Athletics

VMI Basketball Posts Back-to-Back Winning Seasons

The 2021-22 campaign proved to be another great one for VMI basketball, as the team earned back-to-back winning marks in the regular season for the first time since 2011-12.

The team capped off the great season with an invitation to play in the College Basketball Invitational Tournament, the program’s first postseason tournament since participating in the CIT Tournament following the 2013-14 season.

The Keydets finished 16-15 for the regular season and 9-9 in the Southern Conference. The nine conference wins were the most in SoCon play since the 1998-99 season.

Outside of many notable victories within Southern Conference play, the Keydets earned an exciting victory over Gardner-Webb, went 2-0 on a West Coast trip with big wins over Portland and Seattle, and came within seven points of defeating ACC foe Wake Forest on the road Dec. 14.

VMI started 2-0 in conference action with a win over Wofford Dec. 29 and followed it up with a victory over Furman new year’s day.

Four Keydets were honored by the Southern Conference with postseason recognition, including Jake Stephens ’22 being named First Team All-Conference (coaches and media), Kamdyn Curfman ’23 to the Second Team (media) and Third Team (coaches), Trey Bonham ’24 to the Third Team (coaches and media), and Honor Huff ’25 to the SoCon All-Freshman Team (coaches and media).

Heading into the Southern Conference Tournament, Stephens ranked second in the SoCon in scoring at 19.3 points per game and second in rebounding at 9.2 rebounds per game. The fourtime SoCon Player of the Week and December Player of the Month also ranked first in the league in field goal percentage at .559 and three-point field percentage (.489) in addition to second in the conference in blocks at 2.0 blocks per outing. The Bunker Hill, West Virginia, native logged 15 20-plus point games during the season, including 15 of the last 20 contests he played in, and earned a career-high 39 versus Samford Feb. 17. He registered a career-high 21 rebounds at The Citadel Jan. 15, the most for a single game in the league this year. He became the 43rd Keydet in program history to join the 1,000 career points club.

Curfman ranked sixth in the Southern Conference in scoring at 15.8 points per game heading into the league tournament and hit a three-pointer in 31 consecutive games, the longest active streak in the conference. He tied for first in the SoCon in threes made at 3.7 per game, and his 11 from beyond the arc on the season were the most in the league and third most in program history for a single season. He earned a career-high six threes in a game three times during the year and became the 44th Keydet in program history to join the 1,000 career points club. The North Bethesda, Maryland, native scored in double figures in 28 of 30 games during the regular season, including six 20-plus point games. He hit five-plus threes in seven separate contests during the season.

Bonham scored in double figures in 17 of the last 18 games of the regular season, including a career-high 31 points at Samford Feb. 17. Named the SoCon Player of the Week Feb. 21, he tied for third in the SoCon in assists per game at 4.0 and tied for fourth in assist-turnover ratio at 1.9. Ranked sixth in the SoCon in free-throw percentage (.822) after the regular season, the Mobile, Alabama, native earned a career-high eight assists versus Samford Jan. 20 and logged a career-best nine boards against The Citadel Feb. 12.

Huff showed his potential for a bright future with the program after averaging 15.6 points per game over the final 13 games of the regular season. He scored in double figures in 11 of those 13 games and had four 20-plus point games for the year. He set new scoring highs in three consecutive games in January: 15 versus The Citadel Jan. 15, 21 against Samford Jan. 20, and 23 against Chattanooga Jan. 22.

The Brooklyn, New York, native started 16 games during the regular season and scored five threes versus Samford Jan. 20.

Kamdyn Curfman ’23, guard, reaches for the ball during the SoCon quarterfinals game against Wofford March 5.—Photo courtesy VMI Keydets.

Stephens ’22 Leads by Example: “Don’t Change a Thing”

By Maj. Michelle Ellwood, VMI Communications & Marketing

Standing tall as a VMI cadet isn’t a problem for Jake Stephens ’22. The computer science major from Bunker Hill, West Virginia, measures in at 6 feet, 11 inches—currently the tallest cadet in the Corps, after growing approximately 4 inches during his college years. That’s after growing 4 inches during his years at Musselman High School. This captain of the Keydet basketball team was named the Southern Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Week for the fourth time during the 2021-22 season in mid-February and scored his 1,000th point at the home game Dec. 11, 2021. He is a member of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee.

After graduating from VMI, Stephens hopes to continue playing basketball in some capacity. Each NCAA fall and winter athlete in all three division levels was given an additional year of eligibility due to the season-altering COVID-19 pandemic, whether the team competed or not. “I plan on playing basketball as long as I can,” said Stephens. “When I’m not playing, watching, or thinking [about] basketball, I usually like to listen to sports podcasts.”

