2021-22 Troy Athletics Year in Review by Troy University Athletics

ATHLETICS

Y E A R

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R E V I E W

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TROY UNIVERSITY BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Governor of Alabama President, ex-officio

C. Gibson Vance

Forrest Latta

John D. Harrison

President pro tempore Area 4

Earl Johnson

Allen E. Owen III

Cam Ward

Gerald O. Dial

Karen Carter

Roy H. Drinkard

Edward F. Crowell

C. Charles Nailen

Kay Ivey

Area 3

Area 4

Area 2

Area 5

Year in Review

Area 2

Area 1

2021 - 2022

Area 6

Area 7

At Large

DEAR TROJANS: The 2021-2022 year in Trojan athletics saw a mix of the familiar, as well as pivotal change. This report will bring you up to date on every aspect of our athletics operation and I hope you will review it thoroughly. Our women’s basketball squad won its fifth league title in seven years and a berth in the Women’s NIT, while posting its fourth consecutive 20-win record. Our men’s basketball team achieved its first 20-win season since 2016-17 and a spot in the College Basketball Invitational Tournament. Other noteworthy achievements included men’s tennis finishing the season ranked 9th in the ITA Southern Region, three straight tournament wins for men’s golf, baseball posting its first 30-win season in four years, volleyball defeating Power Five opponents Alabama, LSU and Virginia Tech and softball earning wins over number 23 LSU and number 25 Ohio State. Major changes took place in the leadership of our football, softball, and soccer programs. We welcomed Jon Sumrall home to lead our football squad, which he served as an assistant from 2015-17. Coach Eric Newell, who lead AUM to two consecutive number-three rankings in NCAA Division II, is our new softball coach. Robert Lane former head coach at the University of Montevallo and assistant at the Georgia, is our soccer coach. Moreover, we set program records for attendance in baseball, and led the SBC in men’s and women’s basketball attendance. We are ensuring that our facilities are second to none, including upgrading Riddle-Pace Field to make our baseball facility the “Gem of the Sun Belt.” In closing, thank you for supporting Trojan athletics. Your attendance and financial investment are crucial to our continued success. The best days lie ahead for our sports programs. Sincerely,

Jack Hawkins, Jr., Ph.D. Chancellor

2021 - 2022

Year in Review

TROJAN NATION: We greatly appreciate the amazing support that the University leadership continues to provide as we have every opportunity needed to ensure our student-athletes have the best collegiate experience possible. This past year was an incredible one for Troy Athletics thanks in large part to you, our tremendous supporters. We returned to full capacity in our stadiums once again and Trojan Nation responded in record numbers. Our men’s and women’s Basketball programs led the Sun Belt Conference in attendance for the first time ever. Along the way these programs experienced numerous Top Five crowds. Trojan fans also joined us at Riddle-Pace Field in record numbers as we sold the most baseball season tickets in over a decade and had the second highest per game average in the Sun Belt. We greatly appreciate the amazing support that Chancellor Hawkins and Troy University continues to provide as we have every resource available to ensure that our student-athletes have the best collegiate experience possible. Our supporters also stepped up in incredible fashion philanthropically as we surpassed our goal of 1,887 Trojan Warrior Club donors as part of the Drive to 1887 and eclipsed our goal of $250,000 raised for the Football Excellence Fund. The generosity of our donors allows for our student-athletes to be afforded the best resources possible to ensure that we are following the W4 approach of Winning in the Classroom, Winning on the Playing Field, Winning in the Community and Winning in the Stands. Our volleyball program continues to rise to new heights as they notched their third consecutive winning season in the Sun Belt – a first for our program – and hosted the first ever postseason volleyball match in Trojan Arena. Our men’s and women’s basketball programs also advanced to the postseason this year with our women’s team hosting Alabama in Trojan Arena and our men’s team participating in the Collegiate Basketball Invitational in Daytona Beach. The future also remains incredibly bright with our baseball team winning 32 games and our softball team winning 31 games this past season. Both of these programs, as well as all of our programs in general, maintain an upward trajectory heading into the 2022-2023 athletic calendar year. As we celebrate the past year, I pause to say thank you to all of our tremendous supporters for what they have done to help elevate Troy Athletics to new heights. A new year is upon us, and we look forward to rising to the top of the new and stronger Sun Belt Conference together as One TROY! Sincerely,

Brent Jones Director of Athletics

CONTENTS Board of Trustees .......................................... 2 Letter from the Chancellor ��3 Letter from the Director of Athletics ��5 Head Coaches ��8-9 Jon Sumrall �� 10 Eric Newell.......................................................11 Robert Lane.................................................... 12 Forrest Schultz................................................ 13 Women’s Basketball ��14-15 Soccer ��16-17 Football �� 18-19 Men’s and Women’s Tennis ��20-21 Men’s & Women’s Golf �� 22-23 Baseball �� 24-25 Volleyball �� 26-27 Softball ��28-29 Track & Field / Cross Country ��30-31 Men’s Basketball ��32-33 Individual Accolades �� 34-35 All-Conference ��36-37 Facility Improvements �� 38-39 Record Breaking Attendance �� 40-41 Troy Hall of Fame �� 42-43 Sun Belt Expansion ��44 Fundraising Success........................................ 45 Athletics App.................................................. 46 Licensing.........................................................47 Sandy Atkins / NCAA Softball.......................... 48 Trojans in the Community........................... 48-49

