TROY UNIVERSITY BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Kay Ivey
Gerald O. Dial
John D. Harrison
C. Charles Nailen At Large
DEAR TROJANS:
The 2023-2024 year for TROY Athletics was highlighted by overall program consistency and sustained success for our football program. This report provides a valuable snapshot of our progress.
We are one of the most competitive programs in the Sun Belt Conference, as 10 of our 11 team sports posted winning records. The headlines, however, focused on our football program. The Trojans finished the season with 11 wins and our second Sun Belt Conference championship in a row.
Our women’s basketball team made its mark by having its greatest postseason success in program history. After posting a 15-3 conference record, our team received an invite to the WNIT; we made it to the Fab 4 and saw a record-breaking 4,333 fans in Trojan
In the classroom, 13 of our 15 sports posted a 3.0 GPA or higher. In fact, five of our teams posted a 3.5 GPA or higher.
We delve into these stories and much more inside these pages. The future of Troy University Athletics shines brightly. Please read this report carefully, and please continue to support our athletic teams with your attendance and investment.
TROJAN NATION:
As we look back on the 2023-2024 athletic year, I am thankful for the amazing support we have from our great university and university administration led by Chancellor Jack Hawkins, Jr. and his incredible support of our student-athletes, coaches and staff. His leadership and support also paved the way for us to open the newly renovated Riddle-Pace Field as the crown jewel of the Sun Belt Conference this past year.
Once again, our fans showed up in record numbers supporting our fantastic teams. Not only did we defend our football championship on the field, but our fans also broke the attendance record in the stands for the second consecutive season. Our success continued in Trojan Arena as our fans set a new all-time record for season tickets in basketball and the newly renovated RiddlePace Field welcomed the highest attended crowd as well as the highest number of baseball season tickets in program history.
Revenues across the board reached all-time highs in fundraising, ticket sales, sponsorships and licensing. Trojan Nation continues to grow by leaps and bounds as our supporters step up time and time again to surpass previously established benchmarks and maintain our trajectory as one of the most elite athletic departments within the Group of Five.
Our student-athletes also won in the community and in the classroom. Collectively, our student-athletes produced the most community service hours in program history for the second consecutive year and recorded the second straight year with a cumulative GPA above a 3.0.
Your continued support, passion and generosity allow our programs to continue to produce records in all facets of our athletics program. Thank you for making 2023-2024 one of the most successful years ever – here’s to many more!
Go Trojans!
Brent Jones Director of Athletics
TROY ATHLETICS
NATIONAL NEWS
‘If I can play, I’m playing.’ Star Troy WR Chris Lewis has been diagnosed with an aggressive malignant bone tumor in his left femur. Lewis opens up on his cancer battle and motivation fighting through chemotherapy and an upcoming surgery.”
SUPPORTING A TROJAN
ESPN’s Pete Thamel featured Trojan wide reciever Chris Lewis following his cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Scan the QR code to the left to read Pete Thamel’s article.
BASEBALL
2,332 FANS
AVERAGE ATTENDANCE IN 2024 38TH NATIONALLY & TROY SINGLE-SEASON RECORD
HIGHEST REVENUE SEASON IN PROGRAM HISTROY
MOST TICKETS SOLD & MOST SINGLE GAME REVENUE IN PROGRAM HISTROY
MEN’S BASKETBALL
3 OF THE TOP 12 HIGHEST ATTENDED GAMES IN PROGRAM HISTORY
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
3 HIGHEST ATTENDED GAMES IN PROGRAM HISTORY INCLUDING TWO GAMES WITH 4,000+ FANS
RECORD-BREAKING FOOTBALL
5 TOP 12 CROWDS IN PROGRAM HISTORY
#5 - 28,212
VS. SOUTH ALABAMA
#6 - 28,179
VS. STEPHEN F. AUSTIN
#10 - 26,957
VS. ARKANSAS STATE
#11 - 26,634
VS. JAMES MADISON
#12 - 26,621
VS. LOUISIANA
HIGHEST ATTENDED MID-WEEK GAME IN PROGRAM HISTORY
26,130 FANS
AVERAGE ATTENDANCE PER GAME HIGHEST AVERAGE EVER
182,910 TOTAL FANS
DURING THE SEASON HIGHEST TOTAL EVER
HIGHEST REVENUE SEASON IN PROGRAM HISTORY
WELCOMED 3 MILLIONTH FAN IN DIVISION I ERA AS A PART OF HOMECOMING GAME AGAINST ARKANSAS STATE
TROY ATHLETICS
RECORD-BREAKING REVENUE
TICKET TOTALS
2023 FOOTBALL
12,158 TOTAL SEASON TICKETS
2nd consecutive season to break the record and surpass 12,000 total season tickets
2023 - 24 BASKETBALL
1,566 TOTAL SEASON TICKETS first time to surpass 1,500 season tickets
RECORD-SETTING DEVELOPMENT TOTALS
In 2023-24, Troy Athletics had the highest development totals in program history.
This includes record-breaking figures for Total Revenue, Trojan Seat License, Trojan Warrior Club Donations, Sport Specific Donations and Leadership Society Donations.
The development team also completed key giving campaigns such as the Football Excellence Fund, Step up to the Plate and Golf campaigns.