Dan Earl, head coach of the VMI basketball team from 2015-22, has always been impressed by Stephens’ character and work ethic, even down to the snacks Stephens chooses on road trips. “In the summer, I’ll be on my porch, and I see Jake running sprints on the track at night. He’s a self-made player,” Earl said. He also hopes Stephens will continue playing the sport. “The stats speak for themselves. He’ll be able to play for a while if that’s what he wants to do. The door is open for him.”

Positive relationships have guided Stephens during his cadetship. The Piegari and Coleman families gave him homes away from home as host families. “I’m just so thankful that they came into my life because I am not sure I could’ve made it without them. I really can’t thank them enough,” he said.

He hopes anyone arriving to VMI could have a similar support system. “The more you put yourself out there and get involved, the more fun you will have here. If I could go back in time, I think a younger me would greatly benefit from that. Make friends, join clubs, put yourself out there, and in the end, it will all be worth it because of those friendships you’ve made.”

Besides being well-known on the court, and maybe giving the VMI tailor shop a bit of a challenge, Stephens carries himself well in all aspects of VMI life and is frequently described as humble, kind, and sincere. In class, he’s often quiet but gains the respect of both faculty members and his classmates. “He leads by example,” said Col. Holly Richardson, Ph.D., professor of physical education. “Nobody wants to jump in the swimming pool at [8 a.m.] every Monday morning for 15 weeks. Jake was the one to lead the pack into the pool. He gives his best.”

A professor within Stephens’ computer and information sciences major, Brig. Gen. Jeffrey G. Smith Jr. ’79, Ph.D., has seen Stephens develop through his cadetship, starting in spring semester 2019. Stephens sat in the corner of Smith’s classroom in a fashion described by Smith as “leisurely extending the longest legs of any computer science major on record.” But it didn’t take long for his dynamic leadership capabilities to shine. Stephens wasn’t loud or overpowering, simply “speaking sparingly, but with uncommon and unassuming clarity,” Smith said.

Smith recalls a time when he asked cadets to provide feedback on his course, and Stephens provided a list of recommendations on a yellow piece of paper after several other classmates shared their feedback verbally. While Stephens had provided guidance on how the course could be better, he reminded Smith not to take out the parts that make it all worthwhile. The written list wrapped up with “don’t change a thing.”

“His teachers, coaches, and classmates would tell Jake to heed his own advice,” said Smith. “When it comes to things like character, courage, humor, effort, and empathy, ‘don’t change a thing.’”

Earl wants to make sure he says “thank you” to Stephens. “He’s got a great way about him. He represents VMI the right way. He’s a phenomenal young man, and I’m honored to have coached him.”

“This is only the beginning for Jake,” Richardson expressed. “He is sure to have a successful future. No doubt Jake will touch people’s lives for the good. He impacted mine.”

Jake Stephens ’22 takes a shot against Gardner-Webb during the Dec. 11, 2021, game in Cameron Hall. During his four years at the Institute, the team captain has made big impacts on and off the court.—VMI Photo by Kelly Nye.

Rifle Team Fifth at SoCon Championships

The VMI rifle teams enjoyed another successful season at the range that featured broken school records and multiple personal best scores.

The VMI mixed rifle team finished fifth at the Southern Conference Championships with 4,537 points, and the VMI women placed sixth overall with 4,411 aggregate points.

Christopher Hicks ’24 earned Second Team All-Conference honors in the air rifle for his scores for the category throughout the regular season. In November, Hicks broke the VMI school record in the air rifle in a dual against Nebraska in which he shot a 587, breaking the former record of 582 held by Andrew Hickey ’17 and Hunter Jacob ’20 from the 2017-18 season. He also shot in the finals segment of the smallbore competition on the first day of the SoCon Rifle Championships in early March.

At the SoCon Championships, Hicks led the team in the smallbore category with a 566 and was followed by Jessica Hankin ’22 at 564. Simon Krauthamer ’22 finished third on the team with 559 points, and Stephen Garner ’23 logged a 533 for the event.

On the women’s side of the smallbore segment, Maxine Gray-Barth ’24 led the team with 544 points, and Katie Grochalski ’24 and Claire Lee ’22 tied for second on the team with a 533.

In the air rifle competition at the SoCon Championships, Samantha Reid ’22 finished second on the VMI mixed team with a 14th-place mark of 579 air rifle points, followed by Hankin’s 568 for 23rd place.

Claire Lee led the VMI women with a 21st-place finish with 570 air rifle points, followed by Gray-Barth’s score of 569 for 22nd place. Christopher Hicks ’24 competes in the smallbore competition at the SoCon Rifle Championships. He led VMI in smallbore and set a new school record in air rifle in November 2021.—Photo courtesy VMI Keydets.

Swimming and Diving Teams Set New School Records

Members of the men’s swimming and diving team broke three school records this season. The women’s team erased six old freshman and varsity records this season.—Photo courtesy VMI Keydets.