TROY ATHLETICS HEAD COACHES

Marc Davis

Scott Cross

Year in Review 2021 - 2022

Rawia Elsisi

Track & Field

Men’s Basketball

Robert Lane Soccer

Randy Keck

Women’s Tennis

Nic Laracuente Cheer

Women’s Golf

Josh Lauer Volleyball

TROY ATHLETICS HEAD COACHES

Skylar Meade

Eric Newell Softball

Women’s Basketball

Forrest Schultz

Jon Sumrall

Rolando Vargas

Football

Men’s Tennis

Year in Review

Men’s Golf

Chanda Rigby

9 2021 - 2022

Baseball

JON SUMRALL FOOTBALL COACH

One of the most respected recruiters in the country, Jon Sumrall was named Troy’s football head coach on December 2, 2021. Sumrall returns to Troy after spending three seasons (2015-17) as the assistant head coach on Neal Brown’s staff. Recently promoted to co-defensive coordinator on Mark Stoops’ staff at Kentucky, Sumrall coached the Wildcats’ inside linebackers for the squad that finished the season with a 10-3 record and ranked as high as No. 22 in the country. Kentucky finished second in the SEC East, marking the first time since the league split into divisions in 1992 that UK ended the season in sole possession of second place in the East. The Wildcats allowed 17 or fewer points in seven of its 12 games in 2021 and held No. 1 Georgia to its second-lowest offensive output of the season. Kentucky finished with the nation’s No. 25 defense in addition to ranking third in fourth-down defense, 20th in rushing defense and 13th in defensive touchdowns.

Year in Review

During his tenure at Troy, Sumrall helped lead the Trojans to a pair of bowl victories, the school’s first since 2010, the 2017 Sun Belt Conference title, and a stunning victory at LSU. The Trojans won a school-record 11 games in 2017, and the Troy defense ranked first in the nation in red zone defense (.614), second in tackles for loss per game (8.6), seventh in rushing defense (105.3), 11th in scoring defense and 24th in total defense per game (336.6). In his first season at Troy, the Trojans finished with the second-best turnaround nationally in opponent 3rd-down percentage (14.62 percent), the fourth-best turnaround in yards per play allowed (-1.13), the fifth-best improvement in tackles for loss per game (2.59) and 16th-best improvement in total defense (-62.7).

2021 - 2022

Troy held opponents to 391.2 yards per game, an improvement of 62.8 yards from the previous season and under 400 yards for the first time since the 2008 season. The Trojans scored five defensive touchdowns, the third-most in the country and most by a Troy team since 2004. Troy finished the 2016 season 10-3 with a victory in the Dollar General Bowl, the first top-25 ranking in school and Sun Belt Conference history and

the best win-improvement in the country. The Trojans finished the year second nationally in passes intercepted, fourth in turnovers forced, 17th in rushing defense, 21st holding opponents to 22.1 points per game and 28th in third-down defense. Sumrall departed Troy for Ole Miss before the 2018 season and returned to his alma mater in Lexington, Kentucky the following year. Sumrall oversaw an effective four-man rotation at the middle and weakside linebacker positions in his first season at Kentucky. UK’s defense helped keep every opponent at or below 30 points, the first time the Wildcats have done that since 1979. UK ended the season with a thrilling win over Virginia Tech in the Belk Bowl, UK’s fourth straight bowl appearance. Sumrall’s starting linebackers, Jamin Davis and DeAndre Square, were two of the top three tacklers in 2020, combining for 162 total tackles. Davis made a significant impact under Sumrall’s tutelage, making 144 tackles, 5.0 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, five interceptions, three pass break ups, three quarterback hurries, one block, one fumble recovery and one forced fumble. He ranked fourth in the SEC in tackles per game (10.2) and was first-team All-SEC by Pro Football Focus and second team All-SEC by Phil Steele. Davis was a first-round draft pick by the Washington Football Team in the 2021 NFL Draft. Kentucky capped the most unusual of seasons with an impressive victory in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl, the program’s third consecutive bowl victory, tying the school record set from 2006-08. The 23-21 victory over No. 24 NC State also marked the second win over a ranked team in the 2020 season. UK also defeated No. 18 Tennessee. Sumrall was a three-year letterwinner at middle linebacker at Kentucky from 2002-04. He started every game in 2004, leading the Wildcats with 72 tackles. He also excelled off the field as he was named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll and was selected to the Frank G. Ham Society of Character. After earning his degree in finance in 2005, Sumrall served as a graduate assistant for the Wildcats during the 2005 and 2006 seasons under head coach Rich Brooks. He left Kentucky in 2007 and spent five seasons under head coach Ron Caragher in various positions at San Diego, including defensive coordinator during his final two seasons. He served as the defensive line coach, recruiting coordinator and camp coordinator for the first three years before assuming the defensive coordinator and linebackers coaching role in 2010. During his final season with the Toreros, Sumrall was promoted to assistant head coach. In 2011, the Toreros ranked 15th nationally in run defense (113.0), 13th in pass efficiency defense, fourth in sacks (3.64), and 16th in third-down defense (32.2 percent). The Huntsville, Alabama native was a two-time all-state performer and a four-year letter winner at Grissom High School. He is married to the former Ginny Nixon, also of Huntsville, and the couple has four children, Sam, Sadie, Stella and Selah.