TROY ATHLETICS
FACILITY UPGRADES
RIDDLE-PACE FIELD RENOVATIONS
Troy’s Riddle-Pace Field officially wrapped up renovations prior to the 2024 season and the Trojans celebrated a grand opening of the stadium prior to their record-setting game against Alabama in May. The “Crown Jewel of the Sun Belt Conference”, Riddle-Pace Field underwent an incredible transformation as part of the major renovation project. The new and improved seats were installed in time for the 2023 baseball season, while the rest of the improved stadium debuted in 2024. All seats are now chairbacks and the brand new RBI Club was open for business this past season. Other upgrades include revamped concourses, a new merchandise area, foyer and elevator that leads to the RBI Club, brand new box offices, coaches offices and a team meeting area.
TROY ATHLETICS
FACILITY UPGRADES
RIDDLE-PACE FIELD RENOVATIONS
Riddle-Pace Field’s renovations made national news when D1Baseball featured the facility. Scan the QR code to the right to view the story.
TROY ATHLETICS FACILITY UPGRADES
BASEBALL & SOFTBALL VIDEOBOARDS
Troy Athletics unveiled the largest videoboards in the Sun Belt Conference at Riddle-Pace Field and the Troy Softball Complex to kickoff the 2024 Troy Baseball and Softball seasons.
“We always strive to improve and enhance the gameday experience across all our venues to provide the best possible environment for our fans and student-athletes,” Troy Director of Athletics Brent Jones said. “The new videoboards at Riddle-Pace Field and the Troy Softball Complex are the largest in the Sun Belt Conference and add a new and impressive dimension to the fan and student-athlete experience for Troy Baseball and Troy Softball. I am extremely appreciative of the support from Chancellor Hawkins and our fans to make this a reality.”
TROY ATHLETICS
FACILITY UPGRADES
TROY ATHLETICS
FACILITY UPGRADES
BASKETBALL UPGRADES
The team hallway of Trojan Arena received an upgrade prior to the 2023-24 season as the area surrounding the men’s and women’s basketball coaches offices to highlight the storied histories of both programs, including Troy University Sports Hall of Fame members, stat leaders, historic games and
The eye-popping piece is a pair of matching wood cutouts of the state of Alabama for both programs designed for returning letterwinners to sign when they come back on campus. Additionally, the video room was rebranded from a basketball only space to a
TROY ATHLETICS FACILITY UPGRADES
INDOOR FOOTBALL PRACTICE FACILITY
In conjunction with the announcement of Troy’s appearance in the 76 Birmingham Bowl to cap the 2024 football season, Troy Chancellor Dr. Jack Hawkins Jr. announced to the team the plan to build a $10 million Football Indoor Practice Facility.
TROY ATHLETICS POSTSEASON APPEARANCES
FOOTBALL
Troy Football became the first Sun Belt Conference school to play a Power Five opponent in a bowl game when the Trojans took on Duke in the 76 Birmingham Bowl following Troy’s league-leading eighth Sun Belt Championship.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Troy Women’s Basketball made its third appearance in the WNIT and became the first team in program history to earn a postseason victory after defeating FIU in the second round; the Trojans earned an opening round bye. The Trojans went on to defeat North Carolina A&T and ULM en route to an appearance against Minnesota in the Fab 4, hosted in front of a Trojan Arena record crowd of more than 4,300 fans.
TRACK
Cole Stewart, Javon Osbourne, Altwayne Bedward, Biniosa Ezukuse and Joy Edward punched their tickets to the NCAA East First Round held in Lexington, Ky., from Wednesday, May 22 through Saturday, May 25.
TROY ATHLETICS
WNIT FAB FOUR
2023 SBC FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
TROY ATHLETICS
BIRMINGHAM TAKEOVER
Troy Athletics took over Birmingham during the days leading up to the Trojans’ appearance against Duke in the 76 Birmingham Bowl. Led by the Troy Cheerleaders, community service events were carried out across the Birmingham area, including Troy Football visiting Children’s Hospital. Troy fans took over the streets of downtown Birmingham on the eve of the game with a pep rally and fan event at Dread River Distillery.
TROY ATHLETICS
FOREIGN TOUR - WOMEN’S GOLF
The Troy women’s golf team traveled to Nassau, Bahamas for the NCAA Invitational in addition to engaging in various community service projects in the area.
The trip to the Bahamas marked the first time in program history that the Trojans played a regularseason contest outside the continental 50 states.
The Trojans toured the island of the Bahamas and embarked on a historical tour of the island. After the tour, Troy hosted a junior golf clinic with local youth in an effort to grow the sport of golf internationally.
TROY ATHLETICS TROJANS
IN THE COMMUNITY
TROY ATHLETICS TROJANS
IN THE COMMUNITY
TROY ATHLETICS
DEMARCUS WARE DAY
newest member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Troy legend, DeMarcus Ware back to The Vet for the 2023 opener for DeMarcus Ware Day at The Vet.
The highlight of the day was the retirement of Ware’s famous No. 94 during a special ceremony at halftime. Addition to Ware’s No. 94 becoming the first number retired in program history, D-Ware led the team through Trojan Walk before the game, the first 9,400 fans through the gates of The Vet received a D-Ware replica jersey rally towel, and he served as an honorary captain for the coin toss before the game.
The Sound of the South performed a special halftime show in honor of his Hall of Fame career, Troy wore helmet decals in his honor and special guests provided video messages for D-Ware throughout the game.
Prior to the game, a wall on the second floor of the Football North End Zone Facility was unveiled celebrating his storied Troy and NFL career.