The VMI men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams had a very successful 2021-22 season, recording many personal bests along with toppling several school records.

The men’s team broke three school records this season. Chase Lane ’24 set a new top mark in the 100 breaststroke, while Chino Vera ’24, Lane, Tyler Blackwell ’24, and Dalton Cosner ’24 teamed up to break both the 200- and 400-medley relay records.

The women’s team erased six old freshman and varsity records this season. Rachel Greathouse ’25 snapped the 500 freestyle top mark and also swam new freshman top times in the 200, 500, and 1,650 freestyle and the 200 butterfly. Anne Bowles ’24 broke the program record in the 100 breaststroke.

Greathouse and London Yerasimides ’23 were named the America East Conference’s women’s swimmer and diver of the week, respectively, Jan. 18. Yerasimides won both the 1-meter (208.12) and 3-meter (204.53) diving events against American University.

Track and Field Indoor Season Ends with Top Placings

The VMI track and field teams capped an exciting 2022 indoor season with top finishes at the Southern Conference Championships and a 14th-place finish for the men’s team at the IC4A/ECAC Championships in Boston.

Jordin Poindexter ’22, sprinter, was named the Most Outstanding Male Athlete at the SoCon Championships after earning individual titles in both the 60-meter and 200-meter with personal-best times and helping the 4x400 relay squad to a first-place finish. As a team, the men’s squad finished third overall at the SoCon Indoor Championships held at the VMI Corps Physical Training Facility.

At the IC4A Championships, the distance medley relay team paced the squad with a second-place finish in 9:52.15. The team was comprised of Andre Jordan ’22, Johnnie Walker ’22, Trent Whittaker ’23, and Gavin Jenkins ’22. Whittaker also competed in the 800-meter finals and logged a third-place finish in 1:49.59, a new personal record for the event.

Poindexter also finished the IC4A Championships strong in both the 60-meter and 200-meter events. He came in sixth place in the 60-meter with a time of 6.94 seconds and followed it up with an eighth-place mark in the 200-meter in 21.41 seconds.

At the SoCon Championships, Whittaker came from behind on the final lap to take first in the 800-meter run in a personal-best 1:51.02 for All-Conference marks and VMI’s third individual title for the day.

The 4x400 relay team of Jeremiah Wilks ’25, Poindexter, Richard Edwards ’25, and Walker also earned a SoCon championship title by finishing first in 3:17.13, VMI’s fourth title event.

Walker nearly earned a title in the 400-meter at the SoCon Championships

by finishing as the runner-up in 48.44 seconds for All-Conference honors. Keyandre Midgett ’24 came in third in the 60-meter hurdles in 8.27 seconds to stand at the podium as a bronze medalist with All-Conference honors. On the women’s side, Eleyah Armstrong ’25 and Ahliyah Williams ’22 qualified for the IC4A/ECAC Championships and represented the program well. Armstrong came in 19th overall in the 60-meter dash in 7.81 seconds and showed well in the long jump competition, finishing 23rd overall at 5.04 meters. Williams competed in the 400-meter dash and placed 22nd overall in 57.57 seconds to conclude her final indoor campaign. The women’s team finished in sixth place at the SoCon Championships Trent Whittaker ’23 comes from behind to win the 800-meter run in a personal-best time of 1:51.02 at with 20.5 points. the Southern Conference Championships Feb. 27.—Photo courtesy VMI Keydets. Ingrid Joseph ’22 finished the 60-meter dash in eighth place overall with a personal-best time of 7.79 seconds. The Washington, D.C., native would later complete the 200-meter dash in fifth place in a personal-best 25.44 seconds. The 4x400 relay team of Marissa Linkous ’22, Joseph, Gretal Shank ’25, and Williams came in fifth place overall with a time of 4:02.07 to represent the program well. Ahliyah Williams ’22 helps lead the VMI women to a sixth-place finish at the SoCon Championships Feb. 26-27.—Photo courtesy VMI Keydets.

Keydets Conclude Wrestling Season

The young Keydet wrestling team had several top moments in the 2021-22 season. The campaign opened with five VMI grapplers placing at the Southeast Open, including Zach Brown ’23 in second at 184 pounds in the open competition. Isaac Dolph ’24 took third in the 285 freshman/sophomore field, and Blake Showers ’24 was fourth at 157.

Tyler Mousaw ’24 placed fourth at 197 pounds at the Navy Classic Nov. 20, while Brown took sixth. The Keydets started the dual season with a 24-22 win over Long Island University and also bested Bellarmine (29-10), and Presbyterian (28-18) in Southern Conference matches.

Mousaw finished fourth at the SoCon Championship meet and finished the year 14-9 with five pins. Tyler Mousaw ’24 competes at the SoCon championship meet.—Photo courtesy VMI Keydets.