learned valuable lessons about who to be on and o the eld.

“Their whole philosophy, mindset, is ‘Flip the switch,’” Nathan said. “That’s our motto that we kept saying. When you’re on the eld, you’re in compete mode, you wanna go strike everyone out, you’re going all in. Once you step o the eld, you ip the switch into pure entertainment and just have fun with it. So, I really brought that into my mindset at A&M. When I’m on that eld and I’m working, it’s compete mode and I’m on attack always. Then, right when I step o and I’m done for the day, I’m having a good time with some of my best friends in the world and just enjoying the process as I go.”

When Nathan returned from his time on the East Coast for his second season, pitching coach Nate Yeskie recalled seeing both a physical and mental change in Nathan.

up, my stepdad really stepped in,” Nathan said. “He’s been there for me. He really taught me about [Texas] A&M. He went to A&M and kind of brainwashed me into loving this school.”

Before Nathan found his new home with his stepfather, he found himself leaning on his coaches to ll in for the missing gure in his life. Nathan said growing and learning with them made him who he is. Now, he plans to return the favor by being that support system for kids in situations like his.

ci c level of coaching he wants to pursue, but knows he would use his position to help younger kids nd assurance in who they are on and o the eld, a lesson he had to learn as well.

“I think I would really stress [the mental side] to younger kids,” Nathan said. “Growing up I was so shy, I couldn’t even order my own food at a restaurant until I was about 13. I was scared to talk to anyone older than me. So, really just instilling and giving them con dence and letting them know that it’s OK.You’re going to have to

“Even though you can feel that you can really advance the mental side for everybody, it’s still a skill you have to practice and it has to be utilized every day and he — last fall — had really put in some strength and put on some weight and really started to have something,” Yeskie said. “He was really hot in the middle of the season. I think he would have continued that trend but he actually had a big blister pop up on his foot from his cleats and he didn’t say anything. He just tried to battle through it for about three, maybe four starts.”

Another aspect that improved his game,

Sophomore RHP Nathan Dettmer (35) walks through the dugout at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Nebraska on Wednesday, June 22, 2022.

Robert O’Brien— THE BATTALION

Nathan said, was understanding the faith between him and the players between him and the players behind him on the eld.

“All the players behind you as a pitcher, they trust you and they all believe in you,” Nathan said. “Especially, the coaches believe in you because they’re the ones giving you the ball. I’ve really embraced that and its given me a whole lot of con dence and now I feel like when I stand on that mound I’m 8 feet tall. I have so much con dence because of all the work me and my teammates have put in.”

Although Nathan had found his condence in his sophomore season with the Aggies, his mother, Mary Pat, remembered that his early performance in the College World Series put a dent in the con dence and assurance he had built.

“[Schlossnagle] and Yeskie, they believed in him even when he wasn’t believing in himself,” Mary Pat said. “It was hard for any of us to believe that they trusted him with that Notre Dame game in the College World Series after he stumbled so hard in the rst game against OU … When they came back and said ‘We want you to pitch in Notre Dame,’ his con dence just went through the roof. It was like he was in the lowest swamp on Earth and then he went to the highest heavens. He was like ‘If they’re going to believe in me, then why don’t I believe in myself?’”

Both the hardships and success Nathan has found through the sport of baseball have culminated into lessons that he takes with him into other aspects of his life. The biggest one, Nathan said, is learning and understanding what you can and cannot control.

“I think so often, everyone gets caught up in things they can’t control,” Nathan said. “In baseball, I can’t control if the umpire calls it a ball or a strike. I can’t control the weather, I can’t control the fans. So, just focusing on what I can control, putting all my attention in that, has really given me a jump and made me so much better because of it. Installing it into my life, with school and everything going on, focusing on studying, not worrying about what other people are doing, I think that’s a great lesson that everyone can take and

learn from.”

As he continues his journey at A&M, Nathan said he is grateful not to be on the opposing team and face the brigade of the 12th Man, especially Section 203, and their ability to get into the mind of the other players. However, he mostly gained his passion for the maroon and white as a result of its history and traditions.

“Around the clubhouse, there’s all these old pictures of old Aggie baseball players,” Nathan said. “Stepping into that and me being in their shoes, it just means so much and knowing all the traditions and what this university represents is what’s so special to me. I just want to make everyone proud when I’m out there wearing that logo.”

As much as drive and determination are important to pursue any kind of dream, especially one in baseball, Nathan said he wants kids to remember to enjoy the ride, the way he has done himself.

“Whatever you like doing, have fun,” Nathan said. “I think a lot of these kids look up to people, MLB players, whoever it is, and they think that they have to take it so serious, make the game a business, and you don’t. You just go out there and have fun with the game that you’re super blessed to play in college and hopefully professional[ly] one day and just have fun, don’t take it too serious and remember why you play.”

Now A&M is in the midst of its 2023 season, stacked high with expectations and those out to take their spot at the top following its 2022 campaign. Nevertheless, Nathan said he is grateful for the opportunities he has gotten while attending A&M.

“It’s been an awesome ride but I’m not done,” Nathan said. “This next year is going to be a lot of fun too. My parents have been there the whole way and just seeing them, that smile on my mom and my step-dad’s face everytime that I go out there, it’s just so worth it. I was that 13-year-old kid with a dream, playing catch with my stepdad in the backyard, I was there. Seeing all the hard work pay o , makes it all worth it for them and for me as well.”

WHERE UNIVERSITY MEETS COMMUNITY

Texas A&M is proud to introduce the new Division of Academic and Strategic Collaborations , which supports building connections across the university, state, nation and world.

collaborations.tamu.edu

Turning up the heat

The story of new head coach Trisha Ford and her journey to Aggieland

By Neomi Brown @neomib_03

Stepping into a program as a new head coach isn’t an easy task by any means. It’s even more di cult lling the shoes of someone who spent a quarter of a century building a program from the ground up.

Despite Aggieland being rooted in tradition, change can be a welcome thing and there is no one better to bring life into this program than veteran coach Trisha Ford. From her small beginnings as a softball player at Saint Mary’s College to leading the Arizona State Sun Devils to one of its most successful stints in history, Ford is no stranger to success.

Leaving the “Grand Canyon” state wasn’t an easy decision, but the support she found from the athletic department played a huge role in her decision to come to College Station, Ford said.

“I think coaches are super competitive and always want to go to places where they’re going to have the support to win and execute your plan that you have to be successful,” Ford said. “When I came here and was fortunate enough to meet with Ross [Bjork], Kristen [Brown] and Jeff Toole, our visions of what our program would look like really aligned. For me to see the stadium and commitment from Texas A&M and the 12th Man of their athletic program — and it’s not just softball, it’s every facility here — that was really exciting.”

In addition to the support, her love for the game of softball and desire to improve recruiting prospects ultimately led to Ford calling Davis Diamond her home, she said.