TROY ATHLETICS
LARRY BLAKENEY DAY
Troy Athletics and Troy University celebrated Larry Blakeney Day at The Vet in conjunction with Troy’s regular season finale against Louisiana. Troy’s head coach for 24 seasons, Blakeney led the Trojans to eight conference titles and 178 victories, including wins over Mississippi State, Missouri and Oklahoma State. The all-time winningest coach in Sun Belt Conference history, Blakeney earned four conference coach of the year honors and is one of just two coaches to lead a program from NCAA Division II to the FBS ranks.
The day began with a special tailgate party for Coach Blakeney and his former players and coaches in Tailgate Terrace before the events shifted to The Vet. Former players from his three decades of coaching shared special messages to Coach Blakeney on the videoboard and all fans received a commemorative mini poster.
NAME, IMAGE, AND LIKENESS
TROY ATHLETICS PARTNERSHIPS
BAUMHOWER’S VICTORY GRILLE
Troy Athletics, Troy Sports Properties (Playfly Sports) and Baumhower’s Victory Grille announced a partnership between the restaurant and Troy Athletics to serve as the host site of Trojan Talk in addition to official watch parties for the Trojans.
Troy’s weekly Trojan Talk radio show will originate from Baumhower’s Victory Grille for the through 2026.
With more than 60 strategically positioned TVs to catch every minute of the action, Baumhower’s in Troy will feature a full bar and patio seating to accompany their award-winning food.
TROJAN THREADS
Troy Athletics, Troy Sports Properties (Playfly Sports) and Trojan Threads announced a partnership establishing Trojan Threads as the official merchandise provider for the Trojan Warrior Club.
Trojan Threads served as the secondary on-site provider for Troy Athletics events at Trojan Arena and Riddle-Pace Field. Additionally, Trojan Threads (110 University Avenue) attended select Trojan Warrior Club events throughout the year.
TROY ATHLETICS LICENSING
2ND CONSECUTIVE YEAR OF HAVING THE MOST PROFITABLE LICENSING YEAR IN PROGRAM HISTORY
The OneTROYShop was able to quicky sell the 2023 football championship merchandise. Key brands that have come on board and spurred growth include Johnnie-O, Gen Teal, Tommy Bahama, Peter Millar and Hype & Vice
TROY ATHLETICS TROJAN TOUR
The 12th annual Trojan Tour hits the road this spring and summer with 10 stops across Alabama and the Florida Panhandle.
Featuring Director of Athletics Brent Jones, football head coach Gerad Parker, men’s basketball head coach Scott Cross plus other coaches, Trojan Tour visited Troy, Montgomery, Dothan, Enterprise, Phenix City, Dothan, Birmingham, Ozark, Pensacola and Fort Walton Beach.
“Trojan Tour is one of our favorite events of the year as we are able to get out on the road and visit our tremendous fans,” Jones said. “Our staff and coaches always look forward to this opportunity to visit with our fans. We
TROY ATHLETICS NEW HIRE - GERAD PARKER
One of the nation’s top offensive coordinators, Gerad Parker begins his first season as Troy’s head coach in 2024. Parker takes over the Troy program following two years at Notre Dame, including this past season as the Fighting Irish’s offensive coordinator.
Parker led a Notre Dame offense in 2023 that ranked eighth nationally, averaging 39.1 points per game, in addition to ranking 12th in passing efficiency and 29th in total offense. Audric Estime was one of the nation’s elite running backs, ranking third in rushing touchdowns (18), eighth in rushing yards per game (111.8) and ninth in rushing yards (1,341).
Behind Parker’s offense, the Fighting Irish posted a 9-3 record against one of the nation’s most challenging schedules, including four straight games against ranked opponents. Offensive tackle Joe Alt was a consensus All-
Notre Dame’s offense increased production across the board in Parker’s lone season calling the plays in South Bend. The Irish improved their scoring by more than a touchdown per game, in addition to seeing increases in yards per game, passing yards per game, yards per play and red zone scoring.
In his first season at Notre Dame, Parker coached the Irish tight ends and helped guide Michael Mayer to a consensus All-America season, as Mayer finished his career as the most prolific pass catching end in school history. Mayer led the Irish with 67 catches for 809 yards and nine touchdowns in 2022, finishing his time at Notre Dame first on the program charts for tight end catches (180), receiving yards (2,099) and touchdowns (18).
Parker joined the Notre Dame staff following two seasons with former Troy head coach Neal Brown at West Virginia, where he was the offensive coordinator and receivers coach.
In his final season with the Mountaineers, WVU knocked off Texas and No. 15 Virginia Tech en route to an appearance in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl. In 2020, despite having to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, West Virginia had one of the most improved offenses in the nation in terms of total yards, showing gains of more than 60 yards rushing per game, almost 30 yards passing a game, more than 90 yards of total offense and almost seven more points a game.
The offensive line had a productive year, with Leddie Brown rushing for 1,010 yards and nine touchdowns and Jarret Doege throwing for more than 2,500 yards and 14 touchdowns.
America selection, while Estime was named to the Associated Press All-America Team.
TROY ATHLETICS
NEW HIRE -GERAD PARKER
As Penn State’s receivers coach and passing game coordinator in 2019, the Nittany Lions’ offense averaged 35.8 points per game, ranking 15th nationally. Additionally, Penn State ranked 21st in red zone offense (90.4) and averaged 13.3 yards per completion, ranking No. 33 nationally.