Fresh off a second straight conference championship and berth in the NCAA Division II Softball World Series, Eric Newell begins his first season at Troy’s head coach in 2023. Newell led Auburn-Montgomery to back-to-back No. 3 national rankings the past two seasons as the Warhawks were among the final six teams remaining in the 2022 NCAA Division II Softball World Series after AUM won both its Regional and Super Regional matchups. In 16 seasons as a head coach, Newell’s teams have dominated on the field, posting a combined .727 winning percentage between his eight years at Williams Baptist (254-121) and eight seasons at AUM (302-88). Newell-coached teams have won eight conference titles and appeared in six NCAA or NAIA postseason tournaments with four World Series appearances. Newell’s aggressive style of play led AUM to ranking in the top 14 nationally in scoring his final four seasons with the program. Additionally, the Warhawks stole more than 100 bases in each of his final four full seasons, including 179 in 2019, the third-most in the country. AUM’s 2.82 stolen bases per game in 2018 were the fifth-most nationally. AUM’s dominance also translated to the circle, where Warhawk pitchers combined for a 1.97 ERA with 66 complete games and 54 shutouts from 2019 to 2022. This past season, Newell guided the Warhawks to 49 wins, their most ever since moving to the Division II level in 2017 and most since Newell’s 2016 NAIA World Series squad won 53 games. AUM was electric on the field, stealing 105 bases in 62 games, all while belting 54 home runs, 71 doubles, 20 triples and posting an .852 team OPS. Additionally, the Warhawks averaged 6.3 runs per game and finished ninth nationally in runs scored. AUM pitchers tossed 31 complete games and 12 shutouts with the Warhawks’ top two pitchers both finishing with sub 1.70 ERAs on the year.

Year in Review

Newell and the Warhawks were rewarded for their outstanding play, with Gia Martin earning All-America distinction, Newell taking home Gulf South Coach of the Year honors, three Warhawks earning all-region awards and five taking home all-conference recognition.

2021 - 2022

AUM’s 2022 season was a perfect bookend for Newell’s career in the Capital City after he began his tenure leading the Warhawks to the 2015 NAIA National Championship. AUM rolled through the Southern States Athletic Conference with a 24-2 record and didn’t allow a run in the AUM Bracket of the NAIA Opening Round. The Warhawks finished the year with a school record 46 wins as they won their four games in the World Series by a combined 31-1 score. He was named the SSAC and NAIA Coach of the Year, while he and assistant coach Scottie Wilkes were named the NAIA Coaching Staff of the Year by the NFCA. Individually, Cassie Jones was named the 2015 NAIA National Player of the Year, NAIA All-American and the SSAC Pitcher of the Year. Newell led AUM in its transition from NAIA to NCAA Division II prior to the 2017 season, and it didn’t take long for the Warhawks to adjust to their elevated level of competition. Newell led AUM to a 43-12 record in 2019, including a 20-9 mark in the Gulf South Conference, and had the Warhawks rolling in the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season. AUM had won seven games in a row and nine of its last 10 when the season was halted.

ROBERT LANE

SOCCER COACH Sixteen-year coaching veteran Robert Lane begins his first season asTroy’s soccer head coach in 2022; he comes to Troy following three seasons as the first assistant coach at Georgia and with eight years of head coaching experience in tow. Lane helped lead Georgia to an 11-5-3 mark this past season as the Bulldogs finished the season ranked No. 55 in the NCAA’s RPI, Georgia’s best RPI finish since 2004. In addition, the Bulldogs clinched spots in the SEC Tournament in all three of Lane’s seasons in Athens after not qualifying each of the previous four seasons. Under Lane’s tutelage, Georgia forward Mollie Belisle earned third team All-America honors and was named the SEC Forward of the Year. She became just the third All-American in program history and was one of four Bulldogs who took home all-region distinction. Lane was also a key recruiter for the Bulldogs, who landed a top 30 signing class in 2021. Prior to his time at Georgia, Lane was the head coach at Montevallo, where he led the Falcons to an improved win total each of his four seasons and a Gulf South Conference Championship Game appearance in his final season. Lane took over a program that went 1-12-1 and lost by an aggregate of 39-13 the season before his arrival, and four seasons later posted a 107-2 record. He built such a culture of winning in the program that the Falcons continued their climb after he left with a conference title and NCAA berth the following season. He served as the chair of the Gulf South Conference Coach’s Committee and was the NCAA RAC Committee and United Soccer Coaches All-Region/All-American South representative during his time at Montevallo. Prior to rebuilding the Montevallo program, Lane was an assistant at Charlotte for four seasons (2011-14). While at Charlotte, the 49ers reached postseason play four straight years and won the Conference USA East Division title in 2013. Lane helped coach and recruit Freshman All-American Martha Thomas during the 2014 season, who is currently playing overseas for Manchester United. Lane spent the 2011 season at Georgia Southern and assisted in recruiting the freshmen class that saw six players start for the Eagles in their 2012 NCAA Tournament appearance against Wake Forest. He led Belmont Abbey to a pair of NCAA Division II Tournament appearances and a combined 31-8-3 record during his two seasons as the head coach. The Crusaders won the Conference Carolinas regular season title both seasons and the tournament championship in 2010. Lane was named the league’s 2010 Coach of the Year. Lane began his coaching career as the head coach of the men’s team at Coker College from 2006-08. The Cobras improved their win total in each of his three seasons from a three-win team to a seven-win team and conference tournament appearance when he left. Lane earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from East Carolina in 2005. He played collegiately both at ECU and Barton College.