“I love softball and I’m fanatical about softball, so I want to be in a place that loves softball and it’s as important as it is to me,” Ford said. “You don’t ever as a coach want to go somewhere where they have great facilities and they support you, but you can’t get anybody there. I think when you think about Texas A&M and the traditions and just the brand that they have across the nation, I felt very strong that we could make this work.”

From the moment Ford stepped foot in College Station, she felt that she had found the best of two worlds with the town’s small-community feel, Ford said.

“Throughout your career, you go to di erent places,” Ford said. “When I took the ASU job, I told my husband I had one more move in me and I always said that I really missed Fresno State. It was a small town community and I really enjoyed that. I always said I wished I could take Fresno State and put it in bigtime athletics. [It’s] not that it’s small, but it’s di erent. I felt like when I came to College Station, I had the best of two worlds. It was that small community feeling where I feel like I’m a part of something, but the big-time athletics and that support. That, for me, was really what clicked of this is where I’m supposed to be.”

With this small community comes passion and high expectations, which are only heightened with the idea of a rst-year coach. However, the team’s work ethic is her primary focus, Ford said.

“I am not an expectation person and my teams aren’t either,” Ford said. “My thing is ‘Let’s put our heads down and work, work, work.’ My team from last year will tell you the same thing. I was like ‘Put your head down and let’s work. Don’t worry about anything.’ I feel like those types of teams really nd a way to grind through the season.”

Ford’s mindset has quickly made its way throughout the entire program, senior outelder Star Ferguson said.

“This is what she says all the time, ‘You’re a senior and your job is to have fun and enjoy your last year,’” Ferguson said. “That’s been her main focus, not being stressed out about the season and how to get the team together. Just enjoy yourself and everything will ow.”

With several seniors on the team, the transition has been daunting but welcomed, senior pitcher Shaylee Ackerman said.

“It was very nerve wracking at the beginning not knowing who we were getting,” Ackerman said. “Once we found out who it was, I had a lot of people reach out to me and all I could hear was good things from everyone. It was scary at the beginning, but it was exciting for a new change.”

The changes Ford has brought are more than just what can be seen on the eld; it runs deep throughout the entire team and sta , Ferguson said.

“The type of environment that we have this year is de nitely di erent,” Ferguson said. “It’s more family-oriented and you can really tell that we’re working as a team with the coaches as well. Everything we’re doing they’re doing as well. They’re really just showing that we’re all a team and that we’re all working towards a bigger goal.”

The goal for this season is more than just winning; it’s bringing this team together to have fun and compete, Ford said.

“My teams tend to be a little sassy and they like to have fun,” Ford said. “We play the game hard and we’ll play it right, but we’re going to get after it. I just want us to compete our tails o . It doesn’t matter who we’re playing, I just want us to come out every game and expect to win.”

With her mindset, a shift of culture has made its way to Aggieland with Ford’s coaching style, Ackerman said.

“It’s completely di erent from beforehand where it was kind of chill and everything was a little more easy going,” Acker-

man said. “Every day we’re all coming out to compete and everyday is a competition. We’re expected to work hard and bust our butts. She is very motherlike to us and she treats us like one of her own. She’s very loving and she wants the best for us always, but she’s going to push us to get to where we can be.”

With this being Ford’s rst year as head coach for A&M, as well as her rst time competing in the SEC, mistakes are acceptable but accountability is necessary, Ford said.

“Coaching is coaching and I feel like no matter where you’re at, that piece of that is always that same feel and process,” Ford said. “Obviously, learning how things are done here at A&M is a process and it’ll take me a year. I’ve already had some mistakes and I’ll continue to make mistakes, and I think that’s important for our players to see that because at the end of the day, I want them to own their mistakes.”

It is no secret A&M is rich with tradition that can sometimes be overwhelming for outsiders. However, the tradition did nothing but bring excitement, Ford said.

“I love tradition and I just feel like I’m

a good t here,” Ford said. “That stu doesn’t scare me and Monty and Becky Davis helped me the most. They were like ‘Okay, listen. It’s going to feel like this. If you’re one of us, you’re going to love it. If you are not one of us, you don’t understand it and you think we’re crazy.’ I do love that and I love the military background so I feel like I’m a good t. You’re correct, it’s not a t for everybody and I’m sure they had so many people to choose from and Ross [Bjork] would probably say that you have to nd somebody who ts here. It’s not just ‘Who can we get?’, it’s going to be who’s going to be successful here. I hope that’s me.”

Being a coach is more than just making plays and running practice, it’s shaping young women and molding them into the best person they can be, Ford said.

“I hope that I bring some re,” Ford said. “I always say that I was put on this earth — and I use softball as the avenue — but I was really put on this earth to help shape strong women in a very pivotal time. I take that with a lot of honor and I know I’m not a coach for everybody, I’m not a good t for everybody. I would say

I’m a player’s coach and I enjoy this age. I enjoy the ups and downs of this age, but I really think it helps set the foundation for adulthood.”

With a tough schedule and even tougher task of being a rst-year coach, everything she has learned to curate her work ethic and success comes down to her childhood and family, Ford said.

“We de nitely grew up on the wrong side of the tracks but I had one of the best childhoods ever and my parents provided that,” Ford said. “What my parents have instilled in me and how they have grown our family to have successful kids who now are going to create that same environment for my kids. I think that’s where my motivation really comes from — making them proud.”

Howdy Ags,

My name is Ishika Samant and I’m a biomedical sciences sophomore but more importantly the photo chief of The Battalion. About 600 assets, two editors and nine full-time photographers painted The Battalion photo desk for my month and a half as photo chief.

From Reed Arena to the Administration Building, I would like to thank my photographers that chase the light to capture photos that tell 1000 words. Megan, for always telling me when my photos suck. Cameron, always being a text away when we are having a graphics or lighting crisis. Bobby, for inching your way back onto the photo desk and offering your photo chief wisdom, I promise you I need it more than you know. And Jonathan, for learning how to run the photo desk with me and filling in the gaps where I need it.

Here, instead of writing a long letter to show my appreciation for my desk, I am going to let some of their photos speak for themselves.

Gallery from the photo chief

From surf to turf:

Junior Grace Uribe brings talent at the plate, in the circle

By Kaci Williams @kaciwilliams17

Thirty- ve miles south of Los Angeles, 90 miles north of San Diego and bordered by the Paci c Ocean to the west, a young girl from Orange County found herself with a competitive spirit looking for a way to thrive. Earning the nickname “Surf City,” sun, surf, sand and subtle sophistication is what Huntington Beach, Calif., is all about.

Texas A&M junior pitcher and out elder Grace Uribe enjoys sur ng along the eight-and-a-half miles of scenic shoreline back home in the “Golden” state. But the athlete inside took her on a journey much further than the beach.

Uribe was a dancer and gymnast in her early childhood, but the soon realized her feisty nature was not the best t for this particular area of girls’ activities.

“That’s why I didn’t belong in dance,” Uribe said. “My mom growing up called me the beast. I got kicked out of dance for my attitude or whatever, but we toned it down,” Uribe added with a laugh.

