Athletics

Pupura, Lacrosse Coach: A Man on a Mission

By Molly Rolon, Associate Editor

New-and-old lacrosse coach James Purpura returned to VMI in mid-2020. The new: Purpura recently took the reins of VMI’s lacrosse program.

The old: He spent 2016-18 with the program, as the recruiting coordinator and offensive coordinator. He left the Institute to take on his first head coaching job at Philadelphiaarea Arcadia University after the 2018 season.

And take it on he did.

After two seasons under Purpura, the seven-year-old program showed tremendous improvements—breaking most school records. The team’s winning percentage nearly doubled, they made their first playoff appearance, and Purpura was named 2019 Coach of the Year in the Middle Atlantic Conference.

“I’ve always been around young programs or teams that have ... needed to be rebuilt,” he said about going to a young program with a losing record. “I like the journey of taking something and making it better—and leaving it better than you found it.”

A blue collar young man from upstate New York, he grew up playing hockey—and lacrosse when the ground thawed out. Like many kids from northern (aka, hockey-loving) states, he wanted to play in the National Hockey League. His size and athleticism lessened his chances, and he realized, “I wasn’t good enough to play in the NHL.”

What he was good enough to play was lacrosse. He fielded offers from a few colleges. Ultimately, he played for and graduated from SUNY Geneseo—coincidentally, also the alma mater of VMI’s longest-serving lacrosse coach, Doug Bartlett.

As a college student-athlete, he expected to teach high school and coach—though, as a coach, he points out, “you really are a teacher.” After earning his undergraduate degree, he began helping coach.

Within a few weeks, he knew coaching was how he wanted to spend his life. Making it in the coaching world requires a good reserve of dogged determination.

While his athleticism may be average, his drive, grit, and determination are anything but ordinary. He spent the first few years as a coach in low-paying positions—$10,000 or less annual salary—and learned the art of frugality. He lived in his car during summer months and took on any extra summer work available. He called up—and crashed on—every buddy’s couch in every town he recruited in. In seven years, Purpura lived in five different states.

Where a lesser man might have thrown in the towel, Purpura kept pushing. The world of lacrosse is small—evidenced by the coincidental alma mater of two VMI head lacrosse coaches.

“Almost everybody knows everybody. It’s easy to get a phone number from somebody,” Purpura said.

That small world brought Purpura to VMI the first time. Someone knew someone, and suggested he interview for the job.

“Candidly, I didn’t know a ton about VMI at the time,” he said. After one visit to VMI, he had fallen in love with VMI, the school’s potential—and the entire Lexington area. It’s a close-knit, friendly community with “a passion for college athletics.”

And when it snows, “it’s generally only two or three inches,” the native New Yorker pointed out. “So, that’s another added benefit.”

The alumni community makes a tremendous difference, too, he said. “The alumni support at VMI is a game changer. The support they provide and continue to provide allows us to build a better experience for our cadetathletes and we all are very thankful for that opportunity.”

Two years ago, when he had the chance to become head coach of Arcadia University’s lacrosse team, the program was “young” and “underachieving”—but Purpura “saw a lot of opportunity there.”

He had been traipsing up and down the East

James Purpura returned to VMI in summer 2020 to lead the Keydet lacrosse program. He spent 2016-18 as the program’s recruiting coordinator and offensive coordinator. He left the Institute to take on his first head coaching job at Philadelphia-area Arcadia University after the 2018 season.—Photos by Molly Rolon, VMI Alumni Agencies.

Coast, assistant-coaching at four different schools in five years. The Arcadia job was not just a rung up the coaching ladder—this was a chance for him to take all the pieces he liked, the things he had learned “and make it our own.” Purpura has a binder stuffed with notes and lessons learned over the years—and he put it good use at Arcadia.

This past summer, leaving his job at Arcadia was bittersweet. He had poured his “blood, sweat, and tears” into the program. VMI, though, is the only place he would have left Arcadia for, Purpura said. People in the small lacrosse community told him head coaching at VMI would be hard. They asked him, a young coach who had just mentored great, positive change at Arcadia, why he would want to go to VMI.

“That only fueled me more to want to take on the challenge,” he said. Purpura wanted the job and jumped at the opportunity. He applied, he briefed his ideas and philosophies—and was hired on in summer 2020.