Parker spent two years on the football staff at Duke (2017-18). During the 2018 season, his wide receivers accounted for 2,252 passing yards of the Blue Devils’ 3,199 total offensive yards (70.4%).
He served his first year as the football operations assistant working with the offense in 2017. The Blue Devils offense had three All-ACC selections and, for the first time in program history, had three players with 500 or more rushing yards and a quarterback throw for more than 2,500 yards. Parker spent the spring as the running backs coach at Cincinnati before heading to Duke.
Prior to that, Parker spent four seasons at Purdue, where he coached the tight ends (2013-14) and wide receivers (2015-16). He was the recruiting coordinator and served as the interim head coach for the final six weeks of the 2016 season.
Parker spent two years as the wide receivers coach at Marshall (2011-12). The Thundering Herd led the nation in passing offense, averaging 365.1 yards per game. Receiver Tommy Shuler led the country and
set the school record for receptions (110), ranking 18th nationally in yards per game (94.8).
Parker spent three seasons at UT-Martin as the running backs coach (2008), wide receivers coach (2009-10) and the passing game coordinator and recruiting coordinator (2010). He started his coaching career at Raceland High School in Raceland, Kentucky, and spent the 2007 season as a graduate assistant coach at Kentucky.
Parker earned two degrees from Kentucky, his bachelor’s degree in business management in 2003 and his master’s in education in 2005. He was a four-year letterwinner for the Wildcats, where he was a Southeastern Conference Scholar Athlete Honor Roll selection (200203) and CoSIDA Academic All-District IV Second Team honoree (2004). Additionally, he was a college teammate of former Troy head coach Jon Sumrall.
A native of Louisa, Kentucky, Parker played at Lawrence County High School and set state receiving records with 238 catches, 4,814 yards and 52 touchdowns.
He and his wife, Kandi, have three daughters, Kolbi, Gwyneth and Rosalyn, and a son, Oliver.
TROY ATHLETICS
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
• Shaulana Wagner earned Female Newcomer of the Year at the 2023-24 Trojan Tribute.
• Troy led the nation in rebounding once again, beating out LSU with 47.88 per game. They also ranked eighth in defensive rebounds at 30.8 and second for offensive at 17.1.
• Troy led the Sun Belt Conference with three members on the All-Sun Belt teams. Tai’Sheka Porchia led the way in the first team, followed by Ja’Mia Hollings (second) and Makayia Hallmon (third).
• Ja’Mia Hollings led the Sun Belt Conference in double-doubles with 16 – ranked 24th nationally. She also led the league in rebounds with 9.3.
• The Trojans dominated the APSU Christmas Classic, being named champions with wins over SFA and New Mexico State – Makayia Hallmon and Tai’Sheka Porchia earned an APSU Christmas Classic All-Tournament Team nod.
• After starting 0-6, the Trojans flipped the script to finish 22-12, 15-3 SBC for the No. 2 seed and went on a historic run to the WNIT Fab 4 with wins over FIU, NC A&T and ULM.
• Head coach Chanda Rigby moved to third in the Sun Belt Conference with 147 league wins and earned her 450 career victory against Bowling Green.
• For the eighth time in head coach Chanda Rigby’s tenure, the Trojans finished with 20-plus wins.
• Troy earned its first postseason victory in program history with a 92-62 win over FIU in the second round of the WNIT.
• Shaulana Wagner led the conference in assist/turnover ratio at 2.27 while sitting second in assists per game (4.8) to earn the sixth-most assists (150) and ninth-most assists per game in Troy D-I history.
• Ja’Mia Hollings scored the ninth-most points in a Troy D-I single season (536) to become the 26th player in program history to score 1,000 points in a Troy uniform.
• Makayia Hallmon finished her career at 78.8 percent from the charity stripe to end with the sixth-best free throw percentage in Troy history –fifth-best in Troy D-I history.
• Ja’Mia Hollings earned WNIT All-Tournament team with 22.8 points, 12 rebounds, 1.0 steals and 1.5 blocks – scored a career-high of 30 against FIU in the second round.
• The team set a new Troy D-I record for field goals made with 1,060.
TROY ATHLETICS SOCCER
• In its first season under new head coach Stuart Gore the Trojans won six games, doubling their win total from the 2022 season.
• Gabrielle Chartier led the team with 15 points, including a team-high seven goals and one assist. Chartier also led Troy with two gamewinning goals.
• Gore picked up his first win as Troy’s head coach with a 1-0 win over Lipscomb in the season opener.
• Troy’s nine points through four games was its best start since the 2016 season. Troy opened 3-1, with wins over Lipscomb, Kennesaw State and Queens of Charlotte.
• The Trojans started 2-0 at home over Alabama A&M and Alabama State.
• Troy’s lone Sun Belt win came at home on Senior Day over Louisiana. Chartier scored the lone goal and Rubie Kelley posted a clean sheet.
• The Trojans finished the season second in the Sun Belt and 21st nationally with 6.61 corner kicks per game.
• Rubie Kelley’s 1.137 goals against average was eighth in the Sun Belt. Kelley finished the season with four shutouts.
• Newcomers Dolce Villaflor, Carley White and Delaney Wells were all tied for second on the team in goals with three.
• Despite its 10 losses, Troy had just a minus-five goal differential and lost just two games by more than one goal.
• Hallie Field, Evie Anderson, Jayme Haynes and Alisa Detlefsen all earned Academic All-District honors.