At 7 years old, Uribe attended local softball tryouts and went out on a limb with pitching after some encouragement from her grandmother. She was a natural pitcher from the start and competed in youth softball with an entertaining rivalry between the north and south side leagues of Huntington Beach.

The young prodigy hit a signi cant milestone in her softball experience at 11 years old. Now under the wings of her travel softball coach and previous NFL wide receiver, Uribe was able to ne-tune

her competitive energy to develop as an athlete.

“He’s to the max,” Uribe said. “He’s super competitive. He’s always had the, ‘I’m gonna beat you. And if I’m pitching to you and you hit o me, that’s ne. You just got lucky. That’s not gonna happen again.’ That’s the kind of coaching that I grew up with, and it was exactly what I needed. That’s exactly how I like to play.”

Touraj “TJ” Houshmandzadeh Jr. is a former wide receiver and was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2001 NFL Draft. TJ played college football at Oregon State. His rigid coaching style meshed well with Uribe’s competitiveness and created a power duo during her travel ball years.

“He knew how to tame Grace a little bit,” Uribe’s stepfather Jake Smeltzer said. “She gets feisty out there. He kind of let her do her thing.”

Jake came into her life around this point in her softball journey and instantly admired Uribe for her performance and passion on the eld.

“She was in the thick of it,” Jake said. “She was a highly sought-after player for the travel teams. But man, I just loved her passion for it. I loved her re on the eld. So anything I could do to be a part of it or be at her games and be there to support her, I was there. I was kind of, you know, becoming a part of her life. I was dancing that ne line of not trying to insert myself too much, but one of my favorite things was watching her play.”

Sara Smeltzer identi ed her daughter’s natural ability from the start and saw the potential for a serious future in the sport early on.

“From the very beginning, I just felt like she was a natural,” Sara said. “She really enjoyed it. It was something she did always. She couldn’t wait to get to practice. She couldn’t wait for more of it. I just

thought this is probably something she’s gonna do for a while. Because she has such a passion for it.”

The pressure continued to increase for Uribe as her softball career pushed forward.

“I played high school softball at Huntington Beach High School,” Uribe said. “In my area, we were really good. I remember my junior year, we had basically a starting lineup all the way down that was going to a power ve school.”

Uribe explained she was a “late bloomer” and didn’t grow into her strength until her junior year of high school. This presented some challenges for her at the plate, but she quickly adapted to the left side of the batter’s box.

“I wasn’t as strong when I was younger,” Uribe said. “I was a little thing. My coaches said, ‘Why don’t we move you over to the left side, and you start slapping?’ I was fast back then. So I did. I slapped, and I was good at that. I found ways around it until I got bigger and stronger.”

Uribe committed

to the University of Missouri during her sophomore year of high school at a recruitment camp. She said recruitment was a stressful time, and the pressure of a college decision faced her at an early age. The National Collegiate Scouting Association installed the rule that softball athletes could not take o cial college visits until Sept. 1 of their junior year of high school, and the rule wasn’t in place until her junior year in 2019.

“When I committed to Missouri, I was de nitely developing still,” Uribe said. “I remember it being really tough for me recruiting wise because there were girls that bloomed earlier than I did and committing to schools that I wanted to go to. There were already 10 of them committed in eighth grade. I think it’s a great rule now because it gives the girls time to really enjoy it and see if they even want to play. ”

During stressful times and day-to-day life, Uribe explained she leans on her mother and maintains a strong relationship with her.

“She’s absolutely my world,” Uribe said. “We have a bond, and, although I’m missing her every day, I think we’ll never lose that. I call her every day, and I tell her about everything. I don’t even have to tell her when something’s going good or wrong. I suppose she’s like psychic or something. She knows everything, and she’s absolutely

A softball story

everything to me. And my stepdad is amazing. I miss them a lot, but they’re the most supportive people, and they’re really my whole world.”

After Uribe withdrew her commitment from Missouri, she began to reconsidering her college softball opportunities. She knew that she still wanted to go out of state and play in the Southeastern Conference.

The booming sounds of the cannon at the end zone, the exclamations of the “beat the hell” chant and the sight of over 100,000 people piling into Kyle Field were enough to show Uribe the opportunity she had to be a part of something special at A&M.

“I’m from California,” Uribe said. “I’m not used to all these Texas schools. I barely even knew about A&M. When I came on my visit, I hadn’t even been to a big football game before.”

One trip to College Station was all the prospect needed to decide to wear the maroon and white. Her weekend trip was one to remember with her future teammates after getting to stand on the sidelines of the football stadium at the 2019 Auburn game.

“I had plans to go on other visits after A&M, but I didn’t go on any of them. I committed that day,” Uribe said.

From her parents’ perspective, they knew Uribe had made the right decision

to continue her softball career at A&M.

“When we did our visit to A&M, in my mind, I was like, this is the place for her,” Jake said. “But she had to make that decision on her own. It only took her about 10 minutes after the meeting with the coach. She was like, ‘I want to go here.’ We were like, ‘Good, we want you to go here.’”

Uribe’s third season with A&M softball is already underway, with new head coach Trisha Ford at the helm of the program. Ford has added gasoline to Uribe’s re and holds her athletes to a highly competitive standard. Competitive as always, Uribe is heading into her junior season with her spirits high, ready to play.

“It’s easy to be competitive,” Uribe

said. “It’s easy to have that chip on your shoulder when you know you have girls and coaches on your side that are going to allow you to do that, and they’re going to do it right back for you. I’m really looking forward to what we’re going to do this year. I’m so excited with our girls and how competitive we are. I’m excited to put that competitiveness to use and see where we go with it. Yes, we’re a new team. But that competitiveness, that grit goes a long way. You can’t beat a team that doesn’t want to be beat. Like it’s not an option, you know?”

‘Our goal is to win it all’

Goldsmith enters fifth season in Aggieland with national title aspirations

By Luke White @lukewhite03

The 2022 campaign was a historic one for the Texas A&M women’s tennis team, as the Aggies captured their rst SEC Tournament Championship in program history before falling in the NCAA Tournament quarter nals to cap o a record-setting 33-2 season. 13 matches into 2023, the Aggies earned as high as a No. 2 ranking. Now, they look to continue reaching new heights.

Leading the squad will be fth-year veteran Jayci Goldsmith, a key member of last season’s team who brings a wealth of experience and knowledge of the game to the program. Ranked as the No. 77 singles player in the nation, the Dripping Springs native will captain a roster composed primarily of underclassmen, albeit with the No. 3 2022 recruiting class and two nationally ranked sophomores in No. 9 Mary Stoiana and No. 95 Gianna Pielet.

“I think why we did so well [in 2022] is our culture,” Goldsmith said. “Everyone getting along; everyone pushing each other and actually wanting the best for each other, which I think is sometimes hard to nd on a lot of sports teams. Some people want to take [someone’s] spot in the lineup; [they are] competing with each other, but we’re actually competing as a team.”