Soon after he was hired, Purpura put together his staff—which may be one of the best in D1. Purpura brings with him two assistants from Arcadia: Mark “M.C.” Cameron ’94 and Kevin Doherty. Mikey Herring, a former starter for the University of Virginia who’s also played professionally, rounds out the staff. Together, the staff is a mix of high-level playing experience from Herring, the continuity from coaches who’ve worked together before—and in Cameron, the added benefit of a retired U.S. Marine officer and VMI alumnus.

COVID-19 has affected the team’s training, but not as much as it could have, Purpura said. They’re still able to practice. In fall 2020, there were no scrimmages versus other teams, and time spent watching film is less than Purpura would like. Overall, he’s relieved and thankful for the time the team has together and is “really optimistic” about the team’s future.

“The fact that we’re able to practice in some kind of capacity is has really been a relief,” he said. “It’s the highlight of the day for everyone in the program ... I’m sure these guys don’t take anything for granted anymore.”

The “DNA” of Purpura’s coaching philosophy includes a four-part goal system that begins with 100% graduation—and ends with winning. The program also has four core values: Attitude, compete, effort, and sacrifice.

“The great thing about [the program’s] core values is that each individual controls every one of them,” Purpura said. “That’s important in a place like VMI, where there are so many external factors going on, we don’t control much, but what we control greatly matters. We want to be really, really good at controlling the ‘controllables.’”

At the core of everything, Purpura cares about the young men on his team. He wants the team to win almost more than anything— and more than that, he wants to train the young men under his care.

“We want to serve their heart, not just their talent. We want to make sure that we’re caring about the 30-year-old version more than the 20-year-old version,” he said. “We want to be judged on the quality of character of young men that we’re building.”

“I truly believe that in doing that, the winning will come,” Purpura said.

Purpura speaks to the team during a fall 2020 practice. COVID-19 affected the team’s training, but not as much as it could have. They were still able to practice. In fall 2020, there were no scrimmages versus other teams and time spent watching film is less than Purpura would have liked. Overall, he's relieved and thankful for the time the team had together.

Men Second, Women Eighth at SoCon Championship

The Keydet cross country teams topped their seasons with stellar performances at the SoCon championships Nov. 21, 2020. The men’s team finished second and the women came in eighth. Jahanzib Shahbaz ’20 (left photo, right side of trophy) placed second individually, earning First Team All-SoCon honors for the second straight year, while teammate Gavin Jenkins ’22 (left photo, left side of trophy) earned Second Team All-SoCon recognition for the second straight year with his ninth-place mark. Anna Armfield ’21 (right) led the VMI women with a 15th-place finish in 18:52.11, the best female VMI score in Southern Conference history.—Photos courtesy VMI Keydets.

Looking to finish the shortened 2020 season on a strong note, the VMI cross-country teams had excellent finishes at the Southern Conference Cross-Country Championship held at the Georgia Premier Cross-Country Course Nov. 21, 2020, in Macon, Georgia.

The VMI men placed second overall with 63 points, the lowest and best team score since the Keydets returned to the SoCon in 2014. The previous best score for the VMI men was 79 points from the 2015 league race. The VMI women’s team placed eighth overall with 185 points. Senior Jahanzib Shahbaz ’20 placed second individually with an 8k time of 24:23.74 to earn First Team All-SoCon honors for the second straight year. With Furman qualifying for the NCAA championship as a team given its men’s victory in the race, Shahbaz is expected to be at the NCAA National Championship as the first individual representing the SoCon at the national race.

“I am proud of the way the men’s team came together in the past two months,” said Drew Ludtke, Ed.D., VMI head cross-country coach. “I believe today’s experience will live as one of the greatest memories for their entire lives.”

Gavin Jenkins ’22 earned Second Team All-SoCon recognition for the second straight year with his ninth-place mark of 25:47.44. The VMI women were led by senior Anna Armfield ’21, who placed 15th overall in the field with a personal-best 5k time of 18:52.11. She earned the best female VMI score in Southern Conference history by placing 15th overall, which gave VMI a record-low 14 points for the team. The women’s eighth-place finish ties the best VMI women’s placement in the school’s SoCon history, and the 185 total team points is also the best in program history as a member of the Southern Conference. When VMI competed in the Big South Conference, the Keydets’ Jenna (Moye) Vilushis ’13 placed fourth overall in the 2012 Big South race and teammate Leah Schubel ’13 arrived in 14th place. At the 2009 Big South championship, the Keydet women placed second overall with Hannah Granger ’11 winning the individual title.