TROY ATHLETICS FOOTBALL
• Troy won the Sun Belt Conference Championship for a second consecutive season after defeating App State in The Vet during the 2023 Sun Belt Conference Championship Game. Troy and Michigan are the only two schools to win conference titles in 2022 and 2023.
• The Trojans won 10 games during the regular season in consecutive years for the first time since 1999 and 2000; Troy finished the 2023 season 11-3 overall and won 10 of its final 11 games.
• Troy became the first school in Sun Belt Conference history to play a Power Five opponent in a bowl game when the Trojans took on Duke in the 76 Birmingham Bowl.
• Kimani Vidal finished the season second nationally in rushing yards and became Troy’s first Associated Press All-American in two decades. He set the Troy career, single-season and game rushing yardage records during the season and would be named the Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player of the Year.
• Javon Solomon finished the season as the nation’s leader in sacks, with 16, as Troy set a Sun Belt Conference record and finished second nationally to only Penn State with 47 sacks as a team.
• Javon Solomon and Kimani Vidal were selected in the NFL Draft, marking the first time since 2010 that multiple Trojans were selected in the same Draft. Solomon went to the Buffalo Bills in the fifth round, while Vidal was selected by the Los Angeles Chargers in the sixth round.
• Javon Solomon became the first Troy defensive player selected in the NFL Draft since Jonathan Massaquoi was a fifth round pick by the Atlanta Falcons in 2012, while Vidal was Troy’s first skill position player selected since Jerrell Jernigan was taken by the New York Giants in the third round in 2011.
• Troy hosted the Sun Belt Conference Championship Game for the second time in program history after winning the West Division title. Kimani Vidal earned MVP honors in Troy’s 49-23 blowout of App State.
• Troy averaged a single-season record 26,130 fans for its seven home games and a record 182,910 fans over the course of the season at The Vet.
• Troy defeated South Alabama on national television to earn its sixth straight victory in the “Battle for the Belt.”
• Sixteen Trojans earned All-Sun Belt Conference honors, led by Kimani Vidal, Richard Jibunor, Javon Solomon and Reddy Steward on the first team.
• Gunnar Watson and Kimani Vidal became just the third Troy duo to pass for more than 3,000 yards and rush for more than 1,000 yards in a season.
TROY ATHLETICS
MEN’S TENNIS
• Mario Martinez Serrano earned Sun Belt Player of the Year honors for the second straight season; additionally, he was named to the All-Sun Belt First Team and named the ITA Southern Region Player to Watch.
• Troy peaked at No. 62 in the ITA Team Rankings during the season and finished the year ranked No. 7 in the ITA Southern Region.
• Carles Anton and Yeary Andres Pastor were named to the All-Sun Belt Second Team.
• The Trojans earned the ITA Southern Region Community Service Award.
• Mario Martinez Serrano finished the season ranked No. 119 nationally in singles, posting a 30-5 overall record and a 23-2 mark in singles; he finished the season with the most wins in the Sun Belt.
• Three Trojans – Mario Martinez Serrano (23-2), Noah Martens (17-6) and Yaray Andres Pastor (17-4) – finished with more than 17 wins during the dual part of Troy’s schedule.
• The Trojans won 14 of their first 16 matches in the spring, including a 4-3 victory at No. 53 South Florida.
• Carles Anton finished his Troy career with 89 career singles victories, the most by a player in program history.
• Troy won 69.1 percent of its dual matches in singles during the season and 75.6 percent of its doubles matches.
TROY ATHLETICS
WOMEN’S TENNIS
• The Troy women’s tennis program finished its impressive season with 16 wins, and nine Sun Belt wins – it’s most since joining the conference.
• Troy closed out the regular season on an eight-match winning streak and pushed it to nine after defeating Georgia Southern in the quarterfinals of the Sun Belt Tournament.
• The Trojans top regular season victory came over No. 70 Georgia Southern in Statesboro, as Troy squeezed out a strong 4-3 win.
• The duo of Hagar Ramadan-Amin and Leena Metwally were named All-Sun Belt Second Team in doubles after going 7-0 in the No. 3 doubles spot. All seven victories came against Sun Belt opponents,
• Troy finished the season ranked No. 7 in the ITA Southern Regional Rankings.
• In her first year with the Trojans, Gabrielle Leslie posted a ridiculous 20-1 record in the spring, and finished the year on a nine-match winning streak. She was undefeated when playing on outdoor courts. Leslie was named the Sun Belt Player of the Week on Feb. 28.
• Freshman Leena Metwally also had a strong season, going 16-4, including 7-3 in SBC play.
• Also recording double-figure singles wins were Valeriia Avdeeva, Maria Guirguis and Hagar Ramadan-Amin.
TROY ATHLETICS
MEN’S GOLF
• First-year head coach Clay Bounds led Troy to a pair of second place finishes as a team and made a run at match play at the Sun Belt Championship.
• Led by Jake Springer’s near under-par average for the year, Troy finished second at the Everett Buick GMC Classic in the fall and tied for second at the Daytona Beach Intercollegiate in the spring.
• Troy put together the 10th best opening round score in program history with a 283 at the USF Invitational in the fall, while Troy’s 566 in the Border Olympics tied for the 10th best 36-hole mark in program history and its 851 at the Everett Buick GMC Classic ranked as the eighthbest 54-hole tally.
• Jake Springer led the Trojans with a 72.70 average for the year and accounted for eight of Troy’s 42 rounds under par. Freshman Pablo Gracia led Troy with 10 rounds under par, while Brantley Scott paced Troy with five rounds in the 60s.