Indeed, perhaps the most signi cant traits of all successful teams are player relationships and culture. Half of last year’s crew consisted of upperclassmen, players who had spent plenty of time competing together and working toward a common goal, one that was achieved when the maroon and white claimed the conference championship. Now, with four freshmen, the experienced players are setting a new standard for the program.

“We do a lot of o -court bonding, and just having a great relationship with your teammates and knowing each other really well is what brings us together and

pushes one another, on and o the court,” Goldsmith said. “[The underclassmen] can see from the older people what and what not to do, and what we have done well and how to build on that.”

Goldsmith played a pivotal role in the success of A&M’s 2022 season, forming a formidable duo alongside then-senior Tatiana Makarova. The pair put themselves in the Aggies’ record book with 35 doubles victories in 2022, good for sixth-most all-time and worthy of ITA Doubles AllAmerican status. Goldsmith complemented her doubles play with a 29-3 record in singles play, a .906 winning percentage that ranks rst in program history.

“[Tatiana] and I played for the past four years, my freshman [year] through senior year,” Goldsmith said. “This year we’re going to have to switch it up, but she’s still going to be on the court with us, because she’s our volunteer assistant [coach]. Tati and I nished great, we nished No. 2 [in doubles] last year, and I’m happy with that and am happy she’s back.”

Goldsmith was recognized for her accomplishments with All-SEC First Team and SEC All-Tournament Team honors. Her success was exhibited o the court as well, being named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll and SEC Community Service Team. Despite her athletic achievements, Goldsmith perhaps makes her biggest contributions in the locker room with her competitiveness and positive energy.

“[Goldsmith]’s always been one of those girls that everyone can look up to always do the right thing and be an example of what the team stands for,” Stoiana said. “She always works hard, she always brings it every practice. On match days, she exerts a sense of responsibility and looks like she knows what she’s doing, which is obviously true, since she’s been here so long.”

Goldsmith’s experience and guidance have proved valuable to A&M given the amount of young talent on the roster. Adjusting to the college game takes time, and every successful program needs veteran leadership to mentor underclassmen as they adapt and grow accustomed to the increased level of competition.

“She always goes out of her way to welcome the new freshmen, to talk to everybody on the team,” Stoiana said. “Me as a freshman last year, she was one of the first people I was in contact with. She always makes it a comfortable atmosphere for everyone on the team, she’s always laughing and smiling and making jokes. She’s just very friendly and welcoming, so I just think that attributes to a comfortable team atmosphere and gets everyone else feeling that sort of way … She definitely sets the stage with that.”

Goldsmith’s love of the game started at a young age as she transitioned to the sport and gave it a try. That experiment sprouted into a commitment that has seen her achieve her goal of playing tennis at the collegiate level.

“I started playing tennis when I was 9 years old, and my mom actually ran a tennis club in Austin,” Goldsmith said. “I’d just finished doing gymnastics, and she’s the one that pushed me to get into tennis, and I ended up really liking it. Ever since I was 11 and started competing, I was like ‘OK, my dream is to go into college and play tennis.’”

While competing at Dripping Springs High School, Goldsmith was named a blue-chip recruit and ranked as the No. 16 player in the country for the class of 2018, joining A&M’s No. 2-ranked signing class that period.

“I first visited A&M, then I visited a few other Texas schools and Alabama,” Goldsmith said. “Then I went back to A&M and visited [again], because it had been a while since I first visited A&M. And that second time, I was like ‘This place just feels like home.’ Everyone is so nice, I love the staff. I just knew it was the place for me, and I committed. My parents didn’t even know I was going to commit. It was an awesome visit, I was so happy, and [it’s] the best decision I’ve made.”

Goldsmith has had an influence on the program since stepping foot on campus, becoming a key piece of A&M’s lineup while improving her skillset through the years. Over the past four seasons, the Aggies have posted a 91-22 record overall, along with a 32-11 mark in conference action, including a perfect 13-0 showing in SEC play last year. According to coach Mark Weaver, the left-handed Goldsmith brings several tools and assets to the team.

“She’s a lefty, and that never hurts,”

Weaver said. “The opponent on the other side isn’t used to seeing that type of ball very often, the spin comes off the racket a little bit differently. [Goldsmith]’s a big ball striker, she hits very hard and flat, and for the most part, the matter is in her own hands. She’s an aggressive player that goes for shots, and when she’s playing at the level she’s capable of, she’s a tough out for the other team.”

Much in the same way that Goldsmith can help improve the play of her teammates, she has seen herself develop not just as a player but as a person over her four-plus years under the tutelage of Weaver, the 2022 SEC Coach of the Year and ITA Texas Region Coach of the Year, and assistant coach Jordan Szabo. A former A&M player himself from 1990-94, Weaver took the reins of the program in 2015 and has guided the Aggies to a 143-57 record in that time.

“I feel like the coaches here, and all the

staff members, honestly, have helped me develop my game on the court and off the court,” Goldsmith said. “I feel like I have learned so much from them in technique, [the] strategy aspect, but also my demeanor on the court and learning to play for a team and for the Aggies. [Weaver and I] have had a great relationship over the past five, six years.”

As she continues what may be her final season at A&M, Goldsmith is focused on her future. After graduating with a bachelor’s in university studies with minors in human relations and communication, she is pursuing her master’s in educational human resource development. Beyond college, she plans to pursue a career in medical device sales, but hopes to keep tennis in her life.

But first, the Aggies have business to take care of. Coming off of the winningest season in team history, Goldsmith and A&M have even higher expectations for this year while

looking to establish a winning tradition in College Station.

“We feel like we’re more talented this year, and we want nothing less than a national title,” Weaver said. “That’s not going to come easy, but we have our four major goals — the NCAA Championships, the National [Team] Indoor [Championships], SEC regular-season [title] and the SEC Tournament [Championship]. Those are all very, I think, doable, only one team gets to do that … We feel like with the talent we have, if we do the right things, buy into the big picture and be a team in doing so, we think we’ve got a shot at any of those titles.”

Connor May — THE BATTALION

‘Tremendous potential’

Following transfer, Trey Hilderbrand finds a fit at A&M on and off court

By Brad Bennett @Brad_Bennett13

Eventual AAC conference champion Trey Hilderbrand wasn’t always singularly focused on tennis. Like most kids growing up, he said he played a plethora of sports.

“I had my mix of sports,” Trey said. “I played a little bit of baseball [and] a couple of seasons of little league basketball. Stuff like that. Honestly, I think I tried out tennis as my last sport.”

It wasn’t until the age of 10 that Trey started taking the sport seriously.

“That was when I really started hitting more,” Trey said. “I would go on the courts with my dad to have a little fun. I guess actually starting to not necessarily train, but be out there for a little longer.”

The person who initially got Trey interested in tennis was his father and eventual coach, Mark Hilderbrand.