TROY ATHLETICS WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

For the fifth time in seven years, Troy was crowned Sun Belt Conference Champions as the Trojans clinched the Sun Belt regular season championship The Trojans posted a 24-9 overall record for their fourth consecutive 20-win season Troy posted a 13-2 record inside Sun Belt Conference action; the Trojans second straight season with only two conference losses Felmas Koranga and Amber Leggett both earned All-Sun Belt honors. Koranga was tabbed a member of the All-Sun Belt First Team while Leggett earned All-Sun Belt Third Team honors Troy hosted Alabama in the opening round of the WNIT in Trojan Arena; it marked the second time that the Trojans have hosted a postseason game after Troy hosted UAB in the opening round of the 2019 WNIT The Trojans boasted an 11-game win streak beginning Jan. 15 with a win over ULM through Troy’s Sun Belt Tournament Semifinal win over Little Rock Troy advanced to the postseason for the straight season with its appearance in the WNIT; the Trojans played in the 2021 NCAA Tournament and the 2019 WNIT. Troy won the 2020 Sun Belt regular season title, but the NCAA Tournament was canceled that season due to COVID-19 Head Coach Chanda Rigby earned her 400th career win in the Trojans’ victory over Bethune-Cookman After coming to Troy out of Tyler Junior College prior to the 2020-21 season, Felmas Koranga was named a World Exposure Report NCAA D1 Junior College Transfer of the Year Finalist Troy assistant coach Courtney Simmons was named to the Advancement of Blacks in Sports 2022 Women’s Basketball Assistant Coaches Watch List The Trojans utilized a 24-point comeback to down Jackson State, 99-82. The 24-point comeback marked the first time Troy had overcome a 20-point deficit since November 21, 2014, against Southeastern Louisiana Troy program defeated Mississippi State to open the Mississippi State MTE; it was Troy’s first Power Five win since the 2018-19 season Tiyah Johnson was one of seven Sun Belt student-athletes to earn a 2022 Sun Belt Conference Postgraduate Scholarship

TROY ATHLETICS SOCCER

Robert Lane was named the Trojans’ new head coach in the offseason following successful stints as the head coach at Montevallo and as an assistant at Georgia Lindsey LaRoche received All-Sun Belt Second Team honors after recording 40 saves in 815 minutes of action; Troy allowed the fewest goals by any team in the conference (12) Lindsey LaRoche posted four shutouts over the course of the season, with three coming in Sun Belt Conference play Off the field, Lindsey LaRoche was awarded the Female Athlete of the Year at the Annual Trojan Tribute for her impressive season The Trojans opened the 2021 season on fire with wins over Alabama State, Nicholls State and Alabama A&M, including two straight shutouts for the first time since 2019 Troy showed strength at home, posting a winning record of 6-4 The Trojans improved their overall win total by three matches from the 2020 season and entered the Sun Belt Tournament as the number six seed Erin Bloomfield led Troy with a team-high seven goals on the season, which tied for seventh in the Sun Belt Conference Defensively, the Trojans allowed a Sun Belt-low 1.06 goals per game and 0.98 goals-against average Troy opened the Robert Lane era with a perfect spring season capturing wins over Alabama State, AUM and Samford

TROY ATHLETICS FOOTBALL

Jon Sumrall was named Troy’s new head coach in December after previously serving on the Troy staff under head coach Neal Brown from 2015-17 Carlton Martial was named one of three finalists for the Burlsworth Trophy, which is presented annually to the nation’s top player who began their career as a walk-on. The other two finalists were National Championship winning quarterback Stetson Bennett from Georgia and Arkansas linebacker Grant Morgan Carlton Martial and Javon Solomon earned Pro Football Network All-America Honors Carlton Martial finished the season with 24 more tackles than anyone else in the Sun Belt and was the only player averaging double-digit tackles per game. He ranked sixth nationally with 10.6 tackles per game and ended the season just 17 tackles shy of the all-time Sun Belt record Javon Solomon led the Sun Belt in tackles for loss and finished second in sacks. He ranked ninth nationally in tackles for loss and seventh in sacks. He became one of just 31 players since 2000 to record 17 tackles for loss and 11 sacks through the first 10 games of a season Kimani Vidal and Austin Stidham were named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District Team, while Stidham became just the fifth student-athlete in Troy Athletics history to earn back-to-back Academic All-America honors Twelve Trojans were named to the All-Sun Belt Team led by first team selections Carlton Martial and Javon Solomon Troy defeated South Alabama for the fourth straight time in the “Battle for the Belt” The Trojan defense was one of the best in the country ranking 10th in tackles for loss, 11th in sacks, 21st in passing yards allowed, eighth in interceptions and 24th in total defense Reddy Steward ranked second nationally (min. 25 targets) holding opponents to a 28.6 reception percentage (8-of-28); among players with 20 or more targets, he allowed the fewest receiving yards on the year with just 81 on the eight catches against him Cameron Kaye was named a semifinalist for the Patrick Mannelly Award, for the nation’s top long snapper; he was named a third-team All-American by Special Teams U