• Troy shot seven rounds under-par as a team, with a season-best 11-under 277 in the final round of the Everett Buick GMC Classic.
• Ten different Trojans saw action during the season, with eight playing double-digit rounds.
• Troy golfers combined to shoot 16 rounds in the 60s over the course of the season.
TROY ATHLETICS
WOMEN’S GOLF
• Troy finished the 2023-24 season with a winning record for the fifth straight season.
• Alyssa Mercado posted the program’s eight-best single-season stroke average, coming in with a 74.48 mark, and three current players (Mercado, Laura Fangmeyer and Katelynn Altese) rank among the top nine career averages in program history.
• In addition to the team victory at the GSU Invitational, Troy turned in three second place finishes during the 2023-24 season and turned in the sixth-lowest 36-hole score in program history (579 at the Spring Break Shootout).
• Alyssa Mercado finished the season with a team-best six rounds under-par, double that of her next closest teammate. She led the Trojans with 96.8 percent (30-of-31) rounds, counting towards the team card.
• Eight different Trojans competed in events throughout the season and six played in five or more events.
• Troy outscored rival South Alabama by 279 strokes in three victories over the Jaguars.
• Troy golfers combined to shoot 14 rounds under par on the season.
• Laura Fangmeyer led the Trojans with three top-10 finishes across her 11 tournaments, while Manya Saini, Bruna Roqueta and Alyssa Mercado had two each.
• Alyssa Mercado and Laura Fangmeyer placed inside the top 25 in eight of their 11 tournaments during the 2023-24 season.
TROY ATHLETICS BASEBALL
• Tremayne Cobb Jr. was named a Brooks Wallace Award semifinalist with the fifth-best DRS and first among shortstop at 11.54.
• Troy had its first national ranking in all five major polls for the first time since 2013, topping off at No. 21 in D1 Baseball.
• With Brooks Bryan being named a Dick Howser Award semifinalist, the Trojans were one of just four schools to have different players named semifinalists in back-to-back seasons (Shane Lewis – 2023).
• Troy hit its 80th homer of 2024 on a solo bomb from Tremayne Cobb Jr. for its ninth-ever season with 80-plus homers – ended with 85 to rank 65th nationally and finish with the seventh most in program history.
• Troy baseball finished at 37-22, 18-12 SBC for it’s first back-to-back 35-plus win season since 2010-11 and the eighth time in the last 10 seasons with 30plus.
• Troy earned a Sun Belt best six All-Sun Belt honorees. Brooks Bryan led the way with a first-team nod, while Luke Lyon, Will Butcher, Ethan Kavanagh, Kole Myers and Kyle Mock followed on the second team.
• For just the third time in Troy history, the team eclipsed 500 runs, ending with the third most in program history at 516.
• Luke Lyon pitched back-to-back run rule complete games against Arkansas State and App State to end the season the league’s leader with two – ranked 12th in the country.
• Brooks Bryan claimed his title of ‘RBI King’ at Troy on a full count walk with the bases loaded against Texas State, passing Joey Denison’s 2018 season (81), which included a run in the NCAA Regional. He ended the year with 85 RBIs, 21 multi-RBI games, 18 homers and 129 total bases.
• Brooks Bryan earned a plethora of accolades on his historic season, being named a Golden Spikes and Dick Howser semifinalist, All-Sun Belt First Team, Rawlings Southeast All-Region First Team and Team USA Collegiate Training Camp invitation.
• The Trojans led the SBC in walks while ranking third in the nation with 382 – marked the most in Troy history. Kole Myers finished with a team-high 62 for the second-most in a Troy single season.
• Grayson Stewart earned four wins in 2024, moving him to ninth on Troy’s all-time win list with 19 in his career. He also ended with the seventh-most strikeouts at 212 in a career.
• Troy’s offense led the conference and ranked eighth nationally for on-base percentage. Sitting at .424, the number marked the fifth-highest in Troy history.
• Kole Myers was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the ninth round of the MLB Draft and Clete Hartzog signed an UDFA deal with the Chicago White Sox.
• Head coach Skylar Meade and catcher Brooks Bryan particpated in the 2024 USA Baseball team program.
TROY ATHLETICS VOLLEYBALL
• Troy volleyball finished the season with a strong record of 15-13 (12-4 SBC).
• The Trojans 12 Sun Belt wins are a new program record, surpassing last year’s mark of 11. Included in Troy’s impressive conference season were sweeps over Louisiana, Southern Miss, Marshall, Arkansas State and ULM. The Trojans opened conference play 10-0.
• Troy had three athletes earn conference honors as Tori Hester (first), Julia Brooks (first) and Janelle Stuempfig (second) earned 2023 AllSun Belt honors.
• Julia Brooks concluded her career as a Trojan in 2023 and holds multiple program records including solo blocks (108), block assists (321) and total blocks (429). She ranks sixth all-time in kills with 1,435, fourth in total points with 1,714 and total attacks with 3,192.
• In January, Julia Brooks signed a professional deal with Portuguese club Esmoriz GC.
• Tori Hester had one of the best seasons in program history, as she had the sixth-most kills in a single season in program history with 442. Hester also recorded 45 aces, the third most in a single season in the program’s rally scoring era. Her 509 total points in 2023 are tied for sixth most ever.
• Tori Hester moved up to ninth in program history in total kills with 1,231. She is second all-time in kills per set in her career with 3.72.