“[My dad] was a tennis player himself and coached me my entire life,” Trey said. “Growing up, he coached a lot of different players, so from a young age he had me on the court just kind of hitting balls around and having a little fun out there. I kind of got hooked on it. Ever since then he has always been my coach and always trained me.”

Around that time, Trey met his eventual teammate at Texas A&M, senior Noah Schachter. For most of their respective childhoods, Schachter said they weren’t necessarily friends from the beginning but did see a lot of each other.

“[The] first time I met Trey was actually when we were 11 [or] 12 years old playing a national tournament in Arizona,” Schachter said. “We were playing Ping Pong against each other. We weren’t friends or anything because we lived in different states, but we would always see each other at national tournaments. We were kind of always aware of each other and we never really became good friends until he committed to the team.”

Despite being focused on tennis, Trey said it wasn’t until he was 16 that he started improving and seeing a future in the sport.

“[At the] 12s and 14s, I was always decent,” Trey said. “I was always a pretty good

player, just kind of middle of the pack. When I turned 16 years old I started getting a lot better and having results. I started doing well on the ITF Juniors Circuit. That’s when I knew I could definitely go to college and play at a high level there. [Then], hopefully take it to the pro level.”

A memory that stands out to Trey is when he got the opportunity to play in a Grand Slam tournament for the first time. He said it gave him the opportunity to witness and experience the life of a professional tennis player.

“Playing in the US Open for the first time in the Juniors ... Just because of the experience,” Trey said. “I had always wanted to play a [grand] slam [tournament]. It was really cool. Getting to be there and see all the pros be there and play. Going to the locker rooms and eating where the players eat. I always thought that was a really cool experience for me.”

When it came time to decide where to go to college, Trey decided on University of Central Florida because he felt it gave him the opportunity to eventually become a pro tennis player.

“It was mainly just the coach, the area and I knew a lot of the guys going to UCF because we played together in Juniors,” Trey said. “I knew how good they were and we would be a very good team. I [also] thought the coach could help me become a pro tennis player and that was the ultimate goal for me.”

While at UCF, Trey learned more about life and grew as a person.

“I felt like I went in there young and stupid, not really knowing anything about the world or what college was,” Trey said. “I matured a lot all the way around when I was at UCF. I feel like as I got older I learned more and more every single year [about] what it takes to be a man, [taking] care of yourself and living on your own is a big part of that. Living on my own really helped me mature quicker.”

Trey had a number of great achievements and moments with UCF, but his favorite was winning the school’s first American Conference Championship in 2021 over University of South Florida.

“I clinched the conference championship for UCF,” Trey said. “It was the first time in school history we won it for tennis. We had lost in the finals in my freshman year a couple years before that to the same team we beat in the finals, so that was a very good [moment].

That really felt good for us. We had wanted that title for a long time and we finally got it. It was a feeling of relief.”

After his four years in college, Trey decided it was time for a new challenge as he entered his final year of eligibility. In the end, Trey elected to take his talents to College Station.

“I had done my time there, I did four years there and I decided I wanted a new change,” Trey said. “I just wanted to go somewhere different for my fifth year. I felt like I kind of wanted to go back home to Texas. I knew that A&M [still wanted me], so I decided I wanted to give it a try here [in College Station].”

In the transfer portal, Trey’s sole focus was A&M, a school he knew well.

“It was always A&M,” Trey said. “I’m not going to say I was close to committing to A&M, but it was between [them] and UCF [coming out of high school]. I’ve always wanted to be an Aggie since I was a little kid and I knew I had the opportunity to be here for one year and that was good enough for me. I didn’t even talk to any other schools when I was in the transfer portal. A&M was always my number one option.”

When Schachter heard about Trey transferring to A&M, he was excited because he knew the caliber of player they were adding to the roster.

“I was super excited because we were pretty good last year and one or two players from really making a deep push,” Schachter said. “He’s one of the best players in the country, so it was really exciting to hear that news. I called him right away and we started chatting. Ever since then it’s been really cool.”

It was an easy decision, Trey said, because he knew how great of a program coach Steve Denton had built during his time at A&M.

“A&M’s been a really good team for a long time,” Trey said. “I watched them as a kid growing up when they were a very good team. I know Steve and Kevin have been the coaches here for a long time. I knew what they brought to the table was good, and I knew they were a top 10 team a couple years back when I was [at UCF] my junior [and] sophomore year. I knew that we could be a good team if I came here and that was my main [focus].”

Schachter said Trey met up with him in Florida to play in some pro tournaments and build chemistry on the court with each other.

“After I heard he committed we decided to travel to some pro tournaments together and he came to Tampa to stay with me for a few weeks,” Schachter said. “We were practicing together and getting ready for some pro tournaments. We had a lot of success in doubles together, won some pro tournaments over the summer and that’s how we realized we were really good together. We rode that momentum into the season.”

Thus far, Schachter thinks Trey has been a great addition to the team, both on and off the court.

“[Trey] fits in great,” Schachter said. “Everyone gets along with him really well. He’s a hard-working guy and that’s what our team is about. On top of all that, outside of the tennis court we all get along great. We’re always laughing together and stuff.”

Trey’s focus has been on trying to help his teammates in any way possible and be a part of a special team.

“I just want to be the best teammate I can be to these guys,” Trey said. “I’m old, [it’s] my fifth year. I’ve been through it in college. My individual [accolades] don’t really matter anymore. I just want to be a part of a really good team and hopefully we can succeed in doing that. [From an] individual standpoint, I don’t really want to worry about myself too much. I just want to make sure I’m the best teammate I can be and guide them.”

While this year’s A&M team has promise, Trey feels it’s up to himself and the other older players on the roster to help the younger players.

“I know this team has a lot of potential,” Trey said. “I know how good we can be, but our team is young and it’s up to us older [players] to give the best opportunity to [our younger] guys and guide them. We can be a very good team. We just have to be mature and hopefully we can play well.”

For Trey, his ultimate goal is to be a professional tennis player. Schachter thinks he has the ability to do it in both singles and doubles.

“He has tremendous potential and I think he can have a very successful pro career [in] singles and doubles,” Schachter said. “I know doubles is his main focus, but in singles he’s had a lot of success. His game style is super unique and gives a lot of people trouble. I don’t think there’s a limit to how much he can achieve in singles, but he can definitely make a good living in doubles.”

‘Inches to go’

Jamaican native Lamara Distin raises the bar, looks toward professional career after graduation

By Hunter Mitchell @HunterM1001

Hanover Parish, located on the most western point of the island, is the smallest parish in all of Jamaica. Despite the parish’s size, however, it is home to an athlete that stands taller than the rest, or more appropriately, reach higher.

Texas A&M senior high jumper Lamara Distin, at just 22, has already accomplished milestones most will never achieve in a lifetime. NCAA National Champion, a gold medal in the 2022 British Commonwealth Games and the Jamaican high jump record are just a few of the impressive accolades Distin holds.