TROY ATHLETICS

MEN’S AND WOMEN’S TENNIS

Men’s Tennis Troy finished the season ranked No. 9 in the ITA Southern Region, and Carles Anton ranked 18th in singles in the region Troy boasted the nation’s No. 38 recruiting class and the No. 5 mid-major recruiting class with the addition of two Spaniards The Trojans advanced to their second straight Sun Belt Tournament semifinal appearance Head coach Rolando Vargas was named the United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) Southern College Coach of the Year The Trojans finished the spring season with 16 victories and a win over No. 48 Louisiana, and the Trojans almost pulled off another stunner at No. 24 Florida State before losing to the Seminoles, 4-3, after a pair of three-set matches didn’t go Troy’s way Carles Anton earned All-Sun Belt First Team honors and finished with the best overall winning percentage in the Sun Belt with a 20-5 singles record Rolando Vargas led the Trojans to key victories over rivals UAB, Jacksonville State and Southern Miss, in addition to non-conference wins over DePaul and Augusta Women’s Tennis The Trojans returned to form with their first double-digit win season since 2018-19 For the second-straight season, Troy defeated Arkansas State in the first round of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament, winning 4-2 to advance to the quarterfinals Freshman Hagar Amin was named the Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year after having a team-best winning percentage at 70.6 percent in singles and a 4-2 record in doubles Team captain Michelle Ncube led the Trojans in total wins, with 17 in singles. Her record of 3-0 on court two ranked second in the conference In doubles competition, the duo of Michelle Ncube and Kristina Kukaras was formattable with an 8-6 record. Their 4-2 record on court three finished fourth in the conference

TROY ATHLETICS

MEN’S AND WOMEN’S GOLF

Men’s Golf The Trojans won three straight tournaments -- Bash at the Beach, Savannah Harbor Invite and Gulf Coast Collegiate -- marking the first time since 2005 that a Troy team won three straight events Troy fired a school record 828 and 24-under par in its victory at the Bash at the Beach Brantley Scott finished third and Will McFadden finished seventh at the Alabama State Amateur Championship in the Summer of 2022 Brantley Scott earned All-Sun Belt Second Team honors after he led the Trojans and ranked fourth in the Sun Belt with a 0.30 score vs. par and 72.12 stroke average for the season; Scott registered four top-10 finishes and 10 top-25 performances in the Trojans’ 11 events Will McFadden took home All-Sun Belt Third Team honors after he finished the season with a 0.64 score vs. par and career-best 72.45 stroke average. He was in the red in 14 of his 33 rounds, and Troy counted his individual card 100 percent of the time Troy played nine rounds under par as a team, combined for 50 individual rounds under par, and posted a 97-53-2 record. Last year, Troy had one team round under par, 21 individual rounds under par and a 2179 overall record Women’s Golf Troy fired the lowest round of the day and climbed three spots on the leaderboard into fifth place following the final round of the Sun Belt Conference Women’s Golf Championship at the LPGA International Hills Course ShaeLee Scarberry led the Trojans with five rounds under par on the season, with a 75.12 stroke average and 91.2 percent of her rounds counting towards the team card Freshman Alyssa Mercado posted a strong spring with a team-best 75.69 average and was the only Trojan to shoot in the 60s on the year; she finished with a pair of rounds under the 70 mark The Trojans finished third at the Spring Break Shootout behind Alyssa Mercado’s fourth-place finish following a pair of rounds in the 60s to close out her week at the event SheaLee Scarberry posted Troy’s best finish of the year by placing second at the Hoover Invite with a 2-under 214

TROY ATHLETICS BASEBALL

The Trojans finished the season 32-24, for their first 30-win season since 2019. Troy upped its win total by five victories from the previous season Troy swept Louisiana for the first time in program history and swept Indiana out of the Big Ten Conference In his first season as head coach, Skylar Meade became the fourth coach in program history to win at least 30 games in his first season at the helm Rigsby Mosley earned second team All-Sun Belt honors for the third time in his career. Mosley became the all-time leader in doubles with 60 and went 3-0 as a pitcher. His masterful performance in the Sun Belt Tournament helped guide Troy to a quarterfinal win over Coastal Carolina Rigsby Mosley finished his Trojan career with 251 hits, which ranks fifth all-time, 793 at-bats, also fifth all-time, and 220 games played, the third-most in program history The Trojans posted a nine-game win streak, their longest since 2006 Troy led the Sun Belt Conference in strikeouts from its pitching staff during the regular season with 520 The Trojans led the Sun Belt with 9.5 strikeouts per nine innings, the most in program history Shortstop Jesse Hall was one of two Trojans to start and play in all 56 games. He led the Trojans in batting average (.326), at-bats (221), runs (45), hits (72), doubles (19) and RBIs (44). Hall also had 20 multihit games and 11 games with multiple RBIs, each the most by a Troy player Troy recorded nine doubles against Appalachian State, which tied the record for the most in a single game. In that same game, Jesse Hall became only one of four Trojans to have four doubles in a single game The Trojans averaged 1,948 fans per game, seeing seven of the top 20 crowds in program history. Troy ranked 34th nationally in attendance The Trojans improved their RPI ranking by 35 spots from the 2020 season

TROY ATHLETICS VOLLEYBALL

For the third consecutive year, the Trojans had two players receive All-Sun Belt honors, with Amara Anderson picking up her third All-Sun Belt award and Julia Brooks receiving her first award Head coach Josh Lauer became the first coach in Trojan volleyball history to lead the Trojans to three consecutive winning seasons in conference play after going 9-7 in Sun Belt Conference action For the first time in program history, the Trojans posted three victories over Power Five teams in the same season, with wins over Alabama, LSU and Virginia Tech Troy made its second consecutive postseason appearance in the NIVC and hosted a postseason match for the first time in program history; Troy went on to beat Middle Tennessee in the first round Julia Brooks was the only player in the conference to rank in the top 10 in four statistical categories (hitting percentage, kills/set, blocks/set and points/set) and was the only middle hitter in the top 10 in the kills/set and points/set; she accumulated double-digit kills in 19 of 27 matches. Julia Brooks led the Trojans in kills with 325 on the year and posted a career-high 24 kills in Troy’s win against Georgia Southern Cheyenne Hayes became the all-time kills leader in Troy history as she finished her career with 1,666. Her 146 matches played and 545 sets played also rank first all-time in program history. Hayes became the fifth Trojan in program history to record 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs in her career Amara Anderson moved into third all-time in Troy history with 4,502 assists. She is one of four players to amass 3,000 assists and 1,000 digs

27 2021 - 2022

Lacey Jeffcoat moved into fourth place all-time in Troy history in digs, accumulating 1,626 in her Trojan career. She ranks second in program history, averaging 4.05 digs per set

Year in Review

Amara Anderson’s 59 assists against Georgia Southern were the most by a player in the Sun Belt in a single match all season

TROY ATHLETICS SOFTBALL

Troy welcomed Eric Newell as its new head coach in June 2022 following a successful run at AuburnMontgomery, which included a National Championship The Trojans notched four wins over Power Five opponents for the first time since 2012 (Ole Miss, No. 25 Ohio State, No. 22 LSU, NC State) Troy finished the season with a 31-21 overall record for its fourth straight (non-COVID) season topping the 30-win mark Leanna Johnson tossed a pair of no-hitters this season (SIU and UT Arlington). The Brantley, Ala., native became the first Trojan to throw two no-hitters in a season since Ashlyn Williams in 2012 Against UT Arlington, Kelly Horne led off the opening frame of action with her 101st career walk, taking claim of Troy’s career walks record Kelly Horne came just one walk shy of matching the program’s single-season record Kelly Horne smashed a solo home run in the bottom of the fourth inning against ULM to notch her 100th career RBI Leanna Johnson and Kelly Horne were dubbed All-Sun Belt First Team members while Jade Sinness landed on the All-Sun Belt Second Team For the second straight season, Kelly Horne and Leanna Johnson were named NFCA All-Region selections. Highlighted by Horne’s second consecutive NFCA South Region First Team honor, the Trojans have placed a player on an NFCA South Region Team in three straight seasons

Kelly Horne led the Sun Belt in home runs, OPS and on-base percentage; she was among the league leaders in slugging percentage (4th), walks (2nd), total bases (4th), runs scored (5th) and batting average (9th). She finished fifth nationally in walks and 18th in on-base percentage

29 2021 - 2022

The Trojan ace Leanna Johnson notched another record-breaking season. Johnson’s 22 complete games rank eighth in Troy’s single-season record while her eight shutouts ranked fourth, her 20 wins ranked seventh and her 242 strikeouts ranked seventh

Year in Review

Kelly Horne broke her own single-season on-base percentage record, while her home runs rank fifth, slugging percentage ranks third and her walks rank second in Troy’s single-season record book

TROY ATHLETICS

TRACK & FIELD / CROSS COUNTRY

Troy’s outdoor season saw five Trojans punch their ticket to the NCAA East Preliminaries - Javon Osbourne (discus), Julian Martin-Rogers (100m-hurdles), Cole Stewart (javelin), Marek Taskar (javelin) and Edita Sklenska (800m) Edita Sklenska etched her name twice in the Troy record book in the 800m after finishing at 2:05.01 in the Crimson Tide Invitational and 4:21.94 at the Penn Relays for the 1500m event Maya Kelly, Naveyh Frost, Vennessa Frank and Edita Sklenska broke the Troy sprint medley relay record at the Penn Relays with a time of 3:54.43 Freshman Javon Osbourne broke the Troy record for the discus with a 55.64 meter throw at the War Eagle Invite Five Trojans received All-Sun Belt nods, with Edita Sklenska landing on the first team, Javon Osbourne and Cole Stewart on the second team and Maja Kuessner and Alan Johnson earning third honors At the Carolina Challenge, Edita Sklenska set both the school record and facility record in the women’s 800m with a time of 2:07.95. At the time, it was the 10th best time in the country for the event During the Camel City Invitational, Troy had a season-high 20 top-five finishes. Jordan McCeskey ran a 49.66 in the 400m dash, which gave him first place in the event and was his fastest time of the year. Alan Johnson also took home first place honors as his time of 1:21.27 in the men’s 600m led the way Maja Kuessner claimed first place in the women’s high jump at the Sun Belt Outdoor Championships with a jump of 1.78 meters