• Tori Hester ranked in the top-five in the Sun Belt in points (4th), kills (4th), aces (3rd), points per set (3rd), kills per set (2nd), aces per set (2nd) and attacks per set (2nd).
• Janelle Stuempfig recorded the fourth most assists in the Sun Belt with 1,084, and is now ninth all-time in program history with 1,120. She is fifth all-time in assists per set with 9.66 after recording 10.66 assists per set in 2023 – second in the SBC.
• Troy had five Sun Belt Player of the Week honors, as Tori Hester and Julia Brooks each took home an offensive player of the week nod, while Janelle Stuempfig won three setter of the week honors.
• Julia Brooks, Jaci Mesa, Amiah Butler and Janelle Stuempfig all earned Academic All-District honors.
TROY ATHLETICS SOFTBALL
• Troy advanced to the Sun Belt Championship Semifinals after Libby Baker no-hit No. 4 seed Coastal Carolina in the quarterfinals.
• Troy defeated No. 17 Louisiana in the series opener, one of just two Sun Belt losses all season for the Cajuns.
• Libby Baker became the first player in Sun Belt history and just the fourth player from a non-Power Five Conference to win a Rawlings Gold Glove as she was one of nine players honored this season; Baker was named the nation’s top defensive pitcher.
• Troy set the single-season home run record, blasting 64 as a team led by Libby Baker, Audra Thompson and Cassidy Boltz.
• The Trojans set the single-season team slugging percentage record as the Trojans slugged .481 as a team – 64 home runs, 58 doubles and eight triples.
• Troy finished with a top 60 RPI for the second straight season, marking the first time in the Trojans Sun Belt era that they have finished in the top 60 nationally in consecutive seasons.
• Audra Thompson and Taylor McKinney were named to the All-Sun Belt Second Team, while McKinney, Jade Sinness and Libby Baker were selected to the NFCA All-Region Team.
• Troy hit .300 as a team for the first time since 1995; the Trojans’ team average was the third-highest in program history.
• Jade Sinness finished as Troy’s career record holder in runs scored as she finished with 195 during her Trojan career.
• Troy landed five players on the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team as D’Aun Riggs, Jade Sinness, Haley Pittman, Audra Thompson and Anslee Finch were recognized.
• The Trojans opened the season winning 15 of their first 18 games.
• Troy’s victory over No. 17 Louisiana was its second over a ranked opponent during the season, as the Trojans handed No. 23 Texas State a 4-3 loss in the series finale in San Marcos.
• Jade Sinness, Anslee Finch and Libby Baker all finished their Troy careers ranked among the top eight players in program history in home runs.
• Libby Baker drove in 48 runs, the seventh most in a season in program history, while her 13 home runs ranked as the sixth most.
TROY ATHLETICS
TRACK & FIELD / CROSS COUNTRY
• Five Trojans accepted bids to compete in the NCAA East First Round in Lexington, Ky., this spring. On the men’s side, Cole Stewart placed 17th in the javelin, Javon Osbourne finished 22nd in the discus and 38th in the shot put, and Altwayne Bedward competed in the shot put, but did not record a distance. On the women’s team, Biniosa Ezukuse and Joy Edward each battled in the shot put, with placements of 26th and 33rd, respectively.
• Cole Stewart (first), Javon Osbourne (third), Morgan Reese (third) and Biniosa Ezukuse (third) all earned Sun Belt All-Conference Team selections for their finishes at the Sun Belt Outdoor Track Championships.
• Three indoor women’s records were broken, as Cadi Rowe set a time of 17:09.58 in the 5000m, Biniosa Ezukuse hit 15.72m in the shot put and Kadi Schwietz scored 3705 points in the pentathlon.
• In the outdoor season, Biniosa Ezukuse (15.92m) and Joy Edward (15.31m) set the two best marks in the women’s shot put in program history.
• Cole Stewart posted the second-best javelin mark in program history in the men’s javelin with a mark of 73.75m at Troy’s Doc Anderson Invitational. After winning the event at the Sun Belt Outdoor Championships, Stewart automatically qualified for the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Team Trials.
• Tydreke Thomas opened his outdoor season with a 10.26 time in the men’s 100m at the USF Alumni Invitational. It earned him the Sun Belt Track Athlete of the Week honor and is the second-fastest time in program history.
• Troy hosted its first home meet since 2019, as it welcomed a plethora of teams for the Doc Anderson Invitational. Both the men’s and women’s team took home first place in the team score with 230 and 179 points. Troy had 12 first-place finishes and 37 total podium placements.
• Cadi Rowe hit a personal record in the NCAA South Regional to conclude her Trojan career with a 21:46.80 in the 6k.
• Troy women’s XC dominated the Huntingdon Invitational, sweeping the top six and having all eight competitors in the top 20 for the 6k. Cadi Rowe claimed the gold with a 23:51.60, followed by Lucy Turley (24:09.40) and Makenna Calbert (24:19.00).
• The men’s team won the Huntingdon 8k, with all six competitors finishing in the top 15 – Keith Warner (27:07.00) and Tyler Baker (27:48.10) earned second and third, respectively.
• Keith Warner (15:53.40) led the Trojans in the JSU Foothills Invitational to open 2023 with a 12th-place finish in the 5k, leading the men’s team to an eighth place finish out of 28 teams. Meanwhile, the women finished fourth out of 27 in the 4k, with Lucy Turley leading the charge in 18th at 14:57:90.