However, Distin, who is now distinguished for her high jumping, actually did not start her track career in the event.

“So in primary school, I was a 200-meter, 400-meter and 800-meter runner,” Distin said. “Then I went to high school, and in Jamaica, the young ones — at 15 years old — they’re not able to compete in the 400 and 800. So, I would’ve had to sit out that year. Then my coach was like, ‘Let’s try something di erent.’ So I started high jump, and it wasn’t going too bad. Then I just fell in love with it and here I am.”

Although Jamaica has an illustrious track history, eld events are underrepresented. Because of this, Distin said she faced minimal competition in high school.

“There weren’t much people that were so good you would be able to compete against them,” Distin said. “It’s just always been me doing high jump in high school.”

When it came time to choose a college, Distin elected to go to a school similar to home, but not too close to it.

“I chose Texas A&M because Jamaica is not really a cold place, it’s always warm,”

Distin said. “The other schools that were recruiting me, like Florida, I didn’t want to go to Florida because it was too close to home. When I came on a visit [to A&M], I said wthis de nitely feels like home.”

A&M coach Pat Henry said his connection with former Jamaican athletes played a role in getting Distin on campus.

“She was a Jamaican athlete, I’ve had a lot of Jamaican athletes over the years,” Henry said. “She knew some of the past people that we’ve had and some of the people that I have had over the years, so I think she was comfortable with me being head coach and I had a really good jump coach. So, she picked an institution which was going to be good to her on a number of issues.”

Although Distin faced minimal opposition in high school, she said that the jump to NCAA-level competition was an eye-opening experience.

“When I came to college I was like, ‘Dang, all these girls are good,’” Distin said. “So I feel like the rst year when I was here, I paid attention to all of the college athletes. I feel like that helped me transition into performing how I am right now.”

Distin adjusted well to college high jumping, winning an NCAA championship in 2022. Even with all of Distin’s international prowess, she said her drive still stems from her home-grown dreams and her family’s support.

“[My parents would] always sit with me, talk with me and be like, ‘This sport can bring you as far as you can. So, if you love the sport, why not?’” Distin said. “So with that I’m just always saying, let me just go to practice and do the best I can. Just try to live my dream, because it’s always been a dream of mine to become a professional athlete.”

Even now, despite being an entire country away, Distin said she still manages to nd time to talk to her parents every day, and they still push her to succeed.

“They’re always like, ‘Just keep going,’” Distin said. “As my mom always says most

times when I feel down, or I feel something isn’t right or it’s not going the way I want it to, they’re just always like, ‘You’ll get there.’”

Distin says her parent’s religious values also helped motivate her.

“They’re just always trusting God,” Distin said. “They always tell me, ‘Believe in God and everything happens for a reason.’ That’s one quote that my mom always tells me, everything happens for a reason. So when something happened, I always say, ‘Maybe it’s just for a reason.’ I’m gonna just put it behind me and just move forward.”

Alongside support from her parents, Distin also said that she is self-driven by her lifelong goal of becoming a professional athlete.

“I want to be a professional athlete, so I just feel my dream, what I want to become is always gonna push me forward,” Distin said. “So with that, I always say, ‘I need to do this. This is my dream. Let’s just do this Lamara.’ If something’s not going right, I always say, ‘You got this.’”

With all of the acclaim surrounding Distin’s name, Henry believes that she still has room for improvement and can be even better than she already is with proper training and execution as Distin reaches for her goal of becoming a professional athlete.

“We’re working on not just skill development but on strength levels,” Henry said. “Getting better in the weight room, getting stronger. All of that relates on her ability to jump higher. Learning how to eat better food, learning how to sleep right, learning how to hydrate. That doesn’t sound like those are important for a high jumper, but they really are. High jump is like most track events.Your mental abilities have to be really good to be really good.”

As an NCAA athlete, the mental aspect of the game is something the general public forgets about, and Distin said it takes a conscious e ort to block out all of the noise from the outside.

“Everybody’s supposed to know about

injuries and everything, but most times if you actually jump low, no one knows what you’re going through,” Distin said. “They’re just going to think, ‘She’s not doing good anymore.’ That’s not the case, because you do not know what that person is going through. I feel like it is always the people that do not know much about track that are always talking.”

With the emergence of social media, athletes like Distin face constant antagonization from outside sources, and it plays a part in mental health.

“I remember one time I was at indoor nationals and I had an ankle injury, so I wasn’t performing the best,” Distin said. “I jumped 1.82, and I think Aggie Track posted a photo. I came in ninth in indoor nationals, and someone commented a bad comment on it and I was so sad. These people don’t even know what I’m going through, but they’re just gonna always talk … They just need to understand athletes, don’t just look at the results.”

Despite some of the negative comments, Distin has learned ways to tune out all of the noise.

“I just always try to listen to my music, and try to stay o social media as much as possible, especially when it’s competition time,” Distin said. “People are always going to be negative, so doing that really helped me. So I just listen to music, talk with my friends and just enjoy life.”

As Distin begins to close out her college career, Henry believes she still has a ways to go but the sky’s the limit for her future and big things could be on the horizon as she chases her dream of becoming a professional athlete.

“I think [her future] is untold right now,” Henry said. “She is one of those really, special talents. She’s not mature in her high jumping yet, she’s got lots of things to get better at, and so I think the future is big for Lamara. She’s got a lot of inches to go.”

Sprinting toward success

Schwartzman surpasses smalltown expectations to achieve D1 dreams

By Cade Harris @CadeHarris_

From growing up in small town Wild Rose, Wisc., with a population of around 700, to living his dreams as a college athlete, Texas A&M men’s track and eld runner, Ashton Schwartzman, embodies hard work and proves his critics wrong.

In his sophomore year at A&M, Schwartzman has already made an impact as a runner on the men’s 4x400-meter relay team, for which he was awarded the 2022 First Team All-American Outdoor 4x400 in his freshman season. He has also competed in the 400-meter, where he has been successful, putting up the 11th-best time in school history in the outdoor 400 on June 25, 2022.

From a track perspective, Schwartzman is highly valued, and that doesn’t change when he steps o the track either.

“The thing about [Schwartzman] is he gets along with everybody,” said A&M track and eld coach Pat Henry. “He just has that kind of personality. Everybody likes Ashton, men, women, everybody. He’s just done a good job.”

Having someone on your team that has great talent and hard work ethic is exactly what coach Henry is looking for.

“He’s a good student, but he’s also very competitive,” Henry said. “I got to watch him [in high school] and he’s driven to be successful, and that’s the kind of person you want.”

Jennifer Schwartzman, Ashton’s mother, said his determination is indescribable.

“When he loves something he is dedicated to it and is determined and he will become successful at it,” Jennifer said.

She also said his dedication and determination extend beyond the track and into his academics. He will be the rst in his family to graduate college.

Ashton came to A&M to study forensic science but has since switched his major to sports management. Forensic science interested him, but coming from a smalltown high school to a prestigious university can be a bit of a shock.