“I am proud of Anna, who was also our only senior at the meet,” Ludtke said about the women’s race. “She also ran a personal best time! The women really came together today to have great races, a learning experience, and the best VMI score in school history! I am proud of their work!”

The VMI women topped ninth place, The Citadel (242), and 10th place, Wofford (255).

“I want to congratulate and thank all 30 men and women that are part of the cross-country teams, each playing a role in the finish for both the men and women today,” said Darrin Webb, VMI director of track and field and cross-country. “I am very proud of how they competed and the effort they gave. Five men in the top 23 today, and three women in the top 50, is just amazing. Congrats to Coach Ludtke and our entire team! A second-place finish for the men, and eighth for the women were great efforts.”

The team had one regular-season meet—the Tom Scott Open in Charlotte, North Carolina, Oct. 30. The men’s team finished first and the women finished third at the meet.

For more details and results, visit vmikeydets.com.

Keydet Rifle Teams Finish Strong in Fall Competition

The Keydet rifle teams performed well during the fall season, competing in four matches. Looking for a strong start to the 2020-21 season, the VMI rifle teams accomplished the task with solid marks Sept. 26 at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.

Navy won the match with 4658 aggregate points (2305 smallbore, 2353 air rifle) and was followed by the VMI mixed team with 4493 points (2207 SB, 2286 AR) and the VMI women’s team (4206 aggregate; 2003 AB, 2203 AR).

Simon Krauthamer ’22 led the way for the VMI mixed rifle team with a fourth-place 572 smallbore tally. In the women’s smallbore, Savanah Diamond ’22 led the way with a 542 for 13th place overall. Krauthamer led the mixed team in the air rifle with a fourth-place tally of 557 points. Diamond led the VMI women’s team in the air rifle competition with a 558 score for 15th place overall.

Following their opener versus Navy, VMI’s rifle teams had matches against The Citadel, Georgia Southern, Plattsburgh State, and North Georgia. The Keydets split versus The Citadel Oct. 10 and versus Georgia Southern and Plattsburgh State Oct. 18. In the last match of the fall, the Keydet eagle eyes fell to North Georgia Oct. 24.

The Keydets faced the baby blue Bulldogs at home in Kilbourne Hall. Krauthamer led the way for the mixed team’s smallbore. He scored 561 points, followed by Jessica Hankin ’22 (552).

On the women’s side for smallbore, Sarah Robertson ’23 led the VMI women with a 542 for 10th place overall. Samantha Reid ’22 earned the top score for the VMI mixed team in the air rifle with a 575. Diamond led the VMI women in the air rifle competition with a 560 score for seventh place.

Competing in a postal match at Georgia Southern Oct. 18, the VMI rifle teams fell to the Eagles but defeated Plattsburgh State.

Georgia Southern finished with 4535 points (2230 smallbore, 2305 air rifle) and was followed by the mixed VMI rifle team with 4453 points (2209 SB, 2244 AR). The VMI women came in third with 4221 points (2041 SB, 2180 AR), followed by Plattsburgh State with 3928 points (1945 SB, 1983 AR). As a postal match, the scores will count for Southern Conference consideration but will not count toward NCAA postseason qualification.

Krauthamer led the way for the VMI mixed team in the smallbore with a 561 tally. Nicholas Schaefer ’22 led the VMI mixed team in the air rifle with a 565 score. Diamond led the VMI women’s team in both smallbore (531) and in the air rifle segment (560).

Competing in the final event of the 2020 calendar year, the VMI rifle teams fell to North Georgia in Southern Conference rifle action at Kilbourne Hall Oct. 24.

North Georgia came out on top with 4564 aggregate points (2237 SB, 2327 AR) followed by the VMI mixed team with 4438 (2188 SB, 2250 AR). The VMI women’s rifle team placed third with 4351 points (2125 SB, 2226 AR).

Hankin led the mixed team in both the smallbore (4th, 555) and air rifle (6th, 573) to pace the Keydets. On the women’s side, Diamond led the way in the smallbore with a seventh-place score of 550 while also scoring team points in the air rifle with a 558. Claire Lee ’22 guided the team in the air rifle with an eighth-place performance of 565 while scoring second for VMI in the smallbore with a 538.

For more details about the Keydets’ fall season, visit vmikeydets.com.