Blake Vaughn and Mason Bennett paced the Troy men’s squad throughout the season. The duo each led the team in three races this season With both teams posting at least a 3.5 GPA, the Troy Men’s and Women’s Cross Country squads were named U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-Academic Teams

31 2021 - 2022

For the second consecutive season, the Troy women’s cross country team were crowned the Azalea City Classic champions. Highlighted by three top-five finishes, the women’s squad tallied 26 points to earn their first win of the season

Year in Review

With a time of 2:07.46, Edita Sklenska took home gold in the 800m at the Sun Belt Outdoor Championships while breaking her own Sun Belt meet record of 2:08.34

TROY ATHLETICS MEN’S BASKETBALL

The Trojans eclipsed their win total from the previous season and posted the program’s first 20-win season since 2016-17 The Trojans led the Sun Belt in attendance averaging 2,758 fans per game in Trojan Arena. That total included three top-10 single-game crowds -- Little Rock (4,128), South Alabama (4,546) and Texas State (4,438) Troy ranked 53rd in the nation and second in the conference averaging 7.98 steals per game The Trojans ended a five-year postseason drought with an appearance in the College Basketball Invitational Head coach Scott Cross reached the 250 career victory mark Efe Odigie became the first Trojan since 2016-17 to receive an All-Sun Belt First Team nod after he averaged 11.5 points and 6.7 rebounds per game Efe Odigie and Duke Deen both received individual awards, with Odigie claiming the Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year and Deen taking home Sun Belt Freshman of the Year honors Zay Williams moved into fifth all-time in Troy’s DI history with 576 rebonds in his career; he also moved into a tie for seventh place in the program’s DI history with 81 career blocks Troy entered the Sun Belt Tournament as the number four seed and advanced to its first semifinal appearance since the 2016-17 season after defeating Little Rock 69-62

Troy rolled off five-straight wins in December with victories over Tennessee Tech, Alabama A&M, Arkansas Baptist, Mercer and Texas State Troy’s hosted a nationally televised game on ESPN2 with the season finale against Texas State

33 2021 - 2022

Troy had two players ranked in the top-10 for rebounds in the Sun Belt Conference -- Efe Odigie (6.7) and Zay Williams (6.5)

Year in Review

The Trojans won eight roads games over the course of the season; their most as a program since the 200910 season

TROY ATHLETICS

Year in Review

INDIVIDUAL ACCOLADES

2021 - 2022

Hagar Amin Women’s Tennis Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year

Carles Anton Men’s Tennis Ranked 18th in Southern Region

Scott Cross Men’s Basketball 250 Career Wins

Duke Deen Men’s Basketball Sun Belt Freshman of the Year

Kelly Horne Softball 5th Nationally in Walks/Game

Felmas Koranga Women’s Basketball 10th Nationally in Rebounds 18th Nationally in Double-Doubles

TROY ATHLETICS INDIVIDUAL ACCOLADES

Carlton Martial Football Burlsworth Trophy Finalist 6th Nationally in Tackles

Efe Odigie Men’s Basketball Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year

Chanda Rigby Women’s Basketball 400th Career Win

Courtney Simmons Women’s Basketball Advancement of Blacks in Sports Assistant Coach Watch List

Javon Solomon Football All-American 7th Nationally in Sacks / 9th in TFL

Rolando Vargas Men’s Tennis USPTA Southern Coach of the Year

TROY ATHLETICS

ALL-SUN BELT CONFERENCE SELECTIONS

Amara Anderson

Carles Anton

TJ Harris

Kelly Horne

Cameron Kaye

Maya Kelly

Volleyball

Football

Men’s Tennis

Softball

Track & Field

Dylan Bradshaw

Julia Brooks

Will Choloh

Vanessa Frank

Richard Jibunor

Alvin Johnson

Leanna Johnson

Tez Johnson

Felmas Koranga

Maja Kuessner

Lindsey LaRoche

Amber Leggett

Football

Women’s Basketball

Volleyball

Track & Field

Football

Softball

Soccer

Track & Field

Football

Women’s Basketball

TROY ATHLETICS

ALL-SUN BELT CONFERENCE SELECTIONS

Carlton Martial

Will McFadden

Rigsby Mosley

KJ Robertson

Brantley Scott

Jade Sinness

Football

Men’s Golf

Baseball

Men’s Golf

Softball

Cole Stewart Track & Field

Efe Odigie

Jason Osbourne

Alexandria Rankin

Edita Sklenska

Javon Solomon

Reddy Steward

Men’s Basketball

Track & Field

Austin Stidham Football

Football

Kimani Vidal Football

Track & Field

Football

FACILITY RENOVATIONS The $12 million dollar Riddle-Pace Field Baseball Stadium project will create new coaches offices, team meeting rooms, state-of-the-art video room, RBI Club down the third-base line, chairback seating throughout the facility, and a brand new concourse area for fans featuring new concession stands and a team shop. Additionally, the Lunsford Tennis Complex received a new scoreboard and the Troy Softball Hitting Facility in the Dodds Complex was rebranded.

RECORD BREAKING ATTENDANCE

Year in Review

Ranked #1 in football game day experience in Sun Belt & led Sun Belt in men’s and women’s basketball attendance

2021 - 2022

56,483

2,784

Total Trojan fans at Riddle-Pace Field during the 2022 season

Fans for the Troy women’s basketball game against Talladega

3,212

2,758

Fans in attendance when Troy baseball hosted Auburn

average number of fans attending Troy men’s basketball home games

HALL OF FAME INDUCTIONS

Year in Review

Troy enshrined the 2020 and 2021 Hall of Fame Classes on Sept. 3, 2021, in Trojan Arena. The 2020 class consists of Barney Burnett (golf), Nancy Dansby Swanson (women’s tennis & basketball), Rachel Hassan Gravel (volleyball), Max Howell (football), Mark King (football) and Jude Rinaldi (baseball). The 2021 class is comprised of Leon Davis (men’s basketball), Collin McCrary (men’s golf) and Andy Whitener (track & field). The 2021 class represented the 10th Hall of Fame class.

2021 - 2022

Barney Burnett

Troy Hall of Fame Class of 2020

Leon Davis

Troy Hall of Fame Class of 2021

Rachel Hassan Gravel Troy Hall of Fame Class of 2020

Max Howell

Mark King

Collin McCrary

Troy Hall of Fame Class of 2020

Troy Hall of Fame Class of 2021

Jude Rinaldi

Nancy Dansby Swanson

Andy Whitener

Troy Hall of Fame Class of 2020

Troy Hall of Fame Class of 2021

BIGGER BELT

Year in Review

On July 1, 2022, the Sun Belt officially welcomed James Madison, Marshall, Old Dominion and Southern Miss as members of the conference. The league now stands at 14 members strong. The new additions move Troy to the Sun Belt West Division along with South Alabama, Southern Miss, Louisiana, ULM, Arkansas State and Texas State.

2021 - 2022

TROY ATHLETICS REACHING GOALS

Established to support the Troy Football program and new head coach Jon Sumrall, the Fund had a goal to raise $250,000.

$250,000 raised by April 2022

“Wow. Thank you to all our amazing fans and shareholders for believing in our vision for Troy Athletics.” -Brent Jones | Troy Director of Athletics

Paying homage to the year Troy University was founded, The Drive to 1887 sought to improve the Trojan Warrior Club membership number that averaged slightly fewer than 1,000 members over the prior five years. Funds generated by the Trojan Warrior Club, which reached record levels over the past 19 months, go directly to help support the 16 athletic programs and more than 450 studentathletes at Troy University Athletics.

1,887+

members in the Trojan Warrior Club by May 2022 As Troy Athletics moves into the 2022-23 academic year and part of an improved Sun Belt Conference, support to the Trojan Warrior Club and all other Troy Athletic giving platforms is paramount. Fans can renew or complete their Trojan Warrior Club annual gift or make a gift directed to another opportunity by visiting TroyTrojans.com/Give.

2,200 Downloads since the launch in August

2,600 sessions per week

55 minutes

Year in Review

per user per week … double the average across other NCAA schools

2021 - 2022

Download Via Apple App Store

Download Via Google Play Store

LICENSING Added new brands (Peter Millar & Homefield Apparel) Added Adidas jerseys featuring DeMarcus Ware, basketball jerseys, and patriotic Troy script baseball and softball jerseys into the marketplace Launched first officially licensed coffee – Trojan Blend – through Mural City Coffee Company in Dothan

TROY ATHLETICS

TROJANS IN THE COMMUNITY

Year in Review

SANDY ATKINS

2021 - 2022

Sandy Atkins served as the chair of the NCAA Softball Committee. As chair, she was responsible for leading the selection of the NCAA Softball Tournament field. Additionally, Atkins was on-site in Oklahoma City, Okla., as the main liaison between the NCAA and participating teams for the 2022 NCAA Women’s College World Series.

TROY ATHLETICS

TROJANS IN THE COMMUNITY

ONE TROY TROY ATHLETICS

Year in Review

5000 VETERANS STADIUM DRIVE TROY, AL 36082

2021 - 2022

TroyTrojans.com

2021-22 Troy Athletics Year in Review

Articles inside

Individual Accolades

Track & Field / Cross Country

Facility Improvements

FoodRaiser

Men’s Basketball

Softball

Volleyball

Women’s Basketball

Baseball

Letter from the Chancellor

Football

Men’s and Women’s Tennis

Men’s & Women’s Golf

Soccer

New Head Coaches