“I might go back to forensic science later on, hopefully after my pro career,” Ashton said. “If not, then I’ll probably either become an agent or I would love to do college coaching. I think that’d be really fun to do.”

Outside of school and track, Ashton loves spending time with family, something he picked up living in a small town. Now that he lives 1,200 miles away from his family, he said a hobby of his is getting to go back home.

“Other hobbies are just watching movies and hanging out with friends,” Ashton said.

Ashton said his family is an integral part of his life and his biggest motivator is his mother.

“She was the one in my early years of high school pushing me to do workouts,” Ashton said. “We’d be up at the track at 8 o’clock at night doing workouts just because she knew what I wanted, and she was going to help me get there.”

It is safe to say that all those late-night workouts paid o for Ashton, as he is now competing at the Division I level.

Although he is now at a high level, it wasn’t always perfect, Jennifer said. He began

running track in the sixth grade, where she said he lost every race. He considered quitting track until he began working hard and improving in his seventh-grade year.

“He went out again his seventh-grade year and he told himself, I’m not going, to lose,” Jennifer said. “The kid worked hard and never lost another race and

going in six months anyway o to college,” Jennifer said. “It was something he wanted and I supported him.”

At the same time, Ashton made the decision to transfer to IMG, he was trying to make a decision about where he would spend his four years in college. Before ultimately choosing A&M, Ashton was, at one time, a North Carolina commit. He knew he wanted to go to an SEC school, so when SEC schools started to contact him, he decided to decommit.

“I think decommitting and committing to Texas A&M was de nitely the right choice,” Ashton said.

Before getting to A&M, Ashton had a strong

high school career. He spent his rst three years of high school at Wild Rose High School, where he won the state championship his freshman and sophomore years. Ashton also set the Wild Rose school records in the 200 and

For his nal semester in high school, Ashton transferred to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. At IMG, Ashton was coached by former Jamaican Olympian, Dwight Thomas. He said Thomas knows what he is talking about when it comes to track, so moving to IMG prepared him better for college athletics.

Leaving Wild Rose for his nal semester was not easy for Ashton and his mother, but they knew that it was what was best for his career.

“Emotionally it was very hard for me, but yet I knew this was something that he needed to do because he was going to be

After decommitting from UNC, Ashton narrowed his list of schools to Arkansas, Georgia, North Carolina A&T and A&M. It ultimately came down to between the two Aggies — A&M and A&T — which Ashton said is an amazing choice for a 400 runner like himself.

He gave all four schools a chance, but after looking at everything, he decided to make College Station his next home.

“I’m glad I did it because the North Carolina A&T coach transferred to Tennessee, so I would have been moving schools anyways, so I think it was the right choice,” Ashton said.

Jennifer said that the choice he made about how to spend his college years was fully up to him.

“As far as doing research on schools and the programs, he asked me to help him and then we would prioritize what he thought was best about each program, but the decision was ultimately up to him,” Jennifer

he said.

Coach Henry and his career success is one of the major reasons Ashton chose A&M.

“A&M was one of his top schools because of coach Henry and the success that he’s had coaching the 400-meter,” Jennifer said. “That was his whole decision-making process on picking a college was the coaching aspect. He knew he needed the determination of a hard coach and he knew coach Henry was.”

that’s when he fell in love with it.”

400-meter.

Photo courtesty of Texas A&M Athletics

Ashton also said he needed someone who would coach him as hard as his mother did. He didn’t want to have a coach who was going to sugarcoat things for him when they weren’t up to his expectations.

When Ashton and his mother would do their late-night training sessions at the track, he said they would get into lots of arguments and she pushed him hard.

“I grew up with that with my mom and then my personal trainers,” Ashton said. “I had two and they were both very hard on me, so I liked that and I liked that from coach Henry. I know what he’s done, how many Olympians he’s had, how many NCAA champions he’s had. I like that he’s tough on me because I feel like it’s getting me ready for the future of what I want.”

Ashton said he has big goals set for his future in track, such as qualifying for the United States World Championship

4x400 relay team for this summer’s World Athletics Championship in Hungary. He also hopes to qualify for the Olympics in two years in the open 400.

“That’s been a goal for the longest time,” Ashton said. “I’m usually the person that if I want something, I’ll do anything I can do to get it, so hopefully that will come.”

Ashton said he would eventually like to go pro and make money doing what he loves, running fast around the track. This is the year that Ashton originally wanted to go pro, but his mother wants him to get his degree first.

After deciding to complete his degree, Ashton said he is going to focus this season on getting more titles and letting the times come with it. Next season, he said he really wants to start working on his times so that he can start getting the results he needs to reach the goals he wants.

Being from a small town like Wild

Rose, athletes aren’t expected to reach the level Ashton has made it to, he explained. Ashton said oftentimes he has been doubted by peers and people from his hometown.

“They were saying my dreams are too big, that I can’t reach them and being from a small town it would never happen,” Ashton said.

Despite people around him doubting his dreams, Ashton said he never let it get to him. Even when he started getting recruited, the doubters were still there, but this time they were college coaches.

“There were a lot of schools that told me I wasn’t D1 material,” Ashton said. “That was very hard to hear, just because that was the goal in high school, to go to a Division I school, so hearing that definitely hurt a lot.”

The drive and work ethic Ashton has for track have ever dwindled, despite the haters; if anything it gave him more moti-

vation to get to where he is now, he said.

“He will prove you wrong just to prove you wrong and he will let you know that,” Jennifer said. “That kid is just so determined to become successful that he’ll do whatever it takes to become that.”

Ashton has already made it to a level that his doubters never thought he would. His mother said that he’s cautious around the people who doubted him and now like to claim that they know him.

Now, Ashton can reflect on the doubters of the past and the “fans” of the present being in a position they did not think he could reach.

“I look back now at what everyone else thinks just because they all said I wouldn’t make it here and I’m here, but there’s much more to go,” Ashton said. “There’s a lot more to go.”

Photo courtesy of Texas A&M Athletics

‘A Needed Change’

By Emily Godsey @emgodsey

When Hailee Cooper held her first golf grip perfectly at 3 days old, her grandfather knew she was going to be a golfer — and a good one at that.

Within the two seasons Hailee has played for the Texas A&M’s women’s golf team, she has become an integral part of the group’s foundation, earning the title of captain among her teammates and head coach, Gerrod Chadwell. However, Hailee’s success did not begin with her transfer to A&M, nor did it begin when she committed to the University of Texas and completed her undergraduate degree in Austin.

Hailee’s success story is rooted in support; from her parents, her coaches and her teammates. It is rooted in drive, desire and the sting of failure. More than anything, her

success is derived from her love for the game of golf.

“It’s not a game of perfection, but you strive to be perfect on every shot — you try to be the best you can be,” Hailee said. “I think that’s really cool and it translates to what I really live for.”