Jessica Hankin ’22 led the Keydets mixed rifle team in both smallbore and air rifle versus North Georgia Oct. 24. The rifle teams competed in four matches during fall 2020 versus Navy, The Citadel, Georgia Southern and Plattsburgh State, and North Georgia—Photo courtesy VMI Keydets.

Keydet Swimmers Top West Virginia Tech

The Keydets ruled the pool in fall 2020, landing decisive victories over West Virginia Tech Oct. 10 at home and Nov. 7 on the road.—Photo by Randall K. Wolf for VMI.

The Keydet swimming and diving teams were 2-0 in fall competition. Both victories were over West Virginia Tech, at home Oct. 10 and away Nov. 7. A third match scheduled against University of Maryland Baltimore County for Nov. 14 was canceled.

At the season opener, the men scored a 121-56 win while the women’s squad posted a 124-38 victory. The Keydets had the top time in all but one event. Sophomore Jack Sheehan ’23 had the men’s meet top time in three events, swimming a 1:57.97 in the 200 IM, the 100 breaststroke (1:01.54), and was part of the 200 medley relay team with Zach Emerson ’22, Nathan Hicks ’23, and Andrew Mills ’22 (1:40.72). Emerson captured the 50 free in 21.84 and 100 backstroke in 54.76. Bridger Thurston ’23 won both diving events, scoring 210.15 points in the 1M and 196.27 in the 3M. Collin Marks ’24 won the 1650 freestyle in 17:06.54 and Connor Doyle ’23 took the 200 free in 1:47.17.

Thomas Muldowney ’21 was first in the 100 butterfly (54.38) and Chino Vera ’24 came in first in the 100 free in 48.50. The 200 medley relay team of Anno Kong ’22, Marks, Doyle, and Vera won the race in 1:30.05.

Sarah Liebenow ’24 won the women’s 1000yard freestyle in 12:11.51, and also was first in the 500 freestyle in 5:58.28. Junior Sophie Svoboda ’22 was also a double winner, capturing the 50 free in 25.16 and 100 free in 55.49. Anne Bowles ’24 was victorious in the 200 IM in 2:27.47 and the 100 breast in 1:13.70. Jillian Maher ’24 won the 200 free in 2:07.73, while Caragh Osborne ’24 was first in the 100 fly (1:12.69). Isabella DeCosta ’23 swam a 1:06.05 in the 100 backstroke to win, and London Yerasimides ’23 earned the victory in the 1M diving competition (168.07). Nina Rodriguez ’21 bested Yerasimides by a narrow margin (150.22-150.07) to win the 3M dive. Jessica Cox ’24, Kate Taylor ’24, Liebenow, and Svoboda won the 200 free relay in 1:50.09, and DeCosta, Bowles, Maher, and Cox won the 200 medley relay in 2:01.61.

In their second and final competition of fall 2020, the Keydet men won 210-51 while the women defeated the Golden Bears 203-37.

Svoboda won the women’s 50 freestyle in 28.72 and the 200 breast in 2:55.91. Maher captured victories in the 100 (1:05.96) and 400 (5:06.95) free, while DeCosta won the 100 back in 1:14.34 and 200 back in 2:41.22. Liebenow was first in the 800 free in 10:53.35, Bowles won the 100 breaststroke in 1:21.65, Holly Hein ’23 won the 200 fly in 3:39.32, and Ruki Sarkari ’24 finished first in the 100 fly in 1:19.82.

The 200 medley relay team of DeCosta, Bowles, Sarkari, and Svoboda won in 2:16.50 and Svoboda, Taylor, DeCosta, and Maher teamed up to win the 200 free relay in 2:01.16. Svoboda, Liebenow, Decosta, and Maher won the 400 freestyle relay in 4:33.38.

Sheehan earned victories in the men’s 100 breast in 1:08.08, the 200 breast in 2:34.37, and the 200 IM in 2:15.86. Emerson was first in the 50 free (24.44) and 200 back (2:23.88) while Doyle captured the 200 free in 2:01.08. Conner Jorgensen ’23 outlasted Emerson to win the 100 back in 1:05.71, Marks won the 400 free (4:19.31), and Muldowney earned the win in the 100 fly (1:01.51).

Emerson, Sheehan, Muldowney, and Vera won the 200 medley relay and Kong, Doyle, Sheehan, and Vera finished the 200 free in 1:41.03 to win. Emerson, Marks, Doyle, and Vera won the 400 free relay in 3:46.77.