TROY ATHLETICS
MEN’S BASKETBALL
• Troy men’s basketball posted its third consecutive 20-win season for the first time since in the programs D-I history.
• The Trojans also won double-figure conference games for the third straight season
• Troy was the only Sun Belt Conference team to have three straight seasons with 20-plus wins and 10-plus conference wins.
• Troy’s 13 Sun Belt wins are its most since the 2009-10 season. Troy opened SBC play 5-0, which was its best conference start since 200304 season when the Trojans opened 6-0.
• The Trojans earned the No. 3 seed in the Sun Belt Tournament, it’s highest seeding since the 2009-10 season when they won the regular season championship.
• Christyon Eugene earned All-Sun Belt and NABC District 23 First Team after leading the Trojans in points (15.1), assists (3.2), field goals made (157) and minutes played (978)
• Eugene eclipsed the 1,000 career-point mark in Troy’s regular season finale at Texas State.
• Myles Rigsby was named the Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year after averaging 11.3 points in 31 games played. He shot 44.1 percent from the field and 41.1 percent from 3-point range.
• Tayton Conerway was named the Sun Belt’s Sixth Man of the Year following an impressive campaign that saw him second on the team in scoring with 11.8 points. Conerway led the Trojans in steals with 66, the most in the Sun Belt and 398th nationally.
• Scott Cross won his 300th game as a head coach when Troy defeated Georgia State 78-74 in Atlanta.
• The Trojans finished the season ranked first in the Sun Belt in steals per game (10.3), bench points per game (29.50), offensive rebounds per game (13.34), turnovers forced per game (15.50) and fastbreak points per game (14.66).
• Troy finished 15-2 at home, which were its most home wins since they moved into Trojan Arena and the most since the 1967-68 season (15).
• Troy spent one week ranked in the CollegeInsider Mid-Major Poll, and received votes throughout the season.
• Included in Troy’s 20-win season were victories over App State, Southern Miss, Kent State, South Alabama and a season-sweep over Louisiana.
• Scott Cross and company played in three nationally televised games. The Trojans played Oregon State on the Pac-12 Network, Dayton on the USA Network and Arkansas State on ESPNU.
TROY ATHLETICS
TROY ATHLETICS
INDIVIDUAL ACCOLADES
• Recorded the 100th victory of his Troy coaching career
TAI’SHEKA PORCHIA
SKYLAR MEADE
• Pitching Coach for USA Baseball Collegiate National Team’s International Friendship Series
TROY ATHLETICS
TROY ATHLETICS
INDIVIDUAL ACCOLADES
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• Sun Belt Men’s Basketball Sixth Man of the year
MYLES RIGSBY
JULIA BROOKS VOLLEYBALL FIRST TEAM
BINIOSA EZUKUSE TRACK & FIELD THIRD TEAM
TJ JACKSON FOOTBALL SECOND TEAM
KIMANI VIDAL FOOTBALL FIRST TEAM
DANIEL KING FOOTBALL SECOND TEAM
GRANT BETTS FOOTBALL SECOND TEAM
CHRISTYON EUGENE MEN’S BASKETBALL FIRST TEAM
JA’MIA HOLLINGS WOMEN’S BASKETBALL SECOND TEAM
JABRE BARBER FOOTBALL THIRD TEAM
IRSHAAD DAVIS FOOTBALL THIRD TEAM
TORI HESTER VOLLEYBALL FIRST TEAM
ETHAN KAVANAGH BASEBALL SECOND TEAM
CARLOS ANTON MEN’S TENNIS SECOND TEAM
WILL BUTCHER BASEBALL SECOND TEAM
MAKAYIA HALLMON WOMEN’S BASKETBALL THIRD TEAM
BUDDHA JONES FOOTBALL HONORABLE MENTION
YEARY ANDRES PASTOR MEN’S TENNIS SECOND TEAM
BROOKS BRYAN BASEBALL FIRST TEAM
O’SHAI FLETCHER FOOTBALL HONORABLE MENTION
RICHARD JIBUNOR FOOTBALL FIRST TEAM
TROY ATHLETICS
TAYLOR MCKINNEY SOFTBALL SECOND TEAM
DELL PETTUS FOOTBALL SECOND TEAM
QUENTIN SKINNER FOOTBALL HONORABLE MENTION
LEENA METWALLY WOMEN’S TENNIS SECOND TEAM
TAI-SHEKA PORCHIA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL FIRST TEAM
JAVON SOLOMON FOOTBALL FIRST TEAM
GUNNAR WATSON FOOTBALL THIRD TEAM
REDDY STEWARD FOOTBALL FIRST TEAM
AUDRA THOMPSON SOFTBALL SECOND TEAM
MARIO MARTINEZ SERRANO MEN’S TENNIS FIRST TEAM
JAVON OSBOURNE TRACK & FIELD THIRD TEAM
MORGAN REESE TRACK & FIELD THIRD TEAM
JANELLE STUEMPFIG VOLLEYBALL SECOND TEAM
LUKE LYON BASEBALL SECOND TEAM
KOLE MYERS BASEBALL SECOND TEAM
CALEB RANSAW FOOTBALL HONORABLE MENTION
CHRIS LEWIS FOOTBALL THIRD TEAM
KYLE MOCK BASEBALL SECOND TEAM
HAGAR RAMADAN-AMIN WOMEN’S TENNIS SECOND TEAM
COLE STEWART TRACK & FIELD FIRST TEAM