Growing up, Hailee spent most of her time on the golf course, given that her father, Ronald Cooper, was a longtime coach of the golf team at Montgomery High School. Despite the connection, she spent the first 10 years of her life playing other sports like basketball and soccer, not yet committed solely to golf.

“We didn’t get into it early on,” Ronald said. “I didn’t want to be one of those pushy dads.”

However, when she was 10 years old, she decided she was all in — Hailee stopped participating in other sports and dedicated her time to practicing golf. In that same year, she played in the Southern Texas Professional Golfers’ Association Junior Tournament, earning a fifth-place medal.

At 12 years old, she was competing in

the qualifying round of an American Junior Golf Association tournament alongside high schoolers and athletes such as Kristen Gillman, now a professional golfer in the Ladies Professional Golf Association.

Her talent was enough to not only win the qualifier, but to catch the attention of Angie Ravaioli-Larkin, the head coach of Texas Christian University’s women’s golf program, who approached her father and asked if Hailee was really only 12 years old.

“At that time, she was still playing with junior clubs because she was so short,” Ronald said. “We decided to get her some real clubs after that.”

Hailee’s success followed her into her high school career, where she won state her freshman year and was able to travel around the world for fiercely competitive tournaments. And she reached even taller heights her senior year when she qualified for the U.S. Women’s Open.

“It was actually really funny,” Hailee said. “I had prom on Saturday, I won prom queen, and the next day I played a practice round for the U.S. Women’s Open Qual-

ifier.”

That following Monday, Hailee played in the actual qualifier and won — meaning she earned a spot in one of the most well-known championships in golf. Her father, who caddied for her during the qualifier, said watching his daughter make the cut for the U.S. Women’s Open was one of the proudest moments of his life.

“It was a special moment,” Ronald said. “People dream about that their entire lives.”

For Hailee, the decision of where to continue her academic and athletic career after high school was a difficult one to make.

During the recruitment process, while meeting with golf coaches from universities across the world, she found herself drawn to the teaching style of Chadwell, who — at the time — was employed at the University of Oklahoma.

“He was my favorite coach to talk to,” Hailee said. “I liked his approach to coaching and how he chose people over players.”

However, Chadwell was on his way to the University of Houston, where he planned to build a golf program from the ground up.

Following difficult years in Austin, Cooper reconnects with passion

Photo courtesty of Texas A&M Athletics

Despite their connection, Hailee decided to commit to the UT.

“When it came to decision day, I decided to go where I thought was best for me — and that was the University of Texas,” Hailee said. “The girls were great. The golf course and facilities were great.”

Though Chadwell thought he was not going to be coaching Hailee in college, they still shared a sentiment of appreciation for one another.

“I’ll never forget when she called me and told me she wasn’t coming to Houston — she was so upset,” Chadwell said. “I told her, ‘I’ll always be your coach [and] a part of your life.’”

Hailee’s first year at Texas was met with resounding success; she represented the United States team in the Arnold Palmer Cup, was First-Team All-American and was awarded the title of 2019 Big 12 Conference Freshman of the Year.

Following her rookie year, she hit a wall.

“Oh yes, my years of sadness,” Hailee said. “I was really struggling mentally with golf.”

Hailee spent two more seasons with the Longhorns, working hard to escape the slump she had fallen into.

“I had seen it before, coaching golf for 25 years — but it’s different when it’s your kid,” Ronald said. “You’re trying to say the right things and do the right things, and it just felt like nothing was helping during that time.”

Resilient as ever, Hailee finished her undergraduate degree at Texas in three years and decided to enter the transfer portal –– a decision that would ultimately change her relationship with golf and subsequently, her life.

“I wanted something different,” Hailee said. “I was thinking about quitting and I kept wondering where my passion for the game went.”

While Hailee was making the decision to transfer from Texas, Chadwell was making an equally important decision 165 miles away — he was leaving the University of Houston. While speaking on the phone, Chadwell told Hailee he was interviewing for the head coach position at A&M.

Then, he asked her the question.

“He goes, ‘If I got the job, would you want to go to A&M?’” Hailee said.

Hailee, who had long since fallen in love with the atmosphere and culture surrounding A&M, was quick to make the jump and become an Aggie. Her parents, though, may have been even more excited than her.

“Her mom and I always wanted her to go to Texas A&M,” Ronald said. “It’s where our hearts have always been, and she finally found it.”

COOPER

With the person she always wanted to coach her and the city she always wanted to play in, Hailee was ready for a new start in College Station.

“She came to us a little wounded in a way,” Chadwell said. “We just tried to provide an environment around her so that she could find herself again, and she’s done that.”

Not only did Hailee’s transfer to A&M positively influence her golf performance, but moving to College Station also provided her with lifelong friendships and an opportunity to be a part of the community.

“She’s one of my daughter’s favorites, and my daughter is 4 years old, if that tells you anything about her,” Chadwell said. “Hailee gets along with everyone — we come from all different walks of life, and she can relate to them all in some way, shape or form.”

While playing in the last two seasons at A&M, Hailee has been able to play on some of the biggest stages, such as Pebble Beach in the 2022-23 season and the NCAA Championships last year. This season, she is second on the team in terms of stroke average.

“I’ve had no second guesses on the opportunity that she was given here, to come and be a part of a culture change for us,” Chadwell said. “She epitomizes the culture that we want for our team.”

After countless nights of hard work and frustrating tournaments without success, Hailee was able to reignite her love and passion for golf with the help of Chadwell and the A&M women’s golf team.

“She wasn’t in the right spot at The University of Texas, she needed a change,” Ronald said, holding back tears. “Coach Chadwell — he was the change.”

Despite the concerns Hailee was never going to be able to escape the rut she had fallen into with the Longhorns, her father and Chadwell agreed that her resilience and dedication on and off the golf course would have led her down a path of success one way or another.

“She’s going to be successful in whatever she does in life because she’s got the work ethic and the attitude that is going to make her successful,” Ronald said. “If my grandkids come out like that, I’ll be a super blessed man.”

Though she has successfully escaped her “years of sadness” and has found her place as an Aggie, Hailee is far from finished in terms of her future with the sport of golf.

“I’m playing for more,” Hailee said. “I’m playing for my family, I’m playing for God, I’m playing for my school — I’m representing something.”

“I’m playing for more. I’m playing for my family, I’m playing for God, I’m playing for my school — I’m representing something.”

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It’s more than an ordinary towel.

Most of the year, this $2 cloth is destined to either be stowed away until next season or become a handy-dandy shop towel in dad’s garage. But what it lacks in Egyptian cotton, it makes up for in pride. If you have ever seen 80,000 of these waving at once in a churning sea of white, you know this towel is much more than a humble handkerchief—it helps 11 men play with the power of 12.

By contributing scholarships and support for esteemed campus programs, donors to the Texas A&M Foundation give Aggie students, faculty and staff something to cheer about every day. Learn how you can help build a brighter future for Aggies today and tomorrow at txamfoundation.